I recall a film award jury member making a plea for mercy similar to that of Daniel Lak in his review (Feb 13): “At least you have the choice of what to read. Imagine having to sit through the ‘works’ of so many sadists at one time!”

India is such a third rate, unintelligent, shabby place - you only have to watch those imbecilical Hindi movies to realise it - that tenth rate foreigners like Lak are able to patronise and sneer at it.  

It comes back to "everything is both true and false about India". So there will always be someone writing believing they have a new perspective to sell or hope they have a new target audience to to whom they are selling.

To us mere mortal natives, the eternal aam-admi, most of these book don't matter (or are unaffordable) except may be those also at the same expat parties as you. We know we are an extremely complicated people living in a complicated place and then we have our movies to show us the alternative visions of simplictly of foreign locales - sanitized hospital clean/orderly Switzerland being on the top of the list, which we enjoy while the movie lasts (or a little more for some who have the wherewithall to visit them in reality).

Since our physical environ offers little joy, we like to get our joy from the metaphysical, the company of friends and family, good food AND of course Aam (Mangoes).

I recall a member of a Film Awards Jury pleading for mercy: ' Have a heart- you have choice of what to watch; imagine  having to sit through the 'works'of so many saddists at a time!' 

"Where would we be without the works of Mark Tully, Sam Miller or William Dalrymple?" who are "we"? so knocking this poor moron gives you the right to be condescending towards india? hilarious, not to speak of outrageous. i haven't seen the guardian give space for indians to patronise britain. anyone at outlook listening?

and the book cover is nauseating enough to put one off...

and the book cover is nauseating enough to put one off...

"Where would we be without the works of Mark Tully, Sam Miller or William Dalrymple?" who are "we"? so knocking this poor moron gives you the right to be condescending towards india? hilarious, not to speak of outrageous. i haven't seen the guardian give space for indians to patronise britain. anyone at outlook listening?

I recall a member of a Film Awards Jury pleading for mercy: ' Have a heart- you have choice of what to watch; imagine  having to sit through the 'works'of so many saddists at a time!' 

It comes back to "everything is both true and false about India". So there will always be someone writing believing they have a new perspective to sell or hope they have a new target audience to to whom they are selling.

To us mere mortal natives, the eternal aam-admi, most of these book don't matter (or are unaffordable) except may be those also at the same expat parties as you. We know we are an extremely complicated people living in a complicated place and then we have our movies to show us the alternative visions of simplictly of foreign locales - sanitized hospital clean/orderly Switzerland being on the top of the list, which we enjoy while the movie lasts (or a little more for some who have the wherewithall to visit them in reality).

Since our physical environ offers little joy, we like to get our joy from the metaphysical, the company of friends and family, good food AND of course Aam (Mangoes).

India is such a third rate, unintelligent, shabby place - you only have to watch those imbecilical Hindi movies to realise it - that tenth rate foreigners like Lak are able to patronise and sneer at it.