Recently, I read a book that was focused around recounting the stories of people living in the Mumbai slums. The Beautiful Forevers was lent to me by one of my coworkers and I will say that overall, it is a good book. I enjoyed reading it and it was fascinating to hear the experiences of individuals being told and brought to light. I also admire the fact that Katherine Boo was fully immersed in Annawadi and was writing from her experiences in the slum. Rather than writing what she thought it would be like, she had actually seen these things happen and gave a realistic account of the experiences of people living there. I really appreciate this and it gives the book much more credibility as well.
The story is somewhat of a third person memoir as all the events actually did occur, but were just written from the perspective of another individual. However, when you read it it seems a lot more like fiction, which makes it an easier read than a non-fiction book. You become invested in the lives of young boys like Sunil and think the same way that Manju does when she thinks of how exploitative her mother is towards people like Mr. Kamble. It is a gripping book and Boo touches on a number of aspects of Indian culture. Izaat (respect), corruption within the entire society and how it’s a race to the bottom where poor people exploit those with even less than them.
Izaat is a common idea in South Asian cultures but it applies to virtually every culture on earth, just in different forms. People will go to great lengths to ensure that they have honour and even if they have nothing at all, they can hold onto this intangible idea. Annawadi people are no outliers. Daughters that disobey their families or become too “western” are beat for dishonouring them. Wives are beat regularly by their husbands. Everyone wants to marry their children to good families from the same caste as them as anything less would be dishonourable. These are all much deeper themes that are rooted in a culture that at times, can be incredibly toxic and harmful, but that’s a longer discussion that I’ll leave for another day. It is interesting though to see how Abdul who is very indifferent to most things also becomes wedded to the idea of having izaat and being a “good” man. It is what people hold onto when all else crumbles around them.
I’m very aware of corruption within the system. It’s not uncommon for people to pay others under the table to make misdemeanors “disappear” or to get what they want. Unfortunately, almost every system within countries like Pakistan and India is based on this concept. Even the most morally upright people fall to the hands of bribery and corruption. The greed of money and power overshadows their attempts to be “good”. While it is incredibly disheartening to see judges, police officers, and government officials go against what their jobs stand for, it isn’t surprising to see this happen. The system is designed to exploit everyone, even those at the very bottom. Abdul’s family pays bribe after bribe to get out of situations and Asha refuses to help anyone in the community unless she is repaid in return. It is a never-ending cycle that continues to widen the gap between the rich and the poor and perpetually disenfranchises those with nothing to offer.
Overall, it was a pleasure to read this book and quite fascinating to read the stories of the people in the slums. When you’re so far away and detached from people unlike yourself, you forget that humans inherently are not so different. Whether you make $1 billion a year or live on scraps, you still want love, a community, and to be happy. It’s nice to read a story that reflects on this concept and makes you think again about how grateful and lucky you are to be where you are today. It’s also a nice reminder that we are all humans at the end of the day and despite all the differences that people use to divide us, at the end of it, we are all the same.
All in all, I’d give Behind the Beautiful Forevers a 7/10. It was an enjoyable book, but I believe that some parts of it were hard to follow and it would have been more emotionally gripping had it been a first person narrative. Overall though, I’d definitely recommend reading it!
Snickers,
S