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Delirious Delhi
Delhi exists in a kind of quantum state: in Delhi, all things are true at once.
When the Big Apple no longer felt big enough, Dave and Jenny moved to a city of sixteen million people and, seemingly, twice that many horns honking at once. Delirious Delhi depicts India s capital as the two experienced it, from office life in the rising tech hubs to the traffic jam philosophy that keeps people sane in the gridlock leading to them.
With only their sense of humour as their guide, Dave and Jenny set out to explore a city in which ancient stone monuments compete with glass-clad shopping malls to define the landscape. What follows is a top-to-bottom snapshot of a city in the thick of loud and accelerating change.
Anyone new to Delhi will have their understanding of it magnified by this book. And anyone who already knows Delhi will appreciate this candid tribute to a city that s everything to everyone at the same time.
When the Big Apple no longer felt big enough, Dave and Jenny moved to a city of sixteen million people and, seemingly, twice that many horns honking at once. Delirious Delhi depicts India s capital as the two experienced it, from office life in the rising tech hubs to the traffic jam philosophy that keeps people sane in the gridlock leading to them.
With only their sense of humour as their guide, Dave and Jenny set out to explore a city in which ancient stone monuments compete with glass-clad shopping malls to define the landscape. What follows is a top-to-bottom snapshot of a city in the thick of loud and accelerating change.
Anyone new to Delhi will have their understanding of it magnified by this book. And anyone who already knows Delhi will appreciate this candid tribute to a city that s everything to everyone at the same time.
390 pages, Paperback
First published December 2, 2011
About the author
Dave Prager
1 book3 followersDave Prager was a typical copywriter working at a typical Madison Avenue advertising agency until fate (and human resources) offered the opportunity of a lifetime: to spend a year-and-a-half working at the agency’s office in Gurgaon.
Well, the opportunity of his lifetime, anyway. While many Americans would recoil with visions of mosquito Armageddon and monkey pickpockets, Dave and Jenny leaped to spend the next 18 months immersed in the cuisine of their dreams.
Dave and Jenny lived in Brooklyn, New York, for eight years prior to their shift in Delhi. They met in 1998 and married in 2005. After leaving India, they spent a year in Singapore before returning to the States to start a family. They currently live in the San Francisco Bay Area. Their daughter Georgiana is not quite old enough to appreciate Indian food yet, but she’ll certainly be eating baingan bharta long before the rest of her classmates.
Well, the opportunity of his lifetime, anyway. While many Americans would recoil with visions of mosquito Armageddon and monkey pickpockets, Dave and Jenny leaped to spend the next 18 months immersed in the cuisine of their dreams.
Dave and Jenny lived in Brooklyn, New York, for eight years prior to their shift in Delhi. They met in 1998 and married in 2005. After leaving India, they spent a year in Singapore before returning to the States to start a family. They currently live in the San Francisco Bay Area. Their daughter Georgiana is not quite old enough to appreciate Indian food yet, but she’ll certainly be eating baingan bharta long before the rest of her classmates.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 42 reviews
December 28, 2015
I suppose you are familiar with the little verse:
Two men looked out from prison bars,
One saw mud, and one saw stars.
Well, during the first 100 pages of this book, the author saw neither mud nor stars—he saw sewage.
I must say that after several hours of reading, I was close to contacting the author and advising him to get a prescription for Prozac. This man really needed to imbibe some positive thinking.
But then, on page 112, the author gets introduced to “bhang”, and his mood rises considerably. (No, I am not telling you what “bhang” is, not even in a spoiler.) Yet this doesn’t last. The author is obviously prone to mood swings. He experiences quite a few ups and downs throughout the book. Not that this would surprise me. It takes quite an amount of stoicism for a Westerner to only remotely get used to the Indian way of life. I know what I am talking about. I have been to India twice, if only for short visits.
The author and his wife are spending 18 months in Delhi, during which time they are both working—the author at a branch of his New York advertising company, his wife for a charity organization.
So what genre is this book? Is it a memoir? Is it a travelogue? Is it a travel guide? Or is it a social study? I could not arrive at an answer. A memoir or travelogue I would expect to be written chronologically. A travel guide could not possibly contain such a multitude of personal memories, and the same goes for a social study. My confusion was increased by the fact that the book has no index listing the 12 chapters. Thus, I was under the impression that I was reading a memoir or travelogue and was highly disturbed by the narrative jumping back and forth in time. At one point, the author is telling about something that happened only days after his arrival in Delhi; a few lines later, he is telling something that took place one week before his departure; and this happens over and over throughout the book. Yet what bothered me most was that, for my interest in Delhi (or for that matter, ANY place on this planet I did not intend to move to), the book was far too much into detail. I really didn’t need 18 pages on how to hire a taxicab or autorickshah and negotiate the price. Neither did I need so many details with just about everything else.
Mind you, except for the above-mentioned flaws, there were things I liked about this book. In places, I appreciated the author’s writing style. He, occasionally, uses some very creative and entertaining analogies and figures of speech. With the right editor (and the author taking his advice), this book could have earned a 5-star rating on my scale. Yet as it is, it didn’t quite make it to 4 stars. I do not regret reading this book (even though it took more of my valuable time than it should have) because I found a good part of the contents very interesting. Would I read another book of this author? I would, yet only if someone could assure me that another book of this author didn’t have the faults I found with this book.
So to whom would I recommend this book?
