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Liked It “Bitter Chocolate is a hard-hitting book which explores the nuisance of Child Sexual Abuse in India in astonishing detail. Although the book is sure to shock the reader, it still rate it as a must-read. After all, to solve a problem, it is necessary to acknowledge that the problem exists in the...” see full review » see other reviews » |
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“Bitter Chocolate is a hard-hitting book which explores the nuisance of Child Sexual Abuse in India in astonishing detail. Although the book is sure to shock the reader, it still rate it as a must-read. After all, to solve a problem, it is necessary to acknowledge that the problem exists in the first place!
raokiranj wrote this review Tuesday, March 17 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
My review of the book at http://kiransfinallyblogging.blogspot.com/2009/03/book-review-bitter-chocolate-child.html”
1 of 1 members found this review helpful“The book is about Child Sexual Abuse in India, as the subtitle says. But what the book has in it is not just information. Once you read this book, you cannot just glance over newspaper headings like 8 yr old raped by uncle. It hurts you. You cannot ignore your daughter’s silences. It beats you.
smrti wrote this review Saturday, May 17 2008. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
Bitter Chocolate is extremely bitter. A very apt title.
I skipped some parts of it, because it was too disturbing at times. My way of escapism.
The writing is very gripping and touching.
See these:
“Every child who is raped by an adult turns into a statistic. A life barely lived, already a
horrific statistic”.
Then again,
“Somebody has used her like an ashtray and stubbed his cigarette all over her; somebody has then thrown her out of his car like garbage.
There she lies naked, her torn panties tightly clasped in her clenched fist.”
Another book, a novel, that brilliantly deals with child sexual abuse and the guilt it produces in the victim is Cereus Blooms in the Night – an all time favourite of mine. I would be re-reading it again and would write about it here. And remember the sensitive handling of the issue in the English-Hindi film Monsoon Wedding. And the recent one, Manorama Six Feet Under.
Read this very courageous book. I would want everyone who reads it to take the primary message the book gives: shatter the conspiracy of silence.
Pinki Virani has lots of data with her. Testimonials. Statistics. Anecdotes. News. Data which she very sensitively does not reduce to impersonal numbers. She brings forth the pain and agony in them. At the same time, this runs the risk of confused facts. Other than believing Virani’s words, and even if I don’t mind believing them, we have no way to read the sources she quotes. No references. No citation. That does not produce good research.
The same goes true for the journalese writing style. Some places, there is an overdose of drama. So much so that we get more interested in the details of abuses, rather than the discussion and inferences of them.
Reading narrations of abuses after abuses becomes disturbing. It is not only because of the disturbing nature of the abuse; it is also because the narrations do not lead to new findings or ideas. She does prove that child sexual abuse, as is commonly thought, is not characteristic of the lower class. That it is not happening to only girls, nor is it done only by men. However there are too many of the cases described. It does give you the extant to which the crime is prevalant, but it also breaks your reading interest.
However that is no reason to discard this book. One lesson I have learnt and promised myself not to unlearn ever: Listen to your daughter when she tells you she doesn’t like someone, Or when she asks you those supossedly dirty questions. Or when she is silent.”
“the book brings to your awareness the unspoken, disgusting acts takin place in our country, society and probably even our neighbourhood or extended family....on one hand it may be considered a must-read for parents, but it is also most likely to make them over protective and fearful about their child's safety. ”
rashi a wrote this review Monday, March 10 2008. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“This book talks about the prevalance of Child Sexual abuse in India, and how these issues are swept under the carpet, making more hapless children potential victims. I would recommend that everyone read this book. It's time that people woke up to face reality instead of living in their own illusion, looking at the world through rose coloured glasses. ”
Arya wrote this review Sunday, February 3 2008. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“Shocking....Scary....Eye -opening...”
Swati V wrote this review Thursday, November 15 2007. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“A must read for all Indian parents if you wish to protect your children. Given Indian sensibilities, a very courageous book indeed.”
Moumita B wrote this review Wednesday, October 31 2007. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“A book probably evey parent should read..... buts really very depressing. I just could'nt complete the whole book....”
Pradeep wrote this review Sunday, September 16 2007. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No“i think more indians should be made aware of this book. there is this incredible reluctance to face the fact that that so many children in india are abused and this book covers it in great depth. it is not an easy read though, the subject is painful and frightening.”
soraya wrote this review Sunday, August 26 2007. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
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