The cover page of Weight Loss has a powerful one-liner that reads thus: “A comedy of sexual and spiritual degradation”. Well sexual and spiritual degradation yes, but expecting this book to provide any kind of understated comic relief will be equal to undermining other books in that genre.

This book is certainly not the kinds you would like to display on the same shelf where you have the likes of The Last Burden or Mammaries of a Welfare State showcased. So, if you are expecting to find generous helpings of humor, you are in for a big disappointment. The idea of losing weight is a far cry in Weight Loss, perhaps Chatterjee’s least popular book till date.

All that Weight Loss explores is sexuality and its manifold manifestations through the experiences