Professor Chandra Follows His Bliss
Balasubramanyam, RajeevFinding one's bliss, let alone following it, can be quite a challenge, and that is the case for Cambridge professor, P.R. Chandrasekhar. Chandra's failure to be awarded a Nobel prize in economics (yet again), and an unfortunate altercation with a bike, make him a reluctant late starter to such a quest. California is his destination, where with his estranged family's blessing, he submits to a course in self-awareness at the famous Esalen Institute, a first step on the road to enlightenment ...
An amusing, insightful and gently satirical story that reminds us that it is never too late to re-evaluate the important things in one's life. [Larger font]
Pages
288
288
Year
2019
2019
Reviews
16-08-2023
Overall, the group enjoyed the read. It was easy to read, maintained one's interest and was an insight into family, values etc.
21-09-2022
Mixed reactions to this book. Central character not that likeable.
23-08-2022
The group found the ending a little too contrived. Very unlikely that such a workaholic conservative father with terrible relationships with his wife and children, would 'turn the corner' so quickly or so dramatically. None in our group could understand why the book was often called "funny" by reviewers. The only funny bit was at the beginning when the protagonist was denying his hurt from missing out on winning the Nobel prize. The humour seemed to disappear from that point on.
19-08-2022
Most of the group did not like this book...especially the perceived right wing character of Professor Chandra and the tidy ending. They just couldn't believe, given the rough state of the professor's relationships, that everything would be so tidy and rosy. One member, however, loved the book. She saw the characters as amusing stereotypes and chortled aloud through the book.
15-06-2022
Generally people found this easy to read and amusing, with plenty to say about family dysfunction, academia, and the 'self help' industry and its empty promises.
05-05-2022
We enjoyed reading about Professor Chandra's journey to discovering what was important in his life.
05-05-2022
It took a few chapters to begin to connect with this book. Most members wanted to shout "don't say that", or "look beyond the end of your nose", but as the book went on it was more obvious that Chandra was beginning to allow himself to explore being present, and becoming more aware of his effect on others. Those members who read the book a second time were more appreciative of it.
02-03-2022
Everyone read right through. The book was well-written, the characters were believable with good visual references. Cross cultural references were exposed.
17-01-2022
Easy light read, but entirely forgettable. We found some aspects a bit difficult to believe, but the characterisation was well done, and we spent most of the discussion focused on this. Not a high recommendation - a bit lightweight...We found it mildly amusing, but none of us found it "so so so funny".
01-12-2021
Most enjoyed the professor's journey.
30-11-2021
A witty, funny and ironic story. It is authentic and very, very human. Many of the themes were relatable to our experiences, especially seeing our parents in our own parenting. Overall it is rather sad, and although Chandra does try to rectify his mistakes, we are not sure he gains his bliss. Enjoyed by all. Excellent notes.
24-09-2021
"Beautifully written". "Too much Californian psycho-babble". "Just like every family, really".
14-05-2021
We all found the book disappointing. It seemed rather obvious with no fresh insights. We could not warm to any of the characters, except perhaps Jasmine. However we had a good discussion about our own experiences of "finding bliss", none of which involved Big Sur! We found our discussion had covered all the material suggested by the questions before we considered them.
10-05-2021
Book was mainly enjoyed by all. A few of us became bored halfway through. We had interesting discussions regarding relationships between parents and children and expectations with parents. Chandra's solution or attempted solution by attending a 'retreat' triggered interesting reactions from our members. An easy to read book.
15-03-2021
A light and easy read. Provoked an interesting discussion on family relationships, and expectations.