Ladies Coupé

If you love novels with a passel of strangers coming together involuntarily within enclosed spaces, this one's for you. The setting is an overnight train in South India, and the women who share a sleeping compartment designated for women are: Akhila, primary protagonist, forced to become head of household after her father dies; Janaki, mother of a selfish and spoiled son; Sheela, recalling her beloved grandmother's sad death; Margaret, saddled with a big-headed liar for a husband; and Marikolanthu, a village girl mistreated by her wealthy employer. Each story is movingly told, with Akhila's own saga interwoven between those of the others. A perfect summer read and a fine introduction to this area of the country, culturally removed from show more the tourist worlds of the Taj Mahal and the large cities of the north. show less

Akhila sets out on a journey to Kanyakumari while trying to answer the question, 'Can a woman stay single and be happy, or does she need a man to feel complete?'. She meets five women with their own stories, who all seem to share one thing in common: men and children, and everyone around you, will care about their own well-being, and being selfless and focusing on servitude (as is expected from an Indian woman) leads to unhappiness. It was very frustrating thinking of the social and cultural values that make women prisoners - as displayed in each story.
I loved the concept, but felt the book's pacing was off.

Although I've had a longtime fascination with India, I've only skirted the periphery of the literature, films, and non-fiction available to me. Perhaps I've simply wanted to preserve the mystery and wonder until someday when I can explore the subcontinent for myself. But every now and again I stumble across something wonderful that feeds the fire of my interest.

Plot: Until the late 90s the Indian railway system offered the “nicer” tier of its second-class passengers the option of both a ladies' waiting area and berths in a “ladies coupe” car. Akhila, a forty-five year-old tax clerk, sacrificed her adult dreams and desires to the needs of her mother and siblings upon the sudden death of her father, supporting the family, has show more booked a berth in such a car to make a sudden trip to the sea in order to settle the question “Can a woman live alone?” In the intimacy of the coupe Akhila turns to her fellow passengers for their perspectives. Over the course of the journey each woman, ranging in age from 58 to 14, tells the story of her life in answer to Akhila's question. Two pampered matrons, a triumphantly angry teenager, a vengeful wife, and the final, mysterious woman share all. Between their tales Akhila reflects on her life and what little she has to show for it and her burgeoning desire to determine her own destiny.

Review: Ladies Coupe had me enthralled from start to finish, by turns laughing out loud and filled with anger, and always thrilled by her evocative use of language. Every time I opened this book I sank into another, richly detailed and beautiful world, half a world away from mine. A novel this richly textured could never be written about New England, we just don't have enough heat, color, or spice here. show less

Kvinnor på ett tåg är en historia med flera andra historier invävda, en så kallad ramberättelse. Akhila är en medelålders ogift Indisk kvinna som har sedan hennes pappa dött varit den som tagit hans plats och på grund av det aldrig blivit gift. Hon är bitter över sitt öde och en dag bestämmer hon sig för att sätta sig på ett tåg och åka bort några dagar.
På tåget får hon dela kupen med fem andra kvinnor, de är sex kvinnor med olika bakrund, ålder och livserfarenheter, de börjar prata och berätta för varandra om sina liv. Boken är uppbyggd på deras olika historier, det är en bok som visar oss hur ett liv för indiska kvinnor kan se ut, man får se och lära känna Indien och de olika traditioner. Språket show more är mycket beskrivande att man lätt ser allt framför sig, den är lättläst och man kommer snabbt in i alla de sex historier.
Mycket bra bok show less

Mixed feelings about this book. I'm kind of off of novels about groups of women who get together and come to some sort of self fulfillment or realization of their empowerment. I'd hoped that the lure of India might take the somewhat sour taste of these novels out of my mouth. It did...sort of. Not enough to make me really enjoy the book, but enough so that I didn't abandon it. It's probably my frame of mind, no fault of the writer. I just wasn't that enamored of it all. Maybe the next reader will be. PS I really despised the end.

A 45-year old unmarried Indian woman decides one day to get away from it all and go by train somewhere she has never been before. The title refers to the carriage exclusively for elderly people, handicapped, and women, a practice in India which lasted until 1998. She meets 5 other women and gets to know their stories. The underlying theme is their society's repression of women's individuality. Each has gone through some kind of struggle and an attempt to restore self-worth, and with it, happiness.

Without doubt, the book has a noble theme - emancipation of women in highly traditional societies. It cannot go wrong, unless it is shabbily told. And it is told in the most shabby way in this novel. Unimaginative, shallow, and kind of show more standard fare for telenovelas. And written also like a script for one. It could also use some proper editing. There are far better books written on this subject, and I suggest better stick to those show less

I'm a big fan of Indian fiction and this book did not disappoint. Well-written and compelling portraits of Indian women in varied circumstances, but all illustrating the challenges facing women in traditional Indian society. I finished the book wishing there would be a sequel... An added bonus at the end book was recipes for foods mentioned in the book. I may recommend this to my book club since our tradition is to not only discuss a book, but also gather for a dinner, generally themed around the subject of the book.