# "Very funny"-Kurt Vonnegut. "The Revised Kama Sutra: A Novel"



## Richardcrasta (Jul 29, 2010)

Reviewers have described it as "An Indian Catcher in the Rye . . . A South Indian Confederacy of Dunces." A recent reader called it, "Rich, like chocolate cake. Every paragraph is rich."

THE REVISED KAMA SUTRA is the story of an Indian Catholic boy growing up with an American Dream, trying desperately to lose his virginity, trying to dodge the canes of nuns and Jesuits . . . the late Kurt Vonnegut, a comic genius and a man whose heart was in the right place (and had no problem using the f-word when appropriate), found it "very funny." (read his letter--link below).



Meeting Kurt Vonnegut and receiving a letter from him was one of the happiest moments of my life in America. For years, I guarded this letter zealously, gave away little but a small quote from it. Today, I have decided to publish the entire letter:



Note: Avatar Prabhu was a pen-name I used briefly, from late 1997 to late 1998, and then discontinued. I actually disowned the US print edition published by Sunstar, partly because I diluted it in the hope of reaching American readers, and it is the weakest of the many editions.

I hope you take a chance, read beyond the sample (the true riches are inside), and enjoy it. The novel is the work of my life: took 7 years to write, and 2 more years to edit! Physical book up at:

http://www.richardcrasta.com

The physical book would make a great Christmas gift for a cosmopolitan, well-read friend, so please order it early if you wish to make sure it is received in time (takes 2-3 weeks to be delivered if ordered from my web site).

Here are some spectacular reviews (inserted recently): 
http://bit.ly/TWPx5e 
and: http://bit.ly/eFzXjn

_--- created thumbnail of pic (Vonnegut's use of the f word might offend some highly insulated souls). Please click the thumbnail to see full size pic._

And links to other platforms:
Nook: http://bit.ly/iHYeNM
Smashwords: http://bit.ly/lVpczz 
Apple: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/the-revised-kama-sutra-a-novel/id612472140?mt=11
http://itunes.apple.com/us/book/the-revised-kama-sutra-a-novel/id421345552?mt=11
Kobo: http://www.kobobooks.com/ebook/The-Revised-Kama-Sutra-Novel/book-M7HudHzb80W_slNu488Nxw/page1.html?s=mFhYS5o5g0mVSi209ter_g&r=5

PAPERBACK COPIES AVAILABLE FROM: WRITERS & BOOKS, UNIVERSITY AVENUE, ROCHESTER.


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

Welcome to KindleBoards, Richard, and congratulations on your book!

We invite you to use your book cover as your avatar and have links to your book and website in your signature. Don't forget to bookmark this thread (using your browser's bookmark/favorite function) so you can update it. Although self-promotion is limited to the Book Bazaar, most of our authors have found the best way to promote their books is to be as active throughout KindleBoards as time allows. This is your target audience--book lovers with Kindles!

Thanks for being part of KindleBoards! Feel free to PM us if you have any questions.

Betsy & Ann
Book Bazaar Moderators

_The fine print:
Please add to your existing book thread when you have news about your book rather than start a new one, it helps the members who are trying to follow you. You may have a separate thread for each of your books. We recommend you bookmark your post so that you can find it in the future.  You may respond to all posts, but if there have been no member posts, we ask that you wait a week before "bumping" the thread by posting back-to-back posts of your own. And we ask that Amazon reviews not be repeated here as they are easy to find at your book link. Also, full reviews from other sites should not be posted here, but you may post a short blurb and a link to the full review instead. All this, and more, is included in our Forum Decorum. From time to time our site rules may change; be sure to check Forum Decorum (http://www.kboards.com/index.php/topic,36.0.html) for the current guidelines and rules. _


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

Richard,

I merged your new post with your existing thread.  We do not allow more than one thread per book as stated in the welcome post above.  In the future newly started threads may be deleted without warning.

Ann
Book Bazaar Moderator


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## Richardcrasta (Jul 29, 2010)

Hi,

HarperCollins India is about to launch this book 14 years after it was originally launched, and they are calling it a "classic". I just received the first copies hot off the press, and they look gorgeous. I am supposed to have my first launch at a big bookstore in Bangalore in around 2 weeks.

Meanwhile, I confess I was deeply uncomfortable selling the book for $2.99, and raised it to $4.99 . I remember Denise Gess and Monica Wood, both published novelists, telling me I had compressed four books into it. I hope some of you do like it.

