City of Joy

It's not funny, it's not pleasant to read, but a MUST READ. It will never leave you after you've read it.

If you've never been to India, this book will take you there. Through the eyes of the main character you will see the beauty and soul of the one of the poorest and richest countries on the planet. I'm going to insist my teenage son read this book this summer!

An outstanding book. Highly recommended as essential reading for any thinking person and any person who truely cares about the world and the plight of humanity.

No other book I had ever read has ever made me more proud about the fact that I am an Indian or importantly, a human being. The moving story, that the author claims is based on facts is probably based on a true one. What is truly remarkable though, is the fact that this is probably not an unusual story or for that matter even an uncommon one! It happens, more so in India that anywhere else, despite 200 years of British rule the Western had not been able to take from these people what they prize most, their dignity. People trying to live a decent life, who hope to live with at least an ounce of self-respect going to great extremes to attain it. It doesn't surprise me to know this today, nor does it surprise me to know it took so long for the world to know this. What amazes me is that so many Indians have written such bad reviews about this book. It seems ironic that a book that tells a story about the majority of Indians who are uneducated is not appreciated by the minority that are. It makes sense though. This book doesn't directly attempt to glorify India's culture, its traditions or values. Instead it speaks about the bitter realities of a ghetto that almost all educated Indians with a modern outlook likes to pretend don't exist. These are the people that Westerners mostly interact with, these are the people who want to impress India to the rest of the world, and the truths in this book are not what they would think is impressive. It still impressive none the less. In fact it is more than impressive that even at the lowest of low of economic degradation a man can still try to live a life of dignity - the kind that every human being deserves to live with. IF AFTER READING THIS BOOK YOU SHED A TEAR, either of joy or sorrow, GO TO THE PEOPLE YOU LOVE MOST AND TELL THEM HOW MUCH YOU LOVE THEM, thank them for who they are and after that thank God for the beauty that is your life and lastly thank yourself because you are a wonderful human-being.

In Dominique LaPierre's book, "The City of Joy" we learn of the struggles of every day families trying to survive in the abject poverty of Calcutta, India.The streets of Calcutta come alive in "The City of Joy" as we read about the struggles of a rickshaw driver and his family and an American priest trying to become accepted into the culture of Calcutta. We learn of the efforts of people like Mother Teresa to help the poorest of the poor in Calcutta, the lepers.I have not seen the movie based on this book, but if it is half as good as the book , I am sure it is great. "The City of Joy" is a book the explores the depths of the human spirit, the strength of human emotion and the desire of a few good people to help. In all of the glory of his other books, LaPierre scores another hit with "The City of Joy." I recommend this book, you will be a better person for having read it. Plus, a percentage of the profits from the book are donated to the ongoing effort to help the lepers in Calcutta.

City of Joy is a true account of the inhabitants of Calcutta's worst slums. The author weaves together the stories of a family who moved from the drought-starved countryside in search of a better life, a young doctor from the United States, and numereous others to paint a rich, textured picture of unbelievable suffering and yet, incredible humanity. This book made me stop over and over to contemplate how lucky I was to have been born where and when I was - in relative wealth, comfort, and freedom beyond the wildest dreams of the majority of the world's population.Go ahead and see the movie if you want too, but not until well after you've read and absorbed the book.