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The Inscrutable Americans by Anurag Mathur



‘Living The American Dream’ has been rooted in the hearts of every ambitious, middle class Indian kid who had seen around the perks of having a job ‘abroad’ (parallel word for USA for most of them). But the time which gave rise to this fascination was somewhat different in the beginning. It was an era when scholar kids with strong financial background used to go abroad for higher education because of less education opportunities in our own country. Here is a story from that time which encapsulates a year in the life of a scholar kid, Gopal, from a small town in India who goes to America for higher studies. Barely able to speak English but carrying high appetite of knowledge, Gopal reaches the American university & struggles to understand the American culture. 

 Fortunately (or unfortunately), he meets this friend-classmate-helper weirdo, Randy, who introduces him to an intriguing new world of American way of life. Gopal then meets various kinds of people there – Ananda, an Indian with dreams of becoming American for the sake of achieving a perceived superiority, Sue, his classmate and love from his dreams, Tom, an American who thinks that other races are threatening the progress of ‘Original’ Americans’, Peacock, an Afro-American who reveals the ugly side of America and Co-passenger from the return flight to India with whom ultimately he fulfills his fantasy. In that year, Gopal learns, fails, travels, dances, drinks, vomits, falls, rises back and comes home back with a refreshed personality.
Fresh, small read for a weekend tucked in a warm blanket and cup of coffee that will take you to those hostels, class rooms, pubs, gardens, malls and roads who witnessed the year long journey of Gopal with Inscrutable Americans.

Quotes from the book:
"Are red hair girls, red all over?"
"He saw a beach with the night resting on it and a lake like liquid dark spilled beyond."

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