First and foremost, I would recommend this book to mothers who want to talk their sons or sons-in-law out of their plans to move to India for any length of time or even only travel to India other than on a package tour with stays at first-class hotels and using air-conditioned coaches. This book will arm mothers and mothers-in-law (as well as any other concerned relatives) with plenty of strong arguments for their plea.
I also recommend this book for anyone who is seriously considering to work in Delhi for a while (or for that matter, any other place in India).
Further, I recommend this book for anyone who has already made firm plans to travel to Delhi and live there for a while. In such case, I recommend to buy two copies of this book (for in case one should get lost) and to make sure to pack both copies and take one along wherever one goes to consult it about each and every action or move one might wish to take.
For any other purpose, such as traveling to India as a tourist (real traveling or armchair traveling), do yourself the favor and spare yourself so many petty details. Read instead “Kevin And I in India”, by Frank Kusy. This book is so much more fun to read and will give you all the reading adventure you could possibly ask for. Here is the link to my review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Sorry, Dave Prager, you are a talented writer and seem to be a nice guy, but you need an editor—an experienced and capable editor.
June 15, 2016
The western media has always portrayed India as the mystical land of snake charmers, Sadhus with their ancient wisdom, bright colors, extreme poverty and spicy food. So when two New Yorkers Dave and his wife Jenny decide to spend eighteen months in the capital of the country, the result is ‘Delirious Delhi’ a book that wonderfully describes their experience and thoughts about the country and Delhi in particular.
The idea initially began in the form of a blog ‘Our Delhi struggle’ (https://ourdelhistruggle.com/) and owing to its popularity was later converted into a book. The tone of the book is humorous and upbeat.
The book begins by the struggle Dave and Jenny faced after arriving in Delhi and how they were completely baffled by the noise, traffic, crowd, extreme climate and figuring how to carry out a normal life in this chaos. But over a period of eighteen months from being amateurs they become pro at understanding Delhiites and their way of living. There are interesting chapters in the book that discusses about their love for Indian food, how to navigate through the traffic and the art of bargaining and understanding Hinduism. The overall spirit of the book was very positive because although he points out most of the shortcomings of the city like cleanliness, security, traffic ,crime rate, he also justifies by comparing it with other major cities of the world and giving possible explanations or ideas that would help the city become better.
I would definitely recommend this book as it is interesting and a lighthearted read.
The idea initially began in the form of a blog ‘Our Delhi struggle’ (https://ourdelhistruggle.com/) and owing to its popularity was later converted into a book. The tone of the book is humorous and upbeat.
The book begins by the struggle Dave and Jenny faced after arriving in Delhi and how they were completely baffled by the noise, traffic, crowd, extreme climate and figuring how to carry out a normal life in this chaos. But over a period of eighteen months from being amateurs they become pro at understanding Delhiites and their way of living. There are interesting chapters in the book that discusses about their love for Indian food, how to navigate through the traffic and the art of bargaining and understanding Hinduism. The overall spirit of the book was very positive because although he points out most of the shortcomings of the city like cleanliness, security, traffic ,crime rate, he also justifies by comparing it with other major cities of the world and giving possible explanations or ideas that would help the city become better.
I would definitely recommend this book as it is interesting and a lighthearted read.
August 29, 2013
IT was a fantastic read - the past couple of days I was viewing Delhi in particular and India in general through the eyes of an expat US citizen who had the chance to stay there for a year or so. I agree with most of the things in the book, and am surprised at the depth in which he has analyzed Delhi and Delhiites. I was always vary of Delhi, and had second hand knowledge of the in-humaneness of the city and its population. I had considered Delhiites to be snotty with an overt superiority complex, but then I came to realize they too are 'ordinary' people just like us. I lamented along with the author at India's bureaucracy, filth and poverty, I exalted when minor victories were achieved in terms of sanitation, cleanliness and better transport (delhi metro, for example) though I would never be staying in Delhi. I have been to Delhi many a time, but only as a transit passenger, my maximum duration of stay there being about 3-4 days at a stretch, still I could empathize with the experiences of the author. This makes a lovely read for all who are interested in Delhi.
December 4, 2012
This is a bloody awesome book... doesn't stereotype and provides an honest account of the magical city called Delhi - my hometown I loved reading it and made me nostalgic throughout...
Great humorous anecdotes which I could relate with and they made me howl with laughter - my wife can vouch for that ;)
Must read for everybody - not just Delhites!!!
Cheers,
Nishant Jha
Great humorous anecdotes which I could relate with and they made me howl with laughter - my wife can vouch for that ;)
Must read for everybody - not just Delhites!!!
Cheers,
Nishant Jha
January 16, 2016
This was a fun listen about an American expat's "fish out of water" experiences in Delhi, India. As other reviewers have noted, it's not really logically organized. However, if you approach the book as he approached life in India, taking it as it comes, it's a very enjoyable book. Recommended.
October 2, 2018
Reading another ‘living in India’ experience book prompted me to go back through my files and find this (overlong) review I wrote about this book several years ago. Skim the boring bits – I won’t be offended.
