The Deliberate Sinner : Reviewed

The Deliberate Sinner is a debut attempt by Bhaavna Arora. Rihana the protagonist is described as a free spirited adventurous girl, who ends up marrying Veer-the eligible bachelor in town. The marriage however gradually turns into a nightmare for her as she discovers Veer is not the same guy who courted her.

It being a debut novel I can’t be too harsh with the review, but seriously, which Punjabi family names their daughter Rihana?! The flow of the novel is very abrupt I felt; which is one of the reasons why I couldn’t finish the book in one stretch. Although I appreciate the honesty with which Bhaavna has portrayed the much hushed need for female sexual gratification, I feel most of the details were unnecessary & made me feel like I was reading an Indian version of 50 Shades of Grey.

That said, now let me focus on the good part. The Deliberate Sinner talks of the harsh realities of Indian society-it explores with brutal honesty, the truth behind most marriages in India-compromise, suppression of the women both physically & mentally. While many would term the author as being feminist, one cannot help but relate to the situations described here. Haven’t we all had some female relative who would have problems in her marriage, but is advised to ‘work it out’, ‘adjust’ & God forbid what a scandalous affair it is if she starts asking for a divorce! No matter whose fault it is, the woman is always the one at whom all fingers point. Why has it become a mandate to expect so much from a woman, while a man is allowed to roam scot-free?

Bhaavna doesn’t use any flowery language and perhaps that is what makes the pain of Rihana so empathetic.  The events described in the book may seem very unrealistic to some, but then fact is stranger than fiction. I loved the way Bhaavna touched on some topics that I’ve hardly ever encountered in any other Indian author’s stories. The attitude of a society towards an extra marital affair, what actually goes on through a couple’s minds when one of them is cheating on the other, is it that easy to forgive & let go?

The ending is a bit rushed & some would say clichéd. But I think given the plot, the end fits perfectly with Rihana’s nature. Bhaavna has developed every character & not just painted them in shades of white & black. Like Rihana’s mother is initially portrayed as a typical Mom, oblivious to her daughter’s pain, but later we see the soft side to her persona.

Overall the book can be rated as being average if you judge it on it’s literary value but the story itself is good enough to deserve a 3.5/5 rating.


This review is a part of BlogAdda's Book Review Program