It's not great literature, but it is entertaining enough, with engaging characters. Ultimately, though, it's really more of cultural interest. ( )

This is what I wrote in 2010 about this read: "Modern (and pretty light) Indian novel; note use of "@" in title. Some good humor. Young & westernized Indians very contemptuous of Americans. MGA questioned her gold jewelry after multiple references to only "aunties" wearing gold." ( )

It's... okay. I didn't dislike it, but I can't think of anyone to whom I'll be recommending it either.

The framing of the story was interesting - while on an overnight train, a mysterious, beautiful woman tells the author the story of the call center, but only after he agrees to the woman's terms: if she tells the story, he must use it for his next book. But despite the reality-blurring frame, the story itself is average. The characters, all of whom work at the call center of the title, go to work, gossip, take breaks, and worry about the impending 'rightsizing.' Their boss speaks in impenetrable business jargon, and his incompetence may be a leading factor in the upcoming layoffs.

Shyam, the narrative character of the interior story, apologizes at the outset for his plain speech. As well he should, honestly. I assumed that the apology would turn out to be false modesty or a foil to underscore the brilliance of his insights, but the language of the novel is straight-forward and workaday to the point of becoming boring and the brilliant insights never materialized. The flat language use may be a problem with the translation... but I somehow doubt it. Shyam is paralyzed with self-doubt and hung up on Priyanka, whom he works with and used to date. The night is broken up by his reminisces about dates with Priyanka and her phone conversations with her prospective groom from America. He hates that she's moving on, but he feels he doesn't quite deserve her. As a reader, he nearly convinced me that he doesn't.

Oh, and it's Thanksgiving in America. And God calls. (Neither of these plot points is as interesting as it sounds.)

I've read much worse books, but there are better books out there. Skip this one. ( )

Not really the right book for me; I have little patience with romantic woes to begin with, particularly from the point of view of the Nice Guy. The point of the book is that he gets his head back together in due course (and unlike most Nice Guys he actually does care about people when his head's on the right way to show it) so it was a better reading experience once I started reading on fast-forward and skipped a bunch of the flash-backs. I do like the conceit, and the parts focused on the call centre itself - and on the other problems facing their other colleagues - were a good read. ( )

Initial cursory reading of the first few pages intrigued me enough to want to read more. However, as the story unfolded, the plot development unraveled and fell through. As a published author with several books under his belt (I wonder, really), I must say that the writing style was quite juvenile and very rough. The only 'nice' thing about it, if you are looking for it, is that one could say that it played out like a B-grade Bollywood movie. I am not in the habit of posting a negative review on a book, because to each his/her own -- but I really do not recommend reading this (unless critiquing is your cup of tea), nor would I take the chance on reading another one of this author's books, on the perchance that it might have some redeeming qualities. ( )