Dave Prager and his wife Jenny had a comfortable life in New York City and left it behind to cross the world and experience a very different city. Dave was offered a job in Delhi and viewed it as a great opportunity to go and eat a lot of spicy food and a once in a lifetime chance to experience a totally alien culture. Dave and Jenny got lost, got burned, got conned and had a fabulous – but sometimes seriously weird – time. It wasn't all fun, of course, but they entered into their jobs, their community and their friendships with an open minded humour that characterises much of their book. Dave could have made his life easier (and duller) by taking an apartment close to his work in one of the city's high tech suburbs, but instead he and Jenny found an apartment in Haus Khaz market, close to but not quite in one of South Delhi's more trendy and arty areas, Haus Khaz Village. They lived in a so-called 'bungalow' which turned out to be a small block of flats and not what we understand by the word in the UK. Their neighbours were mostly locals and everyone lived together in what seemed to be a mutual sense of fascination with each other. I've read elsewhere that there's no word in Hindi for privacy and I can well believe it.
Dave and Jenny were not the typical spoiled ex-pats with company servants and a car service to ferry them around and make life easy for them. Equally they were not dippy-hippy backpackers on a year out trying to get by on ten dollars a day. Instead they occupied a comfortable but not overly privileged position of having enough to live well but not so much that they were cut off from those around them. They had to learn a lot about living in a city with a high population density, to accept that there's a place for everyone from the poorest to the most wealthy, and to adjust to having other people doing things for them. You could live in India without domestic help but they realise that they shouldn't – that by hiring a woman to cook and clean for them they got a clean house, fabulous food and a chance to give her a job that was well paid by local standards and would put her kids through school. They got used to paying another lady £5 a month to take away their rubbish every day and an insight into how she could supplement her earnings by selling their empty bottles – the better the label, the better the price. There's really no such things as rubbish in India – just 'stuff' waiting for someone to find a use for it.
Although the book starts with the Pragers' first few days in Delhi when they mishear a man on the street and think he's selling door to door paella and ends with them leaving to move on to Singapore, this is not really a chronological account of their time in the city. Instead, chapter by chapter Dave explains what mystified him and what he eventually learned about different aspects of living in the mega-city. This is delivered in a wry and delightfully non-preachy way. They are honest about their ignorance, amusing with their observations, and display a sense of humour that most of the world thinks has been surgically removed from most Americans.
Topics include the challenges of living in a very crowded place, how to survive the city's appalling traffic, trying to learn Hindi, eating fabulous food at every opportunity, dealing with health crises, going shopping and trying not to get ripped off. I learned a lot about office life which explained things I'd observed on business trips and during holidays. I got a good few tips on places to eat and to shop which I'll take with me and I also got a lot of reassurance that what he'd seen gelled very well with a lot of what I'd also noticed.
I read this just a few days before the start of a BBC2 series 'Welcome to India'. One thing which really rang true and was illustrated really well by this new show was the Indian ability to make the most of their situation whatever it is. Take the Yorkshire expression 'Where there's muck there's brass' and transplant it into a nation of 1.1 billion people all striving to get along in the world. If you're looking for a nation predisposed to a 'glass half full' mentality, then it must surely be India. Prager ascribes this to a philosphical concept called 'jugaad' which represents a mix of making the most of what you've got and a drive to create innovative solutions to problems based not on what you wish you had but on what you've actually got or what you can find lying about the place.
“Under the jugaad philosophy only we Americans whine that the air conditioning has gone out. Everyone else reflects in the good fortune of having had air conditioning at all, and gets their work done anyway”
This is also the principle that leads people to build machines out of totally unpredictable parts or to make a living out of what he calls 'red light economies' – no! Not THAT type of red light work. Prager is referring to the retail opportunity represented by the chance to sell people stuff whilst they wait for the lights to change. I've seen this all over India but also in places like Brazil where the red light businesses mean you can buy almost anything you need – or don't need – whilst waiting for the lights to change. And we thought that the internet was good for retail but it's got nothing on selling knock-off copies of business books and packets of tissues at the stop line.
My copy was imported from India where it would have set its original buyer back 399 rupees or about £5. Unless of course they bought a knock off photocopy at the lights for about half that amount. Prager actually says in his book that he hopes the reader didn't buy it that way as he needs the royalties. It was a perfect book for me as I've been getting increasingly irritated by books – typically e-books – about India written by people who've been there for five minutes and taken a package tour. What Prager offers is insight and reflection on the things you will have seen and wondered about if you've spent any significant time in this city. If you've never been to India, then probably it's not for you. If you've just looked out of the windows of your tour bus, it might be a waste too. But if you've been multiple times, if you can picture the map of the city in your mind and relate to where he is and what he's trying to do, you'll probably be nodding along and picturing exactly what Dave and Jenny went through.
Delhi – like any big city – is constantly changing and some of the irritations of his time in the city may have changed by now. It's not completely clear to me when he was living there but it seems to be the period in the run up to the 2010 Commonwealth Games. The road works and the Metro building that drove him crazy are mostly finished now but will no doubt have been replaced with other annoying construction projects. Some of the restaurants he mentions may well have closed down or moved elsewhere but even though the details may no longer be 100% right, it's not the details that matter in this lovely book. It's the buzz of this crazy city that he captures so well and it would take more than some roadworks or an extended Metro to change the spirit of the place. It takes an outsider to see how crazy things are but someone who has lived there to put the strangeness into a framework that helps to make sense of the bizarre and unexpected. For me, Dave Prager got Delirious Delhi just right and I can only hope he may be tempted to continue to write about the city or India in general. Unfortunately though I'm just rubbish at reading blogs and will have to wait for him to publish another book.
