Book Review — Glitter and Gloss
Glitter and Gloss — by Vibha Batra
Publisher: Bloomsbury India
Pages:164
Price: Rs. 199 INR(paperback)
ISBN: 978–0143424505
Misha is a make up artist who, after a series of mishaps and twists and turns, falls madly in love with Akshay who reciprocates her love with ardour. The only hitch in this perfect romance is her prospective sister-in-law who thinks Misha is everything a Bahu shouldn’t be: garrulous, geeky, gawky, gainfully employed (especially the last bit). The questions is will Misha win Didi (and the Kha-Pee Panchayat) over with her Stepford Wife Act? Will she continue to be the poster child for the inherent evils of the Bahu Brigade? Or will she learn to ‘lau’ herself before the whole world and its wife can do the same?
About the author:
Vibha Batra is a copywriter by profession and a popular fiction writer too. Her literary pursuits took off when she translated her grandfather Late Shri Vishnu Kant Shastri’s book on the Ishaavaasya Upanishad. Among her recent titles are Sweet Sixteen (Yeah, Right!) and Seventeen And Done (You Bet!), published by Penguin, Tongue in Cheek, a collection of poetry and A Twist of Lime, a collection of short stories, and Family Crossword. She has also contributed short stories and poems to several anthologies.
My take on this book:
This is the love story of Misha, makeup artist with M.A.C. and Akshay, owner of a jewelry brand. It is kind of love at first sight for Akshay when he accidentally meets Misha at a fashion show. Akshay pursues her by following to the makeup store and later to Dubai. All is well until Akshay’s sister finds out about their relationship. Now starts Misha’s adventures to impress Akshay’s sister and to convince her hard that Misha is the right choice for him and as good as any other girl his sister would have chosen for him.
But the major factors playing in this relationship are that Misha is socially awkward, high on innocence and low on self confidence. Rest of the story is about how Misha fumbles trying to impress Didi and her coming-of-age. The story also has other interesting characters like Misha’s friend Poulomi and her male room-mate, her mother and her new boyfriend.
The main highlight of the story is Misha’s characterization and her awkwardness which causes a handful of laughs. The humor and wit is retained through the length of the book. At less than 200 pages this one is an easy breezy read and ideal for a one time read. If logic can be left like how a rich, handsome and near perfect guy like Akshay fell in love with Misha without a second thought, the book can be enjoyed for its light hearted banter. And since Misha is working at M.A.C store, there are huge references to their cosmetic ranges and products.There are few casual Hindi-English word usages during the first few pages and some cliched phrases and if you don’t mind such language, then go enjoy this one!
My rating:
3.5/5.