Thank you, all, for your support.
Richard


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## Richardcrasta (Jul 29, 2010)

Hello,

Some great news on the reviews front since I last posted here: a spectacular review for my new HarperCollins edition, and 5-star review for my newborn Kindle edition:

http://www.afternoondc.in/book-review/absolutely-spectacular/article_7584

Captioned "Absolutely spectacular" the review describes the novel as "*Excellent, irreverent, moving, funny*."

And a very active Kindleboard member who I respect surprised me with this review, which he titles, "Should be a recognized classic." He goes on to call it "an exuberant Catcher in the Rye, a South Indian Confederacy of Dunces"

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B003VYCARI

The sales have been rather humbling until now, but I hope that with my temporary price reduction to $2.99, and a review that people trust, a few more people try it, and continue to buy even when the price has been raised somewhat.

This book, with its fourteen editions, has been the equivalent of fourteen children delivered through a difficult labor--but above all, I hope it feels completely different from anything you have read, besides making you laugh!

thank you.


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## Richardcrasta (Jul 29, 2010)

Hi everybody,

I have been away for nearly 14 days preparing and going through the Bangalore launch of my new edition. Though my name and photograph got into the local papers, it doesn't mean much except some stares from strangers on the street (and I really am too shy to turn that into anything); most Indians don't buy books unless they are by rich celebrities who don't need the money anyway. I am in the same boat as most of you, and probably a lot poorer, and hoping to be freed from my debts with an Amazon Kindle success.

Anyway, I post the links to a few new reviews or interviews:

http://expressbuzz.com/cities/bangalore/judging-not-by-the-cover/205741.html

http://www.deccanchronicle.com/bengaluru/kamasutra-revised-just-funny-192

http://www.dnaindia.com/mobile/report.php?n=1435581

http://piracybay.blogspot.com/2010/09/voiceofindiagroup-i-cant-behave-like.html

cheers.


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## Richardcrasta (Jul 29, 2010)

Some short quotes from this book (really, pretty random) which may not be in the amazon preview :

ON THE PROTAGONIST'S DISCOVERY OF PUBERTY,
AND HOW IT MAKES HIM LOSE HIS RELIGION:

Like Einstein’s curve, belly whiskers bent my fundamental space-time.

Founders of future religions: Accommodate pubic hair, will you?


ON WHAT FREUD MISSED:
Penis shame: a psychological affliction, occurring mostly in the Third World, and especially former British colonies, in which males of the "age of reason" and above feel shame at possessing a penis, and make every possible attempt to hide its existence from fellow human beings. 

JFK AS A FATHER FIGURE:

Maybe I needed a potent father figure, a mentor to replace my own disappeared father. And when I saw JFK (was it the cover of U. S. News & World Report?) with his hard and erect and blue missiles facing up to the bad Russians with their also-erect but red-as-hell-fire missiles, I fell in love. 


‘Ninety-nine percent of all college boys are shakers!’ he had declared passionately. (The American Shakers would have been surprised to learn that ‘shakers’ was the Indian word for male masturbators, and that their Indian cousins lived by the theme song: Shake shake shake, shake your tootie!)


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## Richardcrasta (Jul 29, 2010)

Honestly, at this point, I hate talking about my book or trying to push it. I would rather speak to you about my Thanksgiving Dinner at the KFC in Phnom Penh (where I meditated on the Colonel's secret recipe), and let you read the reviews and a sample of my novel and make up your own mind (and yes, like the woman who went to the psychiatrist complaining that her husband thought he was a hen, I need the eggs). But I just want to remind you that the novel is still there, that it was described by The New York Times as "an American novel", though three-fourths of it takes place in India, and that Kurt Vonnegut called it funny.

I have six other books, one on Kindle and the rest in print at my web site, http://www.richardcrasta.com

And to my fellow-Americans: a Happy Thanksgiving. I do hope to get back and have a dinner with my family in the not too distant future, and silly though it may sound, the Kindle editions of my books is one of the ways I hope to accomplish that.


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## Richardcrasta (Jul 29, 2010)

Hi all,
Just reduced the price of this book to $4.49. Most of the juicy, witty stuff (like The Brown House at 1600 Hensylvania Avenue, or the realization that "Sex clears up pimples, which are the body's protest against insufficient sex or none") comes after Page 60 or so, and therefore is not in the previews. So I hope some people trust the numerous recommendations and reviews (including Mark Ledbetter's 5-star review) and give it a try.
Richard


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## Richardcrasta (Jul 29, 2010)

Hi everybody,
I am pleased to announce that the Smashwords edition of "The Revised Kama Sutra" (which has been described by Kindleboard member Mark Ledbetter as "an Indian Catcher in the Rye, a South Indian Confederacy of Dunces), is now out in a clean, attractive edition, for $4.49, and it includes a bigger free sample. The Amazon Kindle edition has also been improved. 