Dave Prager and his wife Jenny had a comfortable life in New York City and left it behind to cross the world and experience a very different city. Dave was offered a job in Delhi and viewed it as a great opportunity to go and eat a lot of spicy food and a once in a lifetime chance to experience a totally alien culture. Dave and Jenny got lost, got burned, got conned and had a fabulous – but sometimes seriously weird – time. It wasn't all fun, of course, but they entered into their jobs, their community and their friendships with an open minded humour that characterises much of their book. Dave could have made his life easier (and duller) by taking an apartment close to his work in one of the city's high tech suburbs, but instead he and Jenny found an apartment in Haus Khaz market, close to but not quite in one of South Delhi's more trendy and arty areas, Haus Khaz Village. They lived in a so-called 'bungalow' which turned out to be a small block of flats and not what we understand by the word in the UK. Their neighbours were mostly locals and everyone lived together in what seemed to be a mutual sense of fascination with each other. I've read elsewhere that there's no word in Hindi for privacy and I can well believe it.
Dave and Jenny were not the typical spoiled ex-pats with company servants and a car service to ferry them around and make life easy for them. Equally they were not dippy-hippy backpackers on a year out trying to get by on ten dollars a day. Instead they occupied a comfortable but not overly privileged position of having enough to live well but not so much that they were cut off from those around them. They had to learn a lot about living in a city with a high population density, to accept that there's a place for everyone from the poorest to the most wealthy, and to adjust to having other people doing things for them. You could live in India without domestic help but they realise that they shouldn't – that by hiring a woman to cook and clean for them they got a clean house, fabulous food and a chance to give her a job that was well paid by local standards and would put her kids through school. They got used to paying another lady £5 a month to take away their rubbish every day and an insight into how she could supplement her earnings by selling their empty bottles – the better the label, the better the price. There's really no such things as rubbish in India – just 'stuff' waiting for someone to find a use for it.
Although the book starts with the Pragers' first few days in Delhi when they mishear a man on the street and think he's selling door to door paella and ends with them leaving to move on to Singapore, this is not really a chronological account of their time in the city. Instead, chapter by chapter Dave explains what mystified him and what he eventually learned about different aspects of living in the mega-city. This is delivered in a wry and delightfully non-preachy way. They are honest about their ignorance, amusing with their observations, and display a sense of humour that most of the world thinks has been surgically removed from most Americans.
Topics include the challenges of living in a very crowded place, how to survive the city's appalling traffic, trying to learn Hindi, eating fabulous food at every opportunity, dealing with health crises, going shopping and trying not to get ripped off. I learned a lot about office life which explained things I'd observed on business trips and during holidays. I got a good few tips on places to eat and to shop which I'll take with me and I also got a lot of reassurance that what he'd seen gelled very well with a lot of what I'd also noticed.
I read this just a few days before the start of a BBC2 series 'Welcome to India'. One thing which really rang true and was illustrated really well by this new show was the Indian ability to make the most of their situation whatever it is. Take the Yorkshire expression 'Where there's muck there's brass' and transplant it into a nation of 1.1 billion people all striving to get along in the world. If you're looking for a nation predisposed to a 'glass half full' mentality, then it must surely be India. Prager ascribes this to a philosphical concept called 'jugaad' which represents a mix of making the most of what you've got and a drive to create innovative solutions to problems based not on what you wish you had but on what you've actually got or what you can find lying about the place.
“Under the jugaad philosophy only we Americans whine that the air conditioning has gone out. Everyone else reflects in the good fortune of having had air conditioning at all, and gets their work done anyway”
This is also the principle that leads people to build machines out of totally unpredictable parts or to make a living out of what he calls 'red light economies' – no! Not THAT type of red light work. Prager is referring to the retail opportunity represented by the chance to sell people stuff whilst they wait for the lights to change. I've seen this all over India but also in places like Brazil where the red light businesses mean you can buy almost anything you need – or don't need – whilst waiting for the lights to change. And we thought that the internet was good for retail but it's got nothing on selling knock-off copies of business books and packets of tissues at the stop line.
My copy was imported from India where it would have set its original buyer back 399 rupees or about £5. Unless of course they bought a knock off photocopy at the lights for about half that amount. Prager actually says in his book that he hopes the reader didn't buy it that way as he needs the royalties. It was a perfect book for me as I've been getting increasingly irritated by books – typically e-books – about India written by people who've been there for five minutes and taken a package tour. What Prager offers is insight and reflection on the things you will have seen and wondered about if you've spent any significant time in this city. If you've never been to India, then probably it's not for you. If you've just looked out of the windows of your tour bus, it might be a waste too. But if you've been multiple times, if you can picture the map of the city in your mind and relate to where he is and what he's trying to do, you'll probably be nodding along and picturing exactly what Dave and Jenny went through.
Delhi – like any big city – is constantly changing and some of the irritations of his time in the city may have changed by now. It's not completely clear to me when he was living there but it seems to be the period in the run up to the 2010 Commonwealth Games. The road works and the Metro building that drove him crazy are mostly finished now but will no doubt have been replaced with other annoying construction projects. Some of the restaurants he mentions may well have closed down or moved elsewhere but even though the details may no longer be 100% right, it's not the details that matter in this lovely book. It's the buzz of this crazy city that he captures so well and it would take more than some roadworks or an extended Metro to change the spirit of the place. It takes an outsider to see how crazy things are but someone who has lived there to put the strangeness into a framework that helps to make sense of the bizarre and unexpected. For me, Dave Prager got Delirious Delhi just right and I can only hope he may be tempted to continue to write about the city or India in general. Unfortunately though I'm just rubbish at reading blogs and will have to wait for him to publish another book.
