The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel

by Deborah Moggach

The book that inspired the box office hit The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel and this year’s The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel starring Judi Dench, Maggie Smith, Bill Nighy, Celia Imrie, Dev Patel and Penelope Wilton

Enticed by advertisements for a luxury retirement home in India, a group of strangers leave England to begin a new life.

On arrival, however, they discover the palace is a shell of its former self, the staff are more than a little eccentric and the days of the Raj appear to be long gone.

But, as they soon discover, life and love can begin again, even in the most unexpected circumstances.

Previously published with the title These Foolish Things

• ISBN10: 0099572028
• ISBN13: 9780099572022
• Publish Date: 16 February 2012 (first published 1 January 2012)
• Publish Status: Out of Print
• Out of Print: 10 August 2021
• Publish Country: GB
• Imprint: Vintage
• Edition: Film Tie-In
• Format: Paperback (B-Format (198x129 mm))
• Pages: 304
• Language: English

Reviews

[clairelm]

I read this having watched the film when it came out last year. I love the film and was hoping that the book would live up to my expectations.
Unfortunately, it didn't. I tried to enjoy it, I really did, but I just couldn't really.
The beginning section of the book felt drawn out and waffling in places which made the book really difficult to get into. It seemed to take forever to get going and to pick up any pace at all.
I found the characters two dimensional and a bit insipid. They didn't interest me enough to make me fall in love with them and certainly showed none of the life that the film versions had.
The final thing that put me off was the vulgarity of some of the characters and the descriptions of things they did. It seemed far too much a focus of the book rather than the pleasant episodes which were almost rushed past.
Technically, the book was a good read, it is well edited and put together. Unfortunately, the story let it down.
Maybe I just had the bar set too high having seen the film first but I have to admit, if I'd read the book first, I wouldn't have bothered to see the film.