I hope people enjoy the book. Some of the front matter has been moved to back, though unfortunately the best parts are in the middle and in the latter half.

Richard


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## Richardcrasta (Jul 29, 2010)

"The Revised Kama Sutra" is also a hymn to love. Vijay falls in love with Deepa, with Anita, with Maya, and each time, it is an all-consuming, obsessive love. Love in its complexity. So perhaps it might make a V-day gift?


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## Richardcrasta (Jul 29, 2010)

And (in my opinion) still the best bargain, word for word, of my growing list of e-books, and also available on Smashwords.com--though among the rest, Mau-mauing would be the funniest, and Killing of the Author the most moving and rich for the writing and publishing life.


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## Richardcrasta (Jul 29, 2010)

Briefly now at 2.99. That's 100,000 plus words of often dense comedy and observation for just the price of a coffee and a good croissant.


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## Richardcrasta (Jul 29, 2010)

Many people have told me that the Catholic boyhood, the teenage problems, and a boy's attempts to lose his virginity are universal theme. Which is why, perhaps, the book has been published in ten countries and 7 languages.

I hope you try it. It took me 9 years to write, I was married then, and it was a dangerous book for a married man to write.


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## Richardcrasta (Jul 29, 2010)

Eight 5-star reviews!

Funny book, my best, might be the right gift for mother's day?


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## Richardcrasta (Jul 29, 2010)

"“Should be a recognized classic. Gut-busting hilarity . . . Uplifting and powerful.” --Mark Ledbetter, Linguist and professor, 5-star review


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## Richardcrasta (Jul 29, 2010)

50% off for 2 days (till June 6) on Smashwords.

Please enter coupon code: WQ46T


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## Richardcrasta (Jul 29, 2010)

To celebrate my No. 1 Political Humor bestseller on Kindle, "I Will Not Go the F**k to Sleep", this title and "What We All Need" also reduced to $2.99 for 24-36 hours.


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## Richardcrasta (Jul 29, 2010)

Still up there, and my best, biggest book. But I Will Not Go the F**k to Sleep is my second funniest, and is pure humor unlike "The Revised Kama Sutra". Your choice.


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## Richardcrasta (Jul 29, 2010)

125,000 words of humor, passion, wordplay, contemplation, LIFE-- "the life of the Indian Everyman"--Masala Magazine, New York. "He may be our best humorist ever"--Business Standard


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## Richardcrasta (Jul 29, 2010)

Also: Denise Gess, the novelist, commented that this book was four books in one. Starts a bit slowly, but patience will be rewarded.


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## Richardcrasta (Jul 29, 2010)

This is a big book, and the best parts are in the middle and in the end. The book tries to give you an India without the cliches and the stereotypes--the real India beneath the exotic veil.


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## Richardcrasta (Jul 29, 2010)

At Smashwords.com, 
http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/26314
please enter this coupon code to get 25% off on this book till September 30:

AP99B

and please pm me if you wish to have a discount on any of my other books at Smashwords until September 30.

Thank you for trying it.

(Here in any case is a coupon for The Hunger for Touch and Love: JA24B )


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## Richardcrasta (Jul 29, 2010)

To go with my #SampleSunday posts on Twitter and richardcrasta.blogspot.com, I have lowered the price of THE REVISED KAMA SUTRA, which is really my best book by far, to $3.99 on Kindle for a few days. 

Isn't that what a Big Mac or Whopper costs these days? I find myself able to return to this book dozens of times, and find more than a few things to laugh at each time. I hope you do so too.


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## Richardcrasta (Jul 29, 2010)

A big book, fairly priced.


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## Richardcrasta (Jul 29, 2010)

Take a chance on it . . . and don't go by the sample. The true riches are inside the book. 9 years of passionate, dedicated work.


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## Richardcrasta (Jul 29, 2010)

down to 3.99 again. Book has received an interesting and positive review from Alex Canton in "Book Junkies" on Facebook. If you were to ask me which of my books to gift someone of above average education and intelligence,  this is the one I would honestly recommend, and at this price, it's a steal.


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## Richardcrasta (Jul 29, 2010)

Hi all,

There's a short-short adaptation of this book, a condensed version, or one that concentrates only on teenage years and early manhood, called "The Whole World in His Pants." I think it is more accessible to a larger audience. Feel free to choose either.