August 17, 2017
A little exaggerated, yet a wonderful portrayal of one of the world's largest and most fascinating cities. A must read if you have lived in Delhi, live in Delhi, have ever visited Delhi or are going to visit Delhi.
Also, a must-read when you are in the mood for a little armchair travelling. And if you love cities, like I do. I really like the fact that Dave Prager is so fond of walkable and people-scale streets. He appears to know quite a bit about urban planning which is why I (as a Transport Infrastructure Major) really enjoyed his perspective on Delhi's sprawl and transport situation.
Dave has an amazing writing style that made me laugh out loud multiple times. His food descriptions made my mouth water and crave paneer which was never really a favourite of mine. It made me want to rush to book my tickets to Delhi so that I could go have kababs at Karim's. His many funny observations on Indian idiosyncrasies made me shake my head, laugh and realize that yes, we are like that only.
When he writes about feeling guilty about his first world problems in a country of people in desperate circumstances, it felt eerily similar to my thoughts. And I realize that as middle class Indians, we have become so immune to the poverty around that we end up still wrapped up in first world problems. And there lies the irony: that as a middle class Indian, I can relate a lot to an American expat.
And yesterday night, on my way into a fancy restaurant, when I was accosted by street kids selling balloons,I felt that all too familiar feeling of guilt.
I have read some of Dave's writing back when it was still a blog, the hilarious Our Delhi Struggle. I wanted to read the book ever since I knew it was coming out but I never did. And finally I read it now, after having discovered the book on the shelves of a Delhiite friend. Having read the book finally, I can't wait to go to Delhi and discover this city for myself.
4 stars.
Also, a must-read when you are in the mood for a little armchair travelling. And if you love cities, like I do. I really like the fact that Dave Prager is so fond of walkable and people-scale streets. He appears to know quite a bit about urban planning which is why I (as a Transport Infrastructure Major) really enjoyed his perspective on Delhi's sprawl and transport situation.
Dave has an amazing writing style that made me laugh out loud multiple times. His food descriptions made my mouth water and crave paneer which was never really a favourite of mine. It made me want to rush to book my tickets to Delhi so that I could go have kababs at Karim's. His many funny observations on Indian idiosyncrasies made me shake my head, laugh and realize that yes, we are like that only.
When he writes about feeling guilty about his first world problems in a country of people in desperate circumstances, it felt eerily similar to my thoughts. And I realize that as middle class Indians, we have become so immune to the poverty around that we end up still wrapped up in first world problems. And there lies the irony: that as a middle class Indian, I can relate a lot to an American expat.
And yesterday night, on my way into a fancy restaurant, when I was accosted by street kids selling balloons,I felt that all too familiar feeling of guilt.
I have read some of Dave's writing back when it was still a blog, the hilarious Our Delhi Struggle. I wanted to read the book ever since I knew it was coming out but I never did. And finally I read it now, after having discovered the book on the shelves of a Delhiite friend. Having read the book finally, I can't wait to go to Delhi and discover this city for myself.
4 stars.
August 18, 2022
It was an awesome read. With my six years of experience of living in Delhi NCR, I can imagine the view of Delhi in particular and India in general through the eyes of a US citizen who had a chance to stay here for more than a year. I agree with most of the things in the book, and I’m amazed at how the author has deeply analysed Delhi and Delhiites and gotten beyond the surface of Delhi as it may appear to foreigners.
Focusing on the Parger’s own experiences of living and working in Delhi, he narrated wit and wise observations, which give an account of the cultural differences made stark by moving from New York to Delhi and how he and his wife slowly adapted to their new life. He teaches the readers to negotiate the fare on auto-rickshaws and taxis; how to be a savvy shopper; and details about Indian street culture, the food, the crazy traffic, the infrastructure, the work culture, and all kinds of other details about life in India.
More than a how-to guide, the book is an appealing memoir and the most accurate representation I've read of the baffling, frustrating, and wonderful things you experience when you relocate to India from the west.
In addition to making me laugh, it gave me a lot of insight into the "why" behind what I'm experiencing and made me feel less alone in the challenges of the city.
I'd recommend this book to anyone who is planning to spend a significant amount of time in this crazy country.
Overall, Prager is a solid storyteller, and the book is an enjoyable tour through an overwhelming and irresistible city.
Focusing on the Parger’s own experiences of living and working in Delhi, he narrated wit and wise observations, which give an account of the cultural differences made stark by moving from New York to Delhi and how he and his wife slowly adapted to their new life. He teaches the readers to negotiate the fare on auto-rickshaws and taxis; how to be a savvy shopper; and details about Indian street culture, the food, the crazy traffic, the infrastructure, the work culture, and all kinds of other details about life in India.
More than a how-to guide, the book is an appealing memoir and the most accurate representation I've read of the baffling, frustrating, and wonderful things you experience when you relocate to India from the west.
In addition to making me laugh, it gave me a lot of insight into the "why" behind what I'm experiencing and made me feel less alone in the challenges of the city.
I'd recommend this book to anyone who is planning to spend a significant amount of time in this crazy country.
