Age of Vice

This book was so engrossing and exciting, until the 5th half which totally ruined it for me! The tension was built up right from the start, keeping me excited and following each character even though the book was really long.
The reality of many Indian politicians and their shady businesses/goons was well done, unfortunately, their threat tactics and manipulation in rural areas works well, and they create monopolies in their businesses. Sunny Wadia is an interesting character, on one hand he's trying his best to break free from the viscous cycle of fear and death his father and uncle have create. Neda, his love interest was also fascinating - from an upper class, empathising with people from rural areas and being nice to Ajay (the show more 'help'), yet aspiring to party with people like Sunny.
Although this book was long, the perspectives of these three characters kept me super occupied - all until the last chapter when the writer veers off with abstract writing and vague scenes. It made no sense and killed the plot for me. show less

Takes itself very seriously but can’t pull it off. The descriptions of drinking and drugging get old. Ajay is by far the strongest character and book is weaker when away from him. The Neda section is okay but not as vivid. By the time we get to the last sections, darting from Sunny to newspaper reports to the kidnapper and back to Ajay and Neda, I was impatient for it to end, which it did, weakly. By using so many POVs, the story gets watered down and less compelling. I enjoyed being immersed in her setting, but the trip was too long and the tripping too much.

Age of Vice by Deepti Kapoor is a 2023 Riverhead Books publication.

It’s been ages since I read a good crime drama/family saga. Age of Vice certainly fits that bill. The psychology behind powerful family run criminal enterprises, the glitter of vast wealth, the innocent people that get drawn in or trapped in that web is always compelling.

Set in India in the early 2000s, the story follows Sunny Wadia, the son of a corrupt businessman, Anjay, a boy who witnessed horrible violence and was then sold into servitude, eventually coming to work for Sunny- constantly at his beck and call, and Neda, a journalist working on a crime story who becomes dazzled by Sunny’s wealth and exciting lifestyle. But when a horrific car crash occurs, it show more changes the course of their lives in unexpected ways…

This one is a bit hefty, but it is such an absorbing page turner it goes by super-fast. This is, by far, one of the best modern organized crime dramas, I’ve read in ages. This book is definitely worthy of all the buzz and excitement! Can’t wait to read more books by this author!! show less

This epic family crime drama did not disappoint, keeping my interest for the entire 500+ pages. Some parts were very difficult to read, there is a lot of the worst of humanity reflected in this story. The power and wealth that replace morals and empathy really steamrolled so many of the characters. There is a lot of jumping around in timeline and perspective and I wasn't always following the transitions, but I did enjoy how much time was covered in the characters' lives. The ending lost me a little, I felt like I didn't have all the threads to this massive braid of a plot, but it was still enjoyable to read to the end.

Age of Vice is definitely a hefty read — both in size and subject matter — but, except for a few small sections author Deepti Kapoor keeps it moving so the book reads much shorter than it looks. The story sprawls across India during its era of modernization and focuses on characters from different layers of society as we meet Ajay, sold by his mother into servitude; Neda, a young working-class woman trying to find herself in Delhi; and Sunny, the son and nephew of notorious businessmen. This book is full of action and violence yet explores themes of loyalty, family, wealth, and corruption.

The main characters are Ajay, a boy sold into service because he lost a goat; Sunny Wadia, the son and nephew of two crime bosses; and Neda, a journalist. The story begins with a car accident that kills five people sleeping on the sidewalk in New Delhei. The car belongs to a rich man, but when the dust settles there is no rich man there. The three main characters and another wealthy man are involved in the accident and its aftermath which affects the lives of the three main characters throughout this novel. The only sympathetic character here is Ajay who does what he has to in order to stay alive and try to get back to his family. He is used by Sunny and his family and liked by Neda. Neda is involved with Sunny and Sunny is a show more manipulator who craves the respect of his father, Bunty Wadia, and will do anything to get it. Sunny is also an alcoholic and drug addict who refuses or is unable to help himself. Neda is a confused young college graduate who does not know what she wants and seems to just float along drinking and taking drugs. I did not like this book, it went on too long, and had only one sympathetic character. show less

I am going to skip the star rating. Made it to page 124 and called it. I found the prose overwrought and there is no subtlety at all in the storyline (I also was not crazy about the structure, but I can't really say what bugged me.) Everything that happens is utterly plot driven, people's actions are what are need to move the story where Kapoor wants it to go, and are never actions we understand based upon what little we know about the characters. Also, everything is on the page - there is no room for imagination. It reminded me of reading Dan Brown (not a compliment) but the Indian version. It was just 100% not interesting to me and there are plenty of other books to read. I am in the tiny minority, people seem to love this, but I call show more 'em as I see 'em. show less