Received an advance copy thanks to my friends at NetGalley!

Ok, I read a review that said as long as you push through the first 50 pages you’ll have yourself a good read and I absolutely agree! The main, Chandra, is hard to explain and I think you need the first 50 pages to truly see how miserable and tormented he is. After that, it’s smooth sailing as this beautiful story about a semi-estranged family unfolds in the most perfect way. Needless to say, this novel requires a bit of patience and is easy mulled over instead of devoured. Solid 4 stars.

I loved the concept for this novel. I enjoyed the story at the beginning but it never seemed to develop to its potential. I had to abandon it at around the 50% mark because I just didn’t care what happened to the main character.

The book blurb for this book sounded appealing. But for me it proved false; I could not get into it although i struggled along for a while and had another attempt recently. Disappointing.

Requested as background reading for an editorial feature that ran on BookBrowse:
https://www.bookbrowse.com/mag/reviews/index.cfm/book_number/3904/professor-chandra-follows-his-bliss#reviews

I went into this book without knowing much, just a quick perusal of the blurb. I’ve read lots of books by desi authors about desis abroad but I don’t think I’ve read too much from the POV of an aging Indian man. So the synopsis was intriguing.

Truth be told I was looking for glimpses of my dad in Professor Chandra, but that’s not quite what I found in this story.

Following a(nother) missed Nobel Prize (lost to a rival) and a bicycle accident in which he actually had a heart attack, his doctor tells him he can't work for several months. What's a professor whose life revolves around his work to do?

This was not necessarily a light story. There are moments of levity and humor but overall the book is full of some heavy messages and a dysfunctional family, which may have been created because of who the professor is. There are parts of the professor's story that I really identified with, or did see faint glimpses of my dad, because he was an Indian immigrant who came looking for better opportunities as well.

Overall I thought this was an interesting read and that it was quite realistic in many moments. I think it's a book worth reading.

Professor Chandra Follows His Bliss by Rajeev Balasubramanyam is like many other books about curmudgeonly old characters at a crossroads in life seeking new direction. The books work if the main character is either charming and endearing or compelling in some way as to keep me reading. Unfortunately, for me the professor or his family are neither likable nor compelling. This makes me not the reader for this book.

Read my complete review at http://www.memoriesfrombooks.com/2019/12/professor-chandra-follows-his-bliss.html

Reviewed for #NetGalley.

I absolutely adored this book- it had a lot of heart and a great plot. I might be a little biased as an Econ grad, but I found Economics Professor Chandra and his family absolutely delightful. Highly recommend!

I wanted to try something new when I chose this book - something out of my normal realm of chosen reads. I was initially drawn to the creative colorful cover, wondering what bliss could be found amongst the pages of this new book. Professor Chandra and his family are introduced to us before Professor Chandra is struck in a bicycle accident. He has barely missed being recognized as the latest Nobel prize winner and just seems to be stuck and unsure of his happiness at this late time of his life. Things seem to be stressed with his kids, his ex-wife has remarried, and at the suggestion of her husband and his doctor who hails from California, Professor Chandra decides to attend a seminar to see if he can find his bliss, his happiness. Never does he expect to find encounters with strangers to be so enlightening and eye opening. This well thought out book describes divorce, relationships between parents and kids, blended families, alternative ways of living, and so much more in a modern, relatable style. You'll fall in love with Professor Chandra and his antics. There a great part of this story relating to cultural differences and how culture affects the way we are raised, both from our past and our present - I think it was a great picture of some of the difficulties faced and may be a great conversation starter and be quite thought provoking. I really enjoyed this and am happy I tried something new!

For years, Professor Chandra has come incredibly close to winning a Nobel prize in economics. And as he focused on the prize, he's let his wife, his children, and his health slip away from him. After being snubbed again, an accident followed by a heart attack lead Chandra to reassess his priorities and, under orders from his doctor, follow his bliss.

This book gave me all of the feel-good vibes. Chandra is a bit infuriating at times, but his earnest attempt to fix his life is inspiring and uplifting. The twists and turns of his journey are full of surprises, and I appreciate the simplicity of the storytelling. Sometimes you read a book that makes you want to be a better person; this is one of those stories, and Professor Chandra's journey to find his bliss might lead you to take one of your own.

Oh Professor Chandra, I am ever so glad you searched out your bliss and followed it! I'm pleased that you could grow from a set-in-his-ways-and-opinions man to someone with an open mind and heart, and willingness to see things in a different light and framework. Professor Chandra is a witty character, at times full of vim and vigor, at times quite humorous, and is a character reminiscent of Ove, Arthur Pepper, and Harold Fry. I read this switching between Kindle and audio book, and the audio version is wonderful! The story chronicles a time period of Professor Chandra's life, reflecting on and repairing relationships, and infused with funny bits that found me giggling.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing for the free review galley.

This is a beautiful, heartwarming story that will fill the readers with happiness. Funny, charming and something we all need right now to show us compassion and kindness.

Despite expectations, Professor Chandra is passed over for the Nobel Prize in Economics. Again. He brushes off condolences, determining that it had been his last chance to hope, for the world was moving on without him. As he drifts into auto pilot with a side of grumpiness, he wanders in front of a bicyclist, causing him serious injuries and a silent heart attack. At the hospital, the doctor tells him to cut back on everything and follow his bliss, which he decides to do in California as a Distinguished Visiting Professor at UC Bella Vista. He ends up going to a spiritual retreat offered by his wife’s second husband. Balasubramanyam brilliantly portrays a self-important man disconnected from others through self-sabotage stemming from his background and rigid personality. Dear Reader gets to see all that Dr. Chandra does not communicate, and how much more complicated he makes relationships that matter the most to him, building tension and engaging sympathy for a challenging character. Though reminiscent of Barbara Claypole White’s father in The Perfect Son in his inability to see others and clinging to his ideas that are not serving him, Dr. Chandra wouldn’t dare consider that he might have OCPD, as White’s character determines and enters therapy. He prefers to muddle through on his own, pleading for understanding. It’s intriguing and leads to revelatory confrontation. Fans of anti-heroes will appreciate Dr. Chandra and his struggles. I was fortunate to receive this complex and enlightening story of facing one’s mortality through life-altering paradigm-shifts from Dial Press / Random House by NetGalley.