For those who are looking for a Christmas gift, these three are likely to keep them laughing again and again . . . iMHO:

I WILL NOT GO THE F**K TO SLEEP (soon to have a print edition on Createspace)
THE REVISED KAMA SUTRA
THE WHOLE WORLD IN HIS PANTS

Btw, have just uploaded a clearer description of the novel, which I am giving to you here:

When a boy survives a dog bite, a threatened end of the universe, and cane-wielding nuns and priests in Catholic schools, what lies in store for him? Puberty and inexplicable erections. Ironically enough, in the Land of the Kama Sutra, millions of boys are ignorant of why that little thing in their pants that until now was only a tool to pass yellowish water has suddenly tripled in size and refuses to retract. In fact, they are terrified.

The Revised Kama Sutra, the story of an Indian boy growing into manhood with an American Dream planted in him by Readers Digest, assorted Hollywood movies and comic books, and possibly the CIA, has been described as one of the funniest and most uninhibited novels about India and is one of the recommended books in "The Lonely Planet Guide to South India.". First published by Viking Penguin India to great acclaim, it has been published in ten countries and in 7 languages.

Richard


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## Richardcrasta (Jul 29, 2010)

Hi all,
This book is on sale at Smashwords along with 3 others. Please look up this blog post for the codes:

http://richardcrasta.blogspot.com/2011/12/your-favorite-authors-and-how-to.html


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## Richardcrasta (Jul 29, 2010)

For the discerning sophisticated reader:

THE OTHER SIDE OF INDIA, the one that few Indians will admit or show you in their fiction meant for Western consumption.


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## Richardcrasta (Jul 29, 2010)

Jackie Kennedy, a boy who wants to be Pope, then wants to make love to 100 women, and an American Dream--a big and complex novel, my bestseller, and possibly the best value among my books.

Have a great day.


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## Richardcrasta (Jul 29, 2010)

125,000 words, or 2.5 times the size of The Whole World in His Pants which is free for 2 more hours.

However, if you're not ever going to read the big one, try the small one--it will give you a taste of the whole.


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## Richardcrasta (Jul 29, 2010)

The New York Times called it "an American novel"--well, that's their opinion. Others described it as "encapsulating the feelings of an entire generation of Indian men." No matter what other Indian novel you have read, you will get something different from this one.


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## Richardcrasta (Jul 29, 2010)

No idea why I forgot about this book: 9 years of work, 4 novels in one as novelists Denise Gess and Monica Wood said.

"Sex clears pimples, which are the body's protest against insufficient sex or none."


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## Richardcrasta (Jul 29, 2010)

Again, amazed that I forgot to bring this book to your attention. 9 years of work and love, sacrificing much, and also, then, the love and trust of my wife at the time. Around 25,000 copies sold, some passed around to friends and reread.

It is a big book, starts in a leisurely manner, but I think it will reward your patience, and your gracious indulgence.


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## Richardcrasta (Jul 29, 2010)

"You'll laugh, you'll cry . . . you'll savor each page."-Review.

I hope you feel the same as the reviewer. 
thanks!


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## Richardcrasta (Jul 29, 2010)

JFK, Jackie, the Beatles, world politics, East and West, growing up, mothers and cooking, an eclectic novel. Please take a chance, regardless of the sample.


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## Richardcrasta (Jul 29, 2010)

World events, politics, humanity, sex, and the uncensored life of an Indian boy growing into manhood.
Price reduced only on AMAZON KINDLE for a 1-3 days to $4.95


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## Richardcrasta (Jul 29, 2010)

On sale again on Amazon Kindle and Nook for $4.99. Just 2-3 days.

By far my best book, so my readers think . . . I hope you try it. Thanks!


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## Richardcrasta (Jul 29, 2010)

On Amazon Kindle with a glorious new cover.
I hope you like it.
Richard


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## Richardcrasta (Jul 29, 2010)

The novel has a beautiful new cover by Kathleen Valentine, and I hope you try it. Nuns, Jesuits, Jackie Kennedy, a blonde editor, an American dream, Catholicism, the search for meaning, fatherhood, understanding one's father: it is a book that has touched many.


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## Richardcrasta (Jul 29, 2010)

2-day sale on the Nook and Kindle!
This book is 4 novels in one: so said Monica Wood and Denise Gess, novelists.


