Product Description
A young woman in an arranged marriage awakens one day surprised to find herself in love with her husband. A retired divorcé tries to become the perfect partner by reading women's magazines. A man's long-standing contempt for his cousin suddenly shifts inward when he witnesses his cousin caring for a sick woman. The protagonists in A Life of Adventure and Delight deceive themselves and engage in odd behaviors as they navigate how to be good, how to make meaningful relationships, and the strengths and pitfalls of self-interest. Elegantly written and emotionally immediate, the stories provide an intimate and profound assessment of human relationships between mothers and sons, sons and lovers, and husband and wives.
Reviews/Praise
"Featuring a wide array of characters and a general focus on family and romantic relationships, or the search for them, the stories are enlivened by the narrators' subtle performances of the distinctive characters." —AudioFile
"Sharma adheres unwaveringly to Raymond Carver’s dictum of 'no tricks,' telling his stories with bracingly direct, unassuming language. The dialogue is equally spare but true. . . . perceptive, humane and pointed." —New York Times
“What an exciting and original writer this is, and what a knock-out collection.” —David Sedaris
“The stories in Akhil Sharma’s A Life of Adventure and Delight sweep across the page like monsoons—filled with energy, chaos, surprise, and rapture, they ravish and transform the very nature of reading.” —Adam Johnson, National Book Award–winning author of Fortune Smiles
“One reads Akhil Sharma’s stories as one might watch waves approach the shore on which one stands, understanding that something unseen and powerful is driving them. The waves and the stories are beautiful, deceptively simple, and potentially dangerous.” —Viet Thanh Nguyen