This one was extremely disappointing for me. It was extremely high on my list of most anticipated reads because of the comparisons to Eleanor Oliphant and A Man Called Ove (2 of my favorite books ever), but I didn’t find this to be an accurate comparison at all, and didn’t really see any resemblance to either. I found every single one of these characters extremely unlikeable, and just couldn’t connect with them at all. I set this book aside several times over the course of the last 6 months, hoping if I came back to it with zero expectations and a different mindset that I would enjoy it more, but I’m sorry to say it just didn’t happen. I do greatly appreciate the opportunity to read it and provide my honest opinions.

I was very intrigued by the description of this book, and it did not disappoint. 'Professor Chandra Follows His Bliss' was an interesting take on generational differences, ageing parents and unconventional lives. The front cover suggested that this would be a light-hearted read, and although it had considerable comedic aspect, it was a deep and thoughtful book in which a sixty-nine-year-old looked back on his life and looked forward to the things he could do differently. This was a deeply enjoyable book and I loved how my feelings towards Professor Chandra changed as he began to understand himself. A fascinating and satisfying read and well worth five stars!

With gratitude to Random House and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review an ARC of this novel.

I honestly did not think I would enjoy this book; however, I was immediately caught up in the life of Chandra and his family. The book was both, ordinary and extraordinary and I'm not entirely sure why. I appreciated that the characters in the book were not necessarily folks you want to fall in love with and root for from beginning to end. They grew from time to time and felt much more realistic than other characters in other books I read. Chandra was honest and, while I often cringed at his words and actions, I found myself wanting to see what would happen next. I appreciated the author's style of writing and actually liked learning a bit about economics too! I recommended this title to my husband and several friends- we all like different things in the books we read and, somehow, I think this book is able to meet the needs of each person!
I did find that when I was done reading the book it wasn't as memorable as it could be. (Hence the four stars rather than the five.)

My review may be a bit unfair because I just couldn't finish the book. I think I expected it to be a like Fredrik Backman's "Britt-Marie Was Here" or "A Man Called Ove," in which uptight, severe older follks learn to open themselves up to life a bit more (but still on their own terms). I just didn't find enough in the main character to want to stay with him on his journey.

The title wasn't very inspiring, but after reading the description, I decided to take the risk, and I am glad I did. I hadn't expected it, but this story touched me in many different ways.

The author has woven a humorous tale of family dynamics that everyone can identify with. The pressure of parental expectations and the choices children make to either accept or reject those burdensome expectations is one strand of the story. The other, is a father growing older and out of touch with his children, and coming to a realization that being right may not be as important as just listening.

The characters are complex, but the story rings true. Professor Chandra is a bit self obsessed, in a way that is typical of most academics. He has worked hard all of his life to get to the epitome of the academic ladder - being nominated for the Nobel prize. The observations of the Chicago school, neo-liberal economic model that the Professor has dedicated his life to, are quite funny.

His ex-wife and children are viewed through analytical lens of an economist, albeit with love, if not understanding. It is only when he discards the rational, academic world view that has given meaning to his life, that he begins to truly see the people around him.

The story is humorous, sad and happy, a reflection our own lives and family relationship, just narrated by a keen observer of the nuances of a life 'well lived'.

I'm not sure what bliss Professor Chandra is following, or how he's following it, but he's an interesting guy to read about. A distinguished professor of economics, has just been denied the Nobel Prize (again), he is hit by a bicycle and suffers a heart attack, forcing him to take a break, under doctor's orders. And he does try. He tries to reconnect with his children, and attends a mindfulness retreat. He learns a lot about himself, and his children, but I didn't really see where the bliss comes in, since he's mostly just as conflicted at the end as he is in the beginning, if a bit gentler about it.

Bliss, not so much, but Chandra himself does come to understand and accept a lot about himself and his past mistakes. His journey, with all its missteps and imperfections, is very believable, and you'll find yourself rooting for Chandra to find a way, not to bliss, but to more happiness. Or maybe just contentment? Or self-awareness? Whatever he's on the path to, it's an enjoyable journey, for the reader, at least.

One thing that really stood out to me is the very subtle way that Balasubramanyam points out the ways in which Chandra was a terrible father. His casual cruelties to his children are reported as straight facts; there is no extended narrative exposition explaining the effects of his words, allowing readers to make their own judgments without interference. This is a mark of a good author, one who truly shows, rather than tells, and he does this with aplomb throughout the book.

Initially this book was slow for me to get into, but I am so glad I didn't give up on it! I really enjoyed following Chandra's journey throughout the novel. It felt like the reader was part of his journey of self-discovery and growth, specifically in regards to his relationships with his children. I found each character to be charming and likable, despite how different they all were. The ending was really satisfying for me as well.

Thank you NetGalley for a copy of this book. This was such a delightful read, about a man on the cusp of seventy after having an accident decides to take a sabbatical and find his bliss. All the hijinks that go along with and the tender moments he has re-evaluating his relationships with his family are just really good. Really enjoyed this one.