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## Richardcrasta (Jul 29, 2010)

Wow, what happened? Did I just forget about this novel? It was just a very busy July/August, including travel across 12 time zones! Take a chance, it will surprise you. The book has had tons of good reviews.


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## Richardcrasta (Jul 29, 2010)

The price has been lowered on most platforms . . . and a special price in India for a few days more.

Take a chance--once you enter beyond the first few chapters, it's going to make you laugh out loud while riding the bus or subway . . . as one reader confessed.


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## Richardcrasta (Jul 29, 2010)

Spectacular reviews. A book to read slowly, and again and again. Price will be raised soon.

Reviews at: http://bit.ly/TWPx5e 
and: http://bit.ly/eFzXjn


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## Richardcrasta (Jul 29, 2010)

3-day sale, price reduced on this big, laugh-out loud novel.


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## Richardcrasta (Jul 29, 2010)

Last day and a quarter for my Smashwords sale on The Revised Kama Sutra and 2 other books:

The Revised Kama Sutra: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/26314
Promotional price: $3.50
Coupon Code: SS55S
Expires: September 30, 2012

IMPRESSING THE WHITES https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/52468
Promotional price: $3.50
Coupon Code: AK47X
Expires: September 30, 2012

THE KILLING OF AN AUTHOR: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/156727
Promotional price: $2.50
Coupon Code: TG76Y
Expires: September 30, 2012


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## Richardcrasta (Jul 29, 2010)

Sorry, the recent formatting error that crept into the Kindle edition is now corrected. Please enjoy the book on all platforms, including Nook and Kobo.


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## Richardcrasta (Jul 29, 2010)

On sale at Kindle for 3.99 nearly half off from 6.99


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## Richardcrasta (Jul 29, 2010)

May I humbly suggest that this big and complex novel could make a great Diwali gift or Christmas gift: HarperCollins called it a classic, it was recommended by Lonely Planet, and has received over 50 positive or rave reviews from various sources.


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## Richardcrasta (Jul 29, 2010)

Mumbai, India, Mangalore, Lucknow, Calcutta . . . a big, sexy book about India and the world.


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## Richardcrasta (Jul 29, 2010)

Trust Kurt, he's a master. Trust those who have read the book. Disregard all else, including the blurb.


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## Richardcrasta (Jul 29, 2010)

Of all my books, this is the one I recommend most--and so do most readers. It starts slowly, but once you pass through the first chapter, you are in for a real ride.

thanks!


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## Richardcrasta (Jul 29, 2010)

My best work . . . thanks for your support.


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## Richardcrasta (Jul 29, 2010)

Cheers, wherever you are, have a nice day/night.


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## Richardcrasta (Jul 29, 2010)

Cheers again, after a long hiatus; the book needs you!


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## Richardcrasta (Jul 29, 2010)

Back here after another long hiatus. 

You'll love chapters such as "City of Nawabs"--which, unfortunately, are deep inside the book. But much else too.

Take a chance. Vonnegut liked it, and it was published in 10 countries. thanks!


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## Richardcrasta (Jul 29, 2010)

Around 7 of the best chapters of this novel--funny, juicy, strong, non-pc--are in THE WHOLE WORLD IN HIS PANTS which is free today at 
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B006FJNV9M


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## Richardcrasta (Jul 29, 2010)

Hello, after a long break. Once again . . . I hope you enjoy this. Once you get past the first few chapters, you are unlikely to stop (what readers have told me).


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## Richardcrasta (Jul 29, 2010)

Here it is, again.
Published in 10 countries, in 15 editions--that's 15 separate editors who chose to publish this book, sometimes in translation.


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## Richardcrasta (Jul 29, 2010)

Nuns, priests, repressed Indians, the Kama Sutra, and the American dream: an explosive cocktail.


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## Richardcrasta (Jul 29, 2010)

Happy May to all.


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## Richardcrasta (Jul 29, 2010)

Happy Mothers Day.


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## Richardcrasta (Jul 29, 2010)

Republished by HarperCollins India as a "classic."


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## Richardcrasta (Jul 29, 2010)

By far my best value as a book, and you'll learn much about India and the Third World mind in the process. You might have to get past a few pages to get to the chocolate cake . . . but I do hope it's not just chocolate cake!


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## Richardcrasta (Jul 29, 2010)

Half off on Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/26314

My best and widely praised novel: 
Promotional price: $3.50
Coupon Code: WG69Y
Expires: June 30, 2013

Thank you!


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## Richardcrasta (Jul 29, 2010)

My best-loved book by far, published in countries and cultures as different as Latvia, Israel, and Singapore.


