Book review of Happy by Celina Baljeet Basra

 

  Name of Book: Happy

Author: Celina Baljeet Basra 

ISBN: 9781662602306

Publisher: Astra House 

Type of book: "Disneyland park in India" migrants, Europe, 2010, dreams, shattered dreams, reality, Punjab, crossing over illegally 

Year it was published: 2023

Summary:
For fans of Vikas Swarup and Charles Yu, the story of a starry-eyed cinephile who leaves his rural village in Punjab to pursue his dreams—a formally daring debut novel set against the global migration crisis.

In a rural village of Punjab, India, a moony young man crouches over his phone in a rapeseed field near his family’s cabbage farm. His name is Happy Singh Soni, and he’s watching YouTube clips of his favorite film, Bande à Part by Jean-Luc Godard. In fact, Happy is often compared to a young Sami Frey by the imaginary journalists that keep him company while he uses the outhouse. Pooing, as he says, “en plein air.” When he’s not sleeping among the cabbages and eating his mother’s sugary rotis, Happy dreams of becoming an actor, one who plays the melancholy roles—sad, pretty boys, rare in Indian cinema. There are macho leads and funny boys en masse, but if you’re looking for depth and vulnerability, you must make your own heroes.

Then comes Wonderland, an eccentric facsimile of Disneyland that steadily buys up the local farms, rebranding the community’s traditional way of life. Happy works a dead-end job at the amusement park, biding his time and saving money for a clandestine journey to Europe, where he’ll finally land a breakout role. Little does he know that his immigration is being coordinated by a transnational crime syndicate. After a nightmarish passage to Italy, Happy still manages to find relief in food and fantasy, even as he is forced into ever-worsening work conditions over a debt he allegedly accrued in transit. But his daydreams grow increasingly at odds with his bleak reality, one shared by so many migrant workers disenfranchised by the systems that depend on their labor.

At turns funny and poetic, sunny and tragic, Happy is a daring feat of postmodern literature, a polyphonic novel about the urgent, lovely coping mechanisms created by generations of diasporic people. Set against the enmeshed crises of global migration and the politics of labor within the food industry, Celina Baljeet Basra’s luminous debut argues for the things that are essential to human food, water, a place to lay one’s head, but also pleasure, romance, art, and the inalienable right to a vivid inner life.

Characters:

There are a lot of characters, mainly Happys coworkers, family members and a few friends, but I feel that they aren't as drawn as well as Happy. Happy Singh Soni is best described as dreamy, naive and someone who tries to make things be better than the reality. He is a big fan of films and often DESIRES tragic roles. He also desires to live in Europe and be a movie star, which is why he journeyed there in the first place. 

Theme:

Where will dreams lead humans 

Plot:

The story is in first person narrative from Happys point of view. Beginning of story is of Happys background, in particular his family. It describes a park take over of Happys family farm, followed by Happys desire to travel to Europe as well as make something of himself. While eventually traveling to Europe does happen for Happy, the other dreams, not so much, and Happy becomes involved with being a migrant and possibly helping a revolutionary. At the same time there is a sense of dream from start to finish of the story, of Happys struggle and attempt to understand what is going on. So yes, a heartbreaking story. 

Author Information:
(From goodreads)

N/A

Opinion:

I think the best way to describe this book is musical reversal novel, at least from the tone and vibes, or better yet the famous Tom and Jerry cartoon where Jerry visits New York. I did have fun reading it and trying to connect fragments into a cohesive whole as well as learning about migrant life in Europe.  Also, contrary to the cover, I would not describe this as happily ever after. I also sense quite a bit of humor within the pages, in  regarding the interviews between Europe and Happy. 

This was given for review 

4 out of 5
(0: Stay away unless a masochist 1: Good for insomnia 2: Horrible but readable; 3: Readable and quickly forgettable, 4: Good, enjoyable 5: Buy it, keep it and never let it go.)