The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel: A Novel

This is going to be a difficult review for me to write, because I made a mistake I usually try to avoid: I watched the movie first (several times) and loved it, then read the book and realized the movie is only loosely based on it and I’m disappointed. So I know I need to be conscious of separating my expectations of the book from the book itself.The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, which was originally called These Foolish Things, is about a group of aging Brits who have discovered that as they grow old in England, they are struggling with independence, money, and finding joy. The son-in-law of one of these elders is also struggling with his aging father-in-law (especially since he is living with him and can’t seem to stop his crude comments), so the son-in-law begins working with an enterprising friend to convert a hotel in Bangalore, India into a home for aging Brits: The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel.As the retirees up-end their lives in England and arrive in India, we follow along as they adjust to their new home and new lives. The retirees are an interesting group and the diverse characters are well developed (though it’s a little difficult to keep track of who is who at first--at least on the audiobook). Each character has their own reason for coming to India and through them readers get various, but realistic views of aging (it’s not easy) and various, but somewhat limited views of India (as you might expect, some are better at adapting than others).If, like me, you’re looking for the book to be light and heartwarming like the movie, you’ll be disappointed--the descriptions of aging were pretty negative (admittedly, I’m looking at it through a middle-aged lens), racism is rampant, and the ending is a bit flat.But, the book does, of course, have an interesting premise and if you’re looking for a group of unique characters with some descriptions of India, you might enjoy this.(Trigger Warning: There is some graphic discussion of sex. It isn’t a lot, but I found it a bit jarring within the context of the rest of the story.)

I bought this book after I enjoyed watching the movie so much. I have to admit, the book is very different from the movie. In fact, I wonder how anyone thought to twist the book's characters and events to create the movie's script!Significant characters in the movie don't show up in the book, and vice versa. Events in the book show up in the movie...but happen to or involve different characters! I actually tried to cross-reference what happens in the book and what happens in the movie...but it just got all tangled up.I thought the movie was beautiful to watch, and gave a rather "romantic" view of both India and retirement...not to mention moving your life to a completely different culture, climate and continent! I read reviews that said the movie was unrealistic and "pap" for seniors. Yes, the movie made sure (most) everything was "all right in the end". I didn't mind that at all. I love a happy, uplifting movie.The book is much more realistic and, as a result, also darker. We get a better picture of exactly why these retirees ended up moving to India. And, actually, the idea makes a lot more sense in the book. The lives of the characters are more complex (both before and after their move) and presented in more detail than they are in the movie. The book has a much longer timeline, with the characters having (and taking) more than a just a few months to solve all their problems. I didn't mind that at all, either.So far, I've seen the movie twice and I've read the book twice. (Saw the movie, then read the book, then saw the movie again, and read the book again.) I'm a fan of both. I pre-ordered the movie's DVD, and I'm waiting for my copy of the book (which I'm sharing with my sisters) to return "home"...and I know I'll read it again.I don't understand why anyone would think they must choose between the book and the movie, or why someone would choose NOT to read the book just because it doesn't follow the movie exactly (or, more precisely, the movie didn't follow the book exactly). Yes, the book and the movie are different, but they are both five star in my opinion.

These Foolish Things is about a retirement home that is set up in India for those living in Britain. Instead of wiling away the rest of their years in some dreary place in the UK, instead they could be enjoying the best that has India has to offer – and for a fraction of the cost. The story follows a few different characters and their different perspectives on the place.When i found out that the movie, The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, was based on a book, i really wanted to read it. It only took me around five years!I really enjoyed the story. It was well written, interesting and flowed at a nice, even pace. Although i had watched the movie and knew the basic premise, the book is quite different with more characters and different story lines. There were a few similarities however not enough that you knew the story or how it would end. I can see why they changed what they did for the movie (too many characters in a movie can make it hard to follow).The characters were really well developed. They were diverse and you couldn’t help but love most of them even if they weren’t lovable! I love reading books where it’s written from the perspective of a few different characters as i find it really lends a depth to the story and makes it that much more interesting.There wasn’t really any sex per se in the book however there were a few sexual references that were quite blunt and descriptive. I actually found some of it was a bit out of place and i didn’t really understand the relevance or need for it.Overall this was a really enjoyable read that was fresh and different to a lot of what’s out there. I would definitely recommend it.

Sehr englisch, gute Charaktere, auch Indiens Stimmung und Menschen ohne Sentimentalität beschrieben. Wem dieses Buch gefällt, der solle als nächstes "Passage to India" lesen, anspruchsvoller als dieses Buch, führt aber den "Indian/English Touch wunderbar weiter (und noch weiter zurück).

esta bien , pero en esta caso la pelicula es mucho mejor! hay mucho estereotipo pero supongo que es deliberado para intentar representar pos ideas de las personas que han ido alli a la India… pero molesta a veces!

Saw the movie first, of course, so picked up the book with the knowledge that, like most novels from which movies are based, it would be nothing like the movie. And it wasn't.Set in India? Yes.Old people? Yes.Marigold Hotel? Yes.Same characters? Mostly yes.I found many of the characters in the book - Norman and Evelyn's children in particular - to be very unlikable, and obnoxious. It was almost enough to make me stop reading.It wasn't a bad book. In fact, I enjoyed it. I just enjoyed the movie a lot more.The book, while having a fairly happy ending, did not leave me with the same happy, positive about old age feeling as the movie, nor of the positive, hopeful dreams of starting anew when the golden years hit.Not a bad read, but not a great one either.

I love the book. I'd recommend it to anyone.

I found this book funny, heartwarming and touching. With the Boomer generation fast approaching their senior years. what happens to their living conditions is a concern.Jane Fonda has a movie coming out this fall in which a group of seniors consider communal living, not only as a financial benefit but to combat loneliness. I can't speak for the show but the book is not only entertaining but thought provoking.