Overall, Prager is a solid storyteller, and the book is an enjoyable tour through an overwhelming and irresistible city.
September 7, 2023
I stumbled upon this book at a used book shop in London. Despite having been brought up in Delhi, I have never connected with this city - preferring Bhubaneswar, Ahmedabad, Coimbatore or Mumbai over Delhi anyday. Plus I had just spent almost a year in Singapore and was in London for a month - and was dreading to come back to Delhi. My job and parents are in Delhi and the return was inevitable howsoever I may wish against it. Seeing this book in that bookshop stuck some chord and I decided to read it.
The book is not funny. It is not a travelogue. The best way to describe this book is "frustrations of an expat who lived in Delhi for 18 months". It is not a book I can recommend. Yet, having known these frustrations myself as a Delhi native but having lived in various cities in India, I can totally relate to the author. I also feel that Delhi should develop Yamuna in a way London, Singapore, Paris and many other great cities in the world have developed their rivers (Ahmedabad is a good example from India). There is not much to take away from this book. It's a quick and banal read - but something that I needed at this moment. So 3 stars!
The book is not funny. It is not a travelogue. The best way to describe this book is "frustrations of an expat who lived in Delhi for 18 months". It is not a book I can recommend. Yet, having known these frustrations myself as a Delhi native but having lived in various cities in India, I can totally relate to the author. I also feel that Delhi should develop Yamuna in a way London, Singapore, Paris and many other great cities in the world have developed their rivers (Ahmedabad is a good example from India). There is not much to take away from this book. It's a quick and banal read - but something that I needed at this moment. So 3 stars!
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February 4, 2024Done with their New York Life Dave and Jenny Prager move to India. There Indian Odessey happens in three phases. The first phase where everything is overwhelming. Friendly shop assistants are a red alert. Unable to understand the working and social dynamics.
In the second stage they have become default Delhiites, there is also an acceptance of the invisible dynamics that keeps the city going. Somewhere they realize that the city just lives in the present. The 'jugad' that is adapt mindset. The intrinsic midset of repair, recycle and redistribute of the support system. The street vendor hierarchy it is great. It actually made me look at my country with new eyes.
In the third phase it happens after they have left Delhi, they miss the very things that overwhelmed them.
This could be true of any migrant community.
In the second stage they have become default Delhiites, there is also an acceptance of the invisible dynamics that keeps the city going. Somewhere they realize that the city just lives in the present. The 'jugad' that is adapt mindset. The intrinsic midset of repair, recycle and redistribute of the support system. The street vendor hierarchy it is great. It actually made me look at my country with new eyes.
In the third phase it happens after they have left Delhi, they miss the very things that overwhelmed them.
This could be true of any migrant community.
July 11, 2022
This is an account of the writer's year and half stay at Delhi and I really appreciate his meticulous observations. Incidentally he lived very close to where I stay at Delhi so I could totally identify with his views on traffic, iron barricades at night, and he even falls about the patients outside AIIMS! His experience of autorickshaw bargain is so recognisable. And I love the way the author and his wife love and appreciate Indian food. And he praises all of my favourite places including Sarwana bhawan. His detailed observations of things that seem mundane to us like the red light economy to Delhi's roadside urination problem are thought provoking. Overall, it's a cheerful account. Totally enjoyed the book!
April 30, 2019
Prager, an expat who moves to Delhi for an 18 month stay, gives an account of the cultural differences made stark from moving from New York to Delhi and how he and his wife slowly adapt to their new life. Filled with entertaining anecdotes, but I preferred Sam Miller’s book while goes into more detail about the history and geography of the city while also its absurdities.
October 17, 2019
An endearing read!
By the time i picked this piece up, it was dated by any stretch of imagination. I'm not from Delhi but i cannot be surer that Delhi today has moved on far beyond Pragers' statements and predictions. Yet i was engrossed with the narrative, the observations and enjoyed every bit of it.
By the time i picked this piece up, it was dated by any stretch of imagination. I'm not from Delhi but i cannot be surer that Delhi today has moved on far beyond Pragers' statements and predictions. Yet i was engrossed with the narrative, the observations and enjoyed every bit of it.
December 10, 2018
It paints an interesting picture of Delhi, just as it must have been a few years ago. The descriptions are vivid and make it easy for someone who hasn't been to Delhi to understand the scene accurately. Overall, this is a funny, witty and entertaining book, definitely worth a read!
May 6, 2020
Simply hilarious and very apt. Made me feel like I was again back in my first year in Delhi. Very much recommended to anybody who experienced this amazing city and wants to be reminded about how it felt.
July 14, 2024
An NIR (Non Indian Resident) account of their time in Delhi in a humorous non-judgemental manner.
January 9, 2017
An Amazing book. Very honest analysis of Dave's stay in Delhi.
January 4, 2014
Fascinating memoir about the author's year spent living in Delhi. My husband got this book for me, and thus far he has a 100% success rate in giving me books I like. Of course there have only been a few, and since they're usually about India that's kind of a slam dunk. :-)
This book really delves into the nitty-gritty of what it's like to actually live in India. Of course it's written from an expat perspective, and the author makes no secret of the fact that it's entirely different living in India as a white Westerner with resources than as a native-born Indian. Still, his perspectives and impressions are really instructive. You get to see details about Indian street culture, the food, the crazy traffic, the infrastructure, the work culture, and all kinds of other details about life in India.
