A book not worth having written

This year's reading started with a rather sad book. I had been having trouble sleeping without a book for almost a week and it was one hasty pick from the library.

Custody by Manju Kapur. I had read other books from this author & knew a bit of her background (she teaches/taught in my sister's college). So when I saw it lying in the returned book shelf I didn't think a lot before borrowing.

However, to my huge disappointment this book was not even worth writing, let alone reading.

It feels like reading a compilation of news clippings from Delhi Times.Young adults, well educated and quickly married. Young parents, foreign holidays, quarrels and divorces. Neither the plot is not original, nor do the characters have anything original about them. Split families - torn children, why would a reader spend time reading a book when this is all he/she gets on TOI.com?

Weakest point of the book - about mid-way one of the wives reveals her intention to keep only the son from the marriage and give away the daughter for the sake of divorce. Guess what - this is what happens in the end!!

It was not expected of an author who has written some good books before (Difficult Daughters). I somehow managed to keep reading, convinced in my mind that of course the evil wife wont have her way - but no, that's what happened. No point in reading the remaining 150 pages, isn't it?

This morning when I got up, I found that hardly 50 pages more were left. So I thought well lets finish it and then begin the day. It was a bad ending & a bad beginning.

Sorry Manju Kapur, but the book doesn't work for me - at all!