An Obedient Father

An Obedient Father follows Ram Karan, a corrupt official working in Delhi's school system who extorts bribes from principals to survive. After his widowed daughter and granddaughter move in with him, Ram must confront his past actions and their lasting consequences. The novel takes place in 1990s India against the backdrop of Rajiv Gandhi's assassination and the subsequent political upheaval. Ram navigates both his professional schemes and his complicated home life while struggling with guilt, fear, and the possibility of redemption. Through Ram's first-person narrative, the story examines cycles of abuse, corruption, and moral compromise across generations in modern India. The novel addresses questions of personal responsibility, forgiveness, and whether someone who has committed terrible acts can change.

Readers describe this as a dark, uncomfortable book that's difficult to read due to its heavy subject matter of abuse and corruption. Many find the writing precise and the portrayal of 1990s Delhi authentic. Readers appreciated: - Raw honesty in depicting moral corruption - Complex, flawed characters - Vivid details of Indian bureaucracy and culture - Unflinching examination of difficult themes Common criticisms: - Too disturbing and depressing - Hard to empathize with the protagonist - Pacing issues in the latter half - Some found it gratuitously dark Ratings: Goodreads: 3.7/5 (1,000+ ratings) Amazon: 3.8/5 (50+ reviews) Sample reader comment: "Brilliantly written but I felt sick to my stomach reading it. Not for the faint of heart." - Goodreads reviewer Several readers noted abandoning the book due to its content, while others praised Sharma's courage in tackling taboo subjects.

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🔸 Author Akhil Sharma wrote this debut novel when he was just 28 years old, and it went on to win the PEN/Hemingway Award in 2001. 🔸 The novel takes place in Delhi during the period of Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi's assassination in 1991, weaving personal corruption with political turbulence. 🔸 Sharma spent seven years revising and rewriting the novel, producing over 7,000 pages before arriving at the final 282-page version. 🔸 The book tackles challenging themes of abuse and corruption through the perspective of an unsympathetic protagonist - a choice that caused controversy but earned critical acclaim for its unflinching portrayal. 🔸 Despite being born in Delhi, Sharma moved to the US at age 8 and wrote this deeply Indian novel while working as an investment banker in New York, drawing on childhood memories and extensive research.