Lead Review (Paro)

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Review Author: tripfiction

3.75*

Priya is the ‘voyeur and diarist’ of the comings and goings of Paro, a striking woman who holds sway wherever she goes. “..being a Beautiful Woman. It’s a full time occupation. And much harder work than it seems…”.

Wherever she turns up melodrama follows in her wake as she indulges in affairs and short-lived marriages. No man is safe, it would seem, even Priya’s husband at times succumbs to Paro’s charms.

The author is a skilled storyteller with a tremendously fluid writing style. She captures Paro’s flashing allure, her eyes glinting as she makes her moves; she describes the range of emotions that her persona evokes and the polarised responses that follow in her wake.

This candid satire of sexual liberation and social climbing was first published in 1984. Given the time period of 1970s/80s India, when more formal behaviour was the absolute norm – especially for women – this novel proved a game changer, a racy read. Transpose this character into today’s culture, of course, – with her bright red hair and nails painted in gold and red stripes – and she would garner little attention.

Paro appears to enjoy the limelight, but even she does not come through life unscathed.

Paro is a kind of precursor to today’s influencers and celebrities, and as such her conduct no longer shocks or stands out. It is advisable to read this book with the culture of its time in mind, underlined by the cover design with its nod to the graphics of the era.

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