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An Obedient Father by Akhil Sharma

By RachelUndefined on June 19, 2009 • ( 0 )

Opening Sentence:I needed to force money from Father Joseph, and it made me nervous.
Synopsis:Ram Karan, a corrupt official in the Physical Education Department of the Delhi school system, lives in one of the city’s slums with his widowed daughter and his eight-year-old granddaughter. Bumbling, ironical, sad, Ram is also a man corroded by a guilty secret.

When Rajiv Gandhi, the likely winner of the upcoming Prime Ministerial elections, is murdered, the country is plunged into confusion and Ram, as his department’s resident bribe collector, is trapped in a series of escalating, possibly deadly political betrayals. While he tries to protect himself and his family, his daughter reveals a crime that he had hoped would be buried forever. Ram’s struggle to survive, and make amends after a life of deception, thrusts him into a world of gangsters and movie stars, riots and morgues.
Genre:Fiction
Rating:@@@@@
Pages:282
ISBN:o-571-20673-5
Year:2000
Format:Paperback
Comments:An Obedient Father is a superbly written, enthralling and deeply disturbing story. Sharma’s characters alternately inspire pity and disgust. As in real life, they are neither purely good or purely evil, but beautifully human in their fragility. Thus, while we feel disgust for the abuser, we also feel empathy. And, while we feel empathy for the abused, we also feel disgust.

I feel I should warn readers that there are a few descriptions of sexual abuse in this book that are disturbingly realistic and this book is an emotional roller-coaster. Having said that, I believe this is the best-written book I have read in a while and I will definitely watching for more books by this author.

Critics call for fathers in India to take leading role in addressing rape, gender issues (pri.org)
To the Young Women and Men of Delhi: Thinking about Rape from India Gate (kafila.org)
How Childhood Abuse Can Manifest in Adult Relationships (drlauraberman.com)
India Ink: The Delhi Gang Rape Accused: Vinay Sharma, a ‘Quiet and Simple’ Boy (india.blogs.nytimes.com)
Ceop warns over ‘alarming new trend’ in online sex abuse of children (schoolsimprovement.net)

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Categories: Impressions

Tags: books, child abuse, Child sexual abuse, Delhi, Haryana, india, New Delhi, Obedient Father, Rajiv Gandhi, Sexual abuse, Sharma, Support group, Support Groups

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How do I rate my books?

½ Star: I disliked it to the point where I didn’t even finish it and I would actively discourage others from reading it. This will definitely be released.
1 Star: I almost didn’t finish this book, but I powered through. I strongly disliked it and I would actively discourage others from reading it. This will definitely be released.
1 ½ Stars: I read this book, but I didn’t particularly enjoy it and I wouldn’t recommend it. This book will be released.
2 Stars: I don’t really have an opinion on this book. I didn’t particularly like it, but I didn’t particularly dislike it either. I won’t read it again and probably wouldn’t recommend it. This book will be released.
2 ½ Stars: This book is alright, I guess. Other people might enjoy it, but it’s not for me. I might mention it in passing, but I won’t reread it. This book will be released.
3 Stars: This book is average. I enjoyed it, but I’ll probably forget it within a year. I might recommend it to fans of the genre, but I won’t be rereading it. This book will be released.
3 ½ Stars: This book is above average but unexceptional. I enjoyed it, and I would probably recommend it, but I doubt I’ll read it again. This book will be released.
4 Stars: This is an excellent book. I enjoyed it quite a bit and would recommend it to others. I may or may not reread it. This book might be kept, or it might be released.
4 ½ Stars: This book is fantastic. I absolutely loved it and I fully intend to read it again. I would definitely recommend it to others. This book will be kept.
5 Stars: This is an amazing book which I’ll reread multiple times. I quite likely sacrificed sleep or skipped meals for this book and will shamelessly promote it to all and sundry. This book will definitely be kept, and I’ll probably buy an extra copy just to release it.

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