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## Richardcrasta (Jul 29, 2010)

It's at $4.99, now, but still the best value among my books for its size and range of subjects: boyhood, adolescence, manhood, East and West, history, politics, India, America, the American Dream, class, colonialism, Catholicism, sexuality. And for its humor and its poignant moments. It helped to have a publisher like Penguin publish it as a hardcover and then a paperback, and also to have Fourth Estate do the same; the book has had cross-cultural appeal, with readers in Latvia of all places.


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## Richardcrasta (Jul 29, 2010)

The novel was republished as "a classic" by HarperCollins India, and has been published by at least 12 separate editors/publishers. I was recently on a 45-minute interview on India's national TV network, partly to speak about the re-launch of the novel, and the interview was rebroadcast a few times.

It is a big book, and readers will see in it "a different India, a surprising India, a refreshing India"--as my British editor John Saddler described it.


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## Richardcrasta (Jul 29, 2010)

Still here, at a modest price: poignant childhood moments, universal teenage blues, and adulthood--all with a perspective and humor that you do not see in any other Indian novel. 
"A startling India"--said Publishing News, UK.
"A comic timing never seen in any Indian novel to date."--Indian Express


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## Richardcrasta (Jul 29, 2010)

I am touched that this novel has been translated into six languages--including Latvian, Hebrew, German, and Italian--and that people from distant cultures have been able to relate to its story, humor, and language. I imagine the German translation must have been the most difficult--a good deal of my humor (which is just one element in the book) relies on wordplay, which is not easy to translate.


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## Richardcrasta (Jul 29, 2010)

My biggest and most widely published book, described by Publishing News, UK, as "an entertaining romp, a startling change from A Suitable Boy . . .etc."


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## Richardcrasta (Jul 29, 2010)

An Indian boy grows up, reads Saul Bellow and Somerset Maugham, decides to become a writer . . . and many things else. How many of these goals will he achieve, and what will he discover during his quest?


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## Richardcrasta (Jul 29, 2010)

excerpts:
Mainn spent half her time walking us to the town’s dozen or so churches, including Rosario, the Capuchin Friary, Angelore, the Church of the Silent Nuns, and especially to the sadomasochistic Jeppoo Church: magical oases, quiet, soaring, garishly colourful, sad, cruel — the setting for daily breastbeating about the gory tortures of Christ and how each one of us was personally responsible for those nails and thorns tearing into that poor, poor, bloody flesh, so weren’t we ashamed and couldn’t we stop sinning so miserably and hurting Him? Fat and bald padres in glittering silk costumes with golden embroidery whispered furtive, magical Latin words while conspiratorially bent over the host, as if guarding it and the magic mantras from pilfering agents of the devil. It was an impressive performance, but between shows Mainn often packed in a casual visit or two for a one-on-one with Christ: Jesus loved unexpected guests.
Tucked into the waist-fold of Mainn’s sari, besides her snuff pouch, were a large white handkerchief, and an extra-large rosary — the last to remind a possibly shortsighted Grim Reaper that she was one of the extra faithful. She also carried about a second rosary, a technological marvel to us because of its alleged coating of radium and its luminescence in the dark, and extra-holy for being manufactured or blessed in Lourdes; and this upscale Ultimate Portable Digital Mini-Rosary she fingered at the oddest moments all day long, snatching every ounce of radium-painted grace she possibly could while there was still time to jack up her heavenly numbers.


Later:

Ah, passion! Mangaloreans were big on passion — the Passion of Christ, that is. Other institutions or products that might easily have flourished in Mangalore: Passion fruit, Golgotha Hotel, The Whey of the Cross, Barabbas Detective Company, Roses with Crown of Thorns (no extra charge). This passion for pain could be gleaned from the Retreat House, whose grounds bustled with statues reflecting gory, sadistic tableaux of the Passion of Christ or the torture of saints. These crudely coloured statues, in their thousands, poured forth from the factory of a statue-maker named Pedraab, going out to nunneries, retreat houses, parochial schools et al. Their advertising slogan could have been “Pedraab gives good pain for your money”; for only the groans on the faces seemed persuasive; the smiles, if any, were as corny as the advertisements for Monkey Brand tooth powder, which showed a monkey brushing his sparkling teeth. The message was simple: mankind was on the brink of being condemned to eternal damnation, and the only chance of escaping this general fate was to be as grim and mournful as possible, while begging and praying for mercy.


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## Richardcrasta (Jul 29, 2010)

This novel has received some passionate reviews, and has resulted in many television and newspaper interviews.


