Socialite Evenings
Socialite Evenings is Shobha De's first novel. It describes Mumbai high society and explores the lives of bored, rich housewives trapped in loveless marriages and engaging in ill-fated extramarital affairs, smug selfish husbands who use their wives more for social respectability than for love, fashionable parties, false spiritual leaders, and a portrait of the general moral, spiritual and intellectual bankruptcy and decadence of the elite who have traded their traditional culture for Westernization and materialism.
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| Author | Shobha De |
|---|---|
| Country | India |
| Language | English |
| Genre | Novel |
| Publisher | Penguin Books |
Publication date | 1989 |
| Media type | Print (Paperback) |
| ISBN | 0-14-012267-2 |
| OCLC | 21599147 |
| LC Class | MLCS 89/00052 (P) |
| Followed by | Starry Nights |
Plot summary
Karuna, the main protagonist and narrator is caught up in a drab, boring life that she seeks to escape by writing memoirs. Her memoirs are successful and she achieves a measure of fame and pride in herself as she becomes an active socialite and eventually uses her newfound prominence as a celebrity to get herself a position as an advertising copywriter and creator of a television series.
Literary significance & criticism
Socialite Evenings was a critical disaster but a commercial success, likely due in part to its racy and controversial content, something that was unusual in India. It was criticized by traditional elements in Indian society. Although a novel, it closely parallels Shobha De's own rise to fame and appeared to be partially autobiographical.
Release details
- 1989, India, Penguin, New Delhi ISBN 0-14-012267-2, Pub date ? ? 1989, paperback
- 1995, India, Penguin, New Delhi ISBN ?, Pub date ? ? 1995, paperback (as part of The Shobha De Omnibus)