Reviews for The City of Joy

The average rating for The City of Joy based on 2 reviews is 4.5 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2014-12-18 00:00:00 Roger Killian One of the most significant spiritual experience of my life has happened around this book. I had moved to Mumbai. Loneliness and depression were my accompanying emotions- 24*7. During those days, I didn't use to have money and I used to travel by buses. I was reading this book on the bus. The conductor gave me the ticket. He asked me how did I find the book? Now, this is not a title you expect to be read by the bus conductor. But he told me he has read the book. He started talking with me about this book. I literally felt that there is someone out there who look out for each and every soul. I felt the connection with universe which is difficult to express in words.

Review # 2 was written on 2007-07-16 00:00:00 Jason Liebel This book inspired by true story. To write this book, Dominique Lappier had to live in slum area in Calcutta, India for about two years. So that this slum area became the setting of the book. The book told about the story of epic in a place called Anand Nagar or City of Joy. For Brother Stephan - a priest from Poland - came to this place made him to a suprise. He had to live in such filtry condition: a few water to share, bad sanition, etc. But, here, Stephan found the light of God that he seeked for. All the people in Anand Nagar, eventhough lived in very poor condition, they care on another. Brother Stephan learned much things from the people in Anand Nagar. Here, people in all religion (Hindu, Budha, Moeslem, and Christian) lived in a high tolerance. For Hasari Pal, leaving his home in Bihar, Bengal was not what he wanted. The fall short of harvest, made him to sell his cow: Rani and left his home to Calcutta for better living. Then, he found that Calcutta was harder than in Bihar. He made his children became beggar, and Hasari himself had to sell his blood. They all lived in the street. By the help of a friend, Ram, Hasari became an pedicab driver. From the money he collected, Hasari could afford him and his family to move to Anand Nagar. Until one day, Hasari found himself was affected by TBC - many poor people like Hasari suffered from this illness, including his best friend, Ram - But Hasari still have one obligue, to find his eldest daughter a husband. But, finding a good husband meant expensive dowry. To complete the dowry, Hasari had to sell his (dead) body for medical purposes. Hasari died at the day his daughter wedding. Besides Hasari Pal and Brother Stephan, there were so many heroes in this book such as Marx, a doctor from America, Mother Sabia, etc. This book has been filmed in 1985 and starred by Patrick Swayze and Om Puri as Hasari. For me, this book enlighted me. I learned how to more appreciate to other people and any of living things.