Book Review: 50 Cups of Coffee by Khushnuma Daruwala

Name of the book: 50 Cups of Coffee
Name of the author: Khushnuma Daruwala
Length of the book: 224 pages
Rating: 2 out of 5

In a world that is yet to explore the internet, Khushnuma Daruwala’s non-fiction book deals with the hardships of a 30-something woman named Dia. A written account of her journey of 50 long cups of coffee, moving forward with the hope of meeting Mr. Right. However, going by the story, the journey is more about catching hold of Mr. Perfect, rather than finding Mr. Right.

The protagonist narrates her story in a semi-autobiographical method, where she and Poppy (her best friend) hop onto the dating bandwagon. The narrative is set in the early years of the internet dating phenomenon, where chat rooms and meeting new friends was a rising trend. Dia deals with the hardships of meeting strangers, trying her luck at speed dating, and surviving in a conservative society.

The first 100 pages comprise of intense man-hating, with Dia having to deal with all kinds of men that ultimately fail at becoming an eligible match, whilst crushing on men she can’t have. Also, speaking about the importance of the book titled ‘He’s Just Not That Into You’ and how it is a real life-saver for the ones looking to date.

As the journey folds out, the protagonist slowly begins to address her own traits and how all the hate, has slowly turned herself into being one of them. Amidst all the wisdom about dating that pours out towards the end, the story experiences several occasions of forced sarcasm and exaggerated humour. Along with some beautiful metaphors that get lost, in the many others that seem redundant, breaking the plot at some points.

Overall ’50 Cups of Coffee’ gets 2 out of 5, since it merely states the observations, commentary and thoughts that run through Dia’s head, with only a slight hint of any mention about the emotional touch behind these dates. However, if you're interested in knowing about the details behind internet dating, and finding the perfect match through matrimonial sites, 50 Cups of Coffee is just the right pick.

Special thanks to Flipkart for sending this copy of '50 Cups of Coffee'.