He also discusses a few interesting concepts about how the rest of the world perceives India. There is one sentence where he says us outsiders see Indians as either impoverished, spiritual, or high-tech success stories, and that's it--those are the 3 types of Indians. Naturally, there's a lot more to it than that, as one discovers after being there for more than 5 minutes. He goes into how his and his wife's perspectives changed over time: the initial reactions were ones of confusion over the culture, horror at the poverty, terror over the traffic, and fear of eating anything... then it changed as they became more comfortable with everything.
He discusses how they could never throw anything away without being shamed by their trash woman (because nothing is really thrown out in India--the "ragpickers" recycle or repair absolutely everything). He talks about "jugaad," the concept in India of being able to find a workaround or make due with absolutely anything (similar to our concept of "jury-rigging"). And he also goes into the ability for Indians to put up with extreme discomfort for hours on end, like when he was stuck in traffic for eons and was incredibly frustrated (but in an air-conditioned nice car by himself), yet when he glanced over to the car next to him, he saw 6 Indian men crammed into a non-airconditioned car sitting on each others' laps. Humans can adapt to a lot of situations if they need to.
All in all, I found this book totally absorbing and I loved all the detail.
This book really delves into the nitty-gritty of what it's like to actually live in India. Of course it's written from an expat perspective, and the author makes no secret of the fact that it's entirely different living in India as a white Westerner with resources than as a native-born Indian. Still, his perspectives and impressions are really instructive. You get to see details about Indian street culture, the food, the crazy traffic, the infrastructure, the work culture, and all kinds of other details about life in India.
He also discusses a few interesting concepts about how the rest of the world perceives India. There is one sentence where he says us outsiders see Indians as either impoverished, spiritual, or high-tech success stories, and that's it--those are the 3 types of Indians. Naturally, there's a lot more to it than that, as one discovers after being there for more than 5 minutes. He goes into how his and his wife's perspectives changed over time: the initial reactions were ones of confusion over the culture, horror at the poverty, terror over the traffic, and fear of eating anything... then it changed as they became more comfortable with everything.
He discusses how they could never throw anything away without being shamed by their trash woman (because nothing is really thrown out in India--the "ragpickers" recycle or repair absolutely everything). He talks about "jugaad," the concept in India of being able to find a workaround or make due with absolutely anything (similar to our concept of "jury-rigging"). And he also goes into the ability for Indians to put up with extreme discomfort for hours on end, like when he was stuck in traffic for eons and was incredibly frustrated (but in an air-conditioned nice car by himself), yet when he glanced over to the car next to him, he saw 6 Indian men crammed into a non-airconditioned car sitting on each others' laps. Humans can adapt to a lot of situations if they need to.
All in all, I found this book totally absorbing and I loved all the detail.
August 11, 2013
An entertaining (and accurate) romp through Delhi, Dave Prager manages to take many elements from Delhi that summarize and make a valid attempt at encapsulating Delhi (and India) in a book. As a resident of India for 3 years, but only playing tourist in Delhi (I live in a hill station), there were many points at which I could nod along and say "I know that place!", and more importantly - "Yep, he's got the feeling spot-on". While it's less a matter of red-light bazaars and beggar children here, we contend with goat herds 300 strong twice a year, and the leopards living not so far from our house... but in Delhi and Mussoorie alike, there are chaiwallahs and panipoori stands set up across from restaurants. And even the locals say "Er, perhaps we'll just make the jaljeera for the panipuri at home. Buy a box, would you, while I wait to get the poori and filling?"
Prager's view is limited in some ways, but he successfully analyzes varioTus aspects of the culture and provides accurate assessments of the expat view and of how things pan out once the first bout of culture shock has worn off, and you can see further beyond the bright paint, paan-splattered streets and honking horns of India. His focus on Delhi is easily transmuted to express the same sort of experience one might have in Mumbai, Chennai, Varanasi or Mussoorie.
I devoured this in about a day, enjoying the opportunity to compare my views of Delhi with someone else's - an expat who lived there not for three days, six weeks, or five months, but a proper year and a half: enough time to visit the FRO and celebrate Diwali as well as Holi, and feel like you're still scrubbing the paint from one out of your ear just as the fireworks for the other go off.
Prager's view is limited in some ways, but he successfully analyzes varioTus aspects of the culture and provides accurate assessments of the expat view and of how things pan out once the first bout of culture shock has worn off, and you can see further beyond the bright paint, paan-splattered streets and honking horns of India. His focus on Delhi is easily transmuted to express the same sort of experience one might have in Mumbai, Chennai, Varanasi or Mussoorie.
I devoured this in about a day, enjoying the opportunity to compare my views of Delhi with someone else's - an expat who lived there not for three days, six weeks, or five months, but a proper year and a half: enough time to visit the FRO and celebrate Diwali as well as Holi, and feel like you're still scrubbing the paint from one out of your ear just as the fireworks for the other go off.
March 30, 2014
I always love a book about Delhi – and the market is abuzz with them. I picked up Delirious Delhi solely because the author was co-blogger at a wonderful blog called Our Delhi Struggle. ‘Our Delhi Struggle’ was unique in the sense that it was collection of short, witty, first-hand experience of a couple who had moved from New York to Delhi. Their keenness to have ‘an authentic Dilli experience’ would often lead them to treasure troves and interesting revelations. For example, Dave and Jenny also found an old-style Hindi movie poster painter and had their own Bollywood poster painted that also adorns the book cover of Delirious Delhi. (The painter had his share of limelight in press thanks to Dave and Jenny.)
