Book Review: ‘Gooday Nagar’ by Maithreyi Karnoor

Book Title: Gooday Nagar
Author: Maithreyi Karnoor
Publisher: Tranquebar
Number of Pages: 256
ISBN: 937197026X
Date Published: Feb. 23, 2026
Price: INR 310

Book Review

“Gooday Nagar” by Maithreyi Karnoor paints a vivid, quirky portrait of urban India through interconnected stories set in a chaotic city that feels like every Indian metropolis rolled into one. The lives of its women—disillusioned playwrights, vacuum-cleaner salesmen, and ghosts without arms—unfold amid the disruptions of the Covid pandemic, mended oddly by thieving monkeys and everyday absurdities. It’s a tender reminder of how fragility binds us, evoking a quiet ache for the characters’ resilience. The thematic connection between ‘Gooday Nagar’ by Maithreyi Karnoor and Vinod Kumar Shukla’s ‘Blue Is Blue’ lies in their shared emotional portrait of ordinary lives disrupted by modernity’s chaos, yet sustained by quiet, resilient absurdities.

Maithreyi Karnoor writes with deep feeling about how modern cities flatten everything—think tacky malls, wild traffic, and lakes disappearing—with a soft longing that pulls at your heart.

Check out our latest Book Reviews

Stories of old revolutionaries afraid of gobhi manchurian or sweet soan papdi meetings show our funny, human side that stays with you, making you smile and cry over what we all share. The book feels like a short slice of real life from pandemic days, pushing us to hold tight to quick, passing bonds.

However, despite its whimsical charm, the book occasionally shifts into unconnected narratives that leave emotional threads hanging and that readers wish for closure. Nevertheless, “Gooday Nagar” stands out as a must-read, combining sharpness and heart into a reflection of India’s changing spirit.

Books are love!

Get a copy now!