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## Richardcrasta (Jul 29, 2010)

Still my best book, if you have a little patience and get through the first few chapters; or, if you love language, wordplay, and stories of growing up. Incidentally, I recently read "Angela's Ashes" (I recommend it highly), and it reminded me of my own book, and my childhood. There is something about a Catholic boyhood, at least before religion ceased to be the force that it is now, that is universal.


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## Richardcrasta (Jul 29, 2010)

And also, contains references to John F. Kennedy, the assassination, and Jackie Kennedy.


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## Richardcrasta (Jul 29, 2010)

My bestselling novel, and one that has received by far the most reader response; has also been staged and undergone repeat performances.


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## Richardcrasta (Jul 29, 2010)

Now on sale for $3.99 for a limited time.


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## Richardcrasta (Jul 29, 2010)

More than 25,000 copies sold in paper, in seven languages. Still in print in a couple of countries. Now an e-book on all platforms. "A different India, a surprising India." "an Indian 'Confederacy of Dunces'": Reviews.


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## Richardcrasta (Jul 29, 2010)

Reviewers have complained that this book made them laugh out loud while taking public transportation. Do not read while operating heavy machinery.


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## Richardcrasta (Jul 29, 2010)

Churchill, John F. Kennedy, Jackie Kennedy, Marilyn Monroe, Readers Digest, Time, and the dreams of an Indian boy growing up in the Sixties and Seventies.


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## Richardcrasta (Jul 29, 2010)

Published during the height of Penguin India's liberal and daring phase. David Davidar, my editor, thought it might be banned, but published it anyway.


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## Richardcrasta (Jul 29, 2010)

And, like chocolate cake, best consumed in modest-sized bites.


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## Richardcrasta (Jul 29, 2010)

Two bidders for it in the Czech Republic. Only one got it. One of 12 editions.


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## Richardcrasta (Jul 29, 2010)

Many-layered book about an Indian boy who grows up with an American Dream. Comic as well as poignant.


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## Richardcrasta (Jul 29, 2010)

On sale for just 2-3 days for $2.99 (almost never is that low)!


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## Richardcrasta (Jul 29, 2010)

The book contains, among other things, "The Seven Stages of Unbelief" and "The Five Pillars of Oppression and Folly." Happy Easter!


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## Richardcrasta (Jul 29, 2010)

Title now changed back to its first edition version: "The Revised Kama Sutra: A Novel of Colonialism and Desire."


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## Richardcrasta (Jul 29, 2010)

Love, loss, and insight.


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## Richardcrasta (Jul 29, 2010)

A labor of love. Motherhood, fatherhood, adolescence, coming of age.


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## Richardcrasta (Jul 29, 2010)

Very much a July 4th Novel: independent, uncompromising.


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## Richardcrasta (Jul 29, 2010)

Very rarely goes on sale. My best-reviewed, bestselling novel: $2.99 for 4 days.
Thank you.


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## Richardcrasta (Jul 29, 2010)

Still my most widely published book, in countries from the US to Latvia, Czech Republic, and Singapore.


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## Richardcrasta (Jul 29, 2010)

Enjoy!

_reminder -- one or two word posts are generally not allowed and may be deleted at the moderators' discretion. Please see our Forum Decorum. Thanks -- Ann_


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## Richardcrasta (Jul 29, 2010)

Still my best yet, possibly.


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## Richardcrasta (Jul 29, 2010)

By the way, just in case you're in Rochester or passing through, paperback copies are now available from
WRITERS & BOOKS
University Avenue
Rochester.

These are the original Penguin hardcover and paperback editions. I consider them to be more authentic than the Sunstar hardcover American edition, which I have disowned.


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## Richardcrasta (Jul 29, 2010)

Worth the initial investment (I think/hope): you'll end up with deeper truths about India, human beings, and men, and a different perspective on history.


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## Richardcrasta (Jul 29, 2010)

Hi! "The Real Thing" is one of my favorite chapters in the book.


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## Richardcrasta (Jul 29, 2010)

The novel had a successful run adapted as a play--I just heard that, and I'm thrilled.


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## Richardcrasta (Jul 29, 2010)

Now on Kindle only. And KU.


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## Richardcrasta (Jul 29, 2010)

Now, finally, on KINDLE UNLIMITED. Means that if you wish to try it, you can, for free ... read as much you wish of its 100,000+ words.

Really my best book, if you are patient.


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## Richardcrasta (Jul 29, 2010)

Happy Thanksgiving, all!


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## Richardcrasta (Jul 29, 2010)

And, if you're in KU, you can skip to the best sections ... as this is a growing up novel, not a thriller or plot-driven novel, it won't hurt much if you wish to flip back and forth between the pages.


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## Richardcrasta (Jul 29, 2010)

Still here ... in Kindle Unlimited for a bit longer, then everywhere else.


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## Richardcrasta (Jul 29, 2010)

Sections were read by Tim O'Brien and John Irving, who encouraged me. The book was given a "very funny" by Kurt Vonnegut.


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## Richardcrasta (Jul 29, 2010)

My best book by far ... in most readers' and reviewers' opinions.


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## Richardcrasta (Jul 29, 2010)

Still my richest book ... if you have the patience to stay with it.  Thank you.


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## Richardcrasta (Jul 29, 2010)

Still my best book ... and, as my agent said, one that really takes off a few chapters into the novel.


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## Richardcrasta (Jul 29, 2010)

Some love the boyhood chapters, some the adolescent chapters, some others the American chapters ... and a few love every part of the book. But it's the only book of mine that's been published by 12 editors in ten countries and 14 editions (P.S. 3 of them cheated me of my royalties, but I suppose that's par for the course when you don't have a superpower agent?)


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## Richardcrasta (Jul 29, 2010)

Never before, and never again: my best novel (according to most readers and critics) on sale for 99 cents for 1-2 days ...

Thank you and enjoy!


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## Richardcrasta (Jul 29, 2010)

As different from Indian novels before it as "Americanah" is from African novels before it.


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## Richardcrasta (Jul 29, 2010)

Vladislav Senyrik, a Czech translator/writer, said in an interview that he would have loved to translate "The Revised Kama Sutra," which he described as "a fine novel."


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## Richardcrasta (Jul 29, 2010)

On all platforms now: my best-reviewed and bestselling book.


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## Richardcrasta (Jul 29, 2010)

I was rereading the novel, and though I would make a few small changes if I were writing it now, it had me laughing ... for the nth time. 

Well, that's me ... and warning you that the sample could be deceptive ... the best parts are inside. The writing is what that novel is mostly about.


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## Richardcrasta (Jul 29, 2010)

Not perfect by far, but still my best book ... and the best value (as one editor said, "four books in one".)


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## Richardcrasta (Jul 29, 2010)

A little boy's dream that "children will never be unjustly punished again." The dream is derailed, becomes something else.


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## Richardcrasta (Jul 29, 2010)

Also has my best reviews by far.


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## Richardcrasta (Jul 29, 2010)

Thanks for looking it up. From JFK to the Student Revolution to the American Dream ... a highly varied novel, non-pc, "a startling departure", as "Publishing News"(UK) described it.


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## Richardcrasta (Jul 29, 2010)

Still up there, and still my best: a labor of love.


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## Richardcrasta (Jul 29, 2010)

Recommended by "The Lonely Planet Guide to South India" in its short lists of books by Indian writers.


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## Richardcrasta (Jul 29, 2010)

On all platforms. Sex, passion, literature, and a young Indian growing into manhood.


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## Richardcrasta (Jul 29, 2010)

Still my best book. Wish you a Happy Xmas/holidays and Happy New Year, everyone.


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## Richardcrasta (Jul 29, 2010)

Still my best book, with a variety of styles, moods, subject matter, published in 12 different editions in 10 countries.


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## Richardcrasta (Jul 29, 2010)

Happy Easter.
Lots of laughs about Christianity ... from a lapsed Catholic.


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## Richardcrasta (Jul 29, 2010)

This was republished as a "classic" by HarperCollins India, 17 years after its original release. It continues to be my best book (most widely published and reviewed), took me 7 years to write (I was working for part of the time). 

It has an American section that give a view of America from the point of view of the American underclass.


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## Richardcrasta (Jul 29, 2010)

On all major platforms, including Google Play: my most widely published novel (10 countries, 7 languages in print).


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## Richardcrasta (Jul 29, 2010)

Has had a successful run as a play in New Delhi, and just made its debut in Mumbai.

Hooray!


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## Richardcrasta (Jul 29, 2010)

Richardcrasta said:


> This was republished as a "classic" by HarperCollins India, 17 years after its original release. It continues to be my best book (most widely published and reviewed), took me 7 years to write (I was working for part of the time).
> 
> It has an American section that give a view of America from the point of view of the American underclass.


The New York Times described it as an "American" novel. But it is mainly about India.


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