Read more at my blog: http://alchemistpoonam.wordpress.com/...
Read more at my blog: http://alchemistpoonam.wordpress.com/...
December 28, 2012
An easy, funny, frank, and witty writeup about Delhi. Actually, if you read it, it's not about Delhi, it's about every metro in India. At least, I can vouch that the book will relate to every Mumbaikar. As an Indian, I am prejudiced by my culture, often taking things for granted that does not exist in other cultures. But a foreigner (with an incisive view to Asian sensibilities) opened my eyes and showed me a Delhi I always knew, but never noticed. Read this book and feel yourself blush every time Dave points out to some idiosyncrasies that make us a typical Indian. I hope the author gets interested in writing about Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Bengaluru, and many other cities. Kudos!
January 1, 2017
Being brought up in Delhi and spending 20 years of my life there, I did not find any kind of revelation from this book. Said that, what I liked about this book is the honesty. Dare Prager has maintained a nice balance in the way he portrays Delhi (in a way transcends beyond Delhi and to the whole of country. He neither claims to witness ultimate spiritualism wherever he goes and whoever he meets and nor does he tell us that this is an absolute hopeless place to be.
Every place in this world provides you an interesting experiences. Its up to you how you digest this experience (whether good or bad).
Every place in this world provides you an interesting experiences. Its up to you how you digest this experience (whether good or bad).
December 26, 2012
You can read the full review here on my blog - Book Review: Delirious Delhi by Dave Prager
India is a country of many hues, of opposites existing together, of both extremes being possible. It is a country you both love and hate at the same time and here its possible to do that. And Dave understands this; his book is all the shades of grey. I enjoyed reading Delirious Delhi and smiling and nodding along-side it. It was refreshing to read a book by a non-Indian who actually experienced the ‘real’ India.
India is a country of many hues, of opposites existing together, of both extremes being possible. It is a country you both love and hate at the same time and here its possible to do that. And Dave understands this; his book is all the shades of grey. I enjoyed reading Delirious Delhi and smiling and nodding along-side it. It was refreshing to read a book by a non-Indian who actually experienced the ‘real’ India.
August 20, 2016
An interesting write up on Delhi. Dave shares experiences of a middle class American who spends time exploring the city while working here in India. Dave manages to beautifully weave in various aspects and challenges being faced by Delhi. He seems to have done justice to the time spent here. Don't know how many Delhiets would have explored places like Jhilmil Colony or Shastri Nagar.
Interesting observations and good insights for Indians / Delhi Walas, on how the city gets viewed by persons of other Nationalities.
Interesting observations and good insights for Indians / Delhi Walas, on how the city gets viewed by persons of other Nationalities.
May 17, 2016
In the months leading up to and following moving to India, I've been reading every book I can get my hands on written by expats who've spent time here. This book is the most accurate representation I've read of the baffling, frustrating and wonderful things you experience when you relocate to India from the west. In addition to making me laugh, it gave me a lot insight into the "why" behind what I'm experiencing and made me feel less alone in the challenges of the transition. I'd recommend this book to anyone who is planning to spend a significant amount of time in this crazy country.
February 18, 2017
Loved it!
The book was exceptionally well structured starting with lot of fun and unbelievable, but true stories about India's incredible capital and moving on to deeper topics. Need to give the bonus to Dave for beeing able to look from both prisms - Westerners as well as Indians. Not a lot of authors can do that.
Started reading this, when preparing for my India trip and ended some time after returning. This book is good for both - preparing for the unpreparable AND for remembering the experienced and bringing up those nostalgic feelings.
Enjoy!
The book was exceptionally well structured starting with lot of fun and unbelievable, but true stories about India's incredible capital and moving on to deeper topics. Need to give the bonus to Dave for beeing able to look from both prisms - Westerners as well as Indians. Not a lot of authors can do that.
Started reading this, when preparing for my India trip and ended some time after returning. This book is good for both - preparing for the unpreparable AND for remembering the experienced and bringing up those nostalgic feelings.
Enjoy!
July 16, 2013
Apparently it's illegal to be an expat in India and NOT write a book (or for that matter, an immigrant from India and not write one), so this is a whole genre all by itself. And this one does stand out - Dave never manages to become a true Delhi-ite or pretends to be one; it's still very much an outsider's view of things. I loved the voice and the wit, but the "heart" in it, the genuine fondness for Delhi, is what got this book 4 stars.
January 9, 2014
I really enjoyed reading this book. Very well written, funny and straight from the heart. Dave was in Delhi for more than 18 months and wrote about everything he experienced. Auto wala, chai wala, Sabji wala, Indian marriage, traffic, foods, restaurants, liquors, general stores, medical shops..Wonderful insight into life in Delhi..good read..it will remind us Indians are the most welcoming, hospitable and curious culture on earth..good read
May 10, 2012
Yes! This is exactly what I was looking for - a memoir about someone in my general demographic who picks up and moves to India (Delhi specifically) and how that all works. You can walk into a bookstore and easily find a dozen such books about moving to Provence or Tuscany or even Alaska, but India? Not so many that I could find, which is a little surprising.
December 1, 2013
Not a bad book, but at nearly 400 pages, way too long! Recommended if you're interested in India, or expat experiences abroad - just know it'll take longer to get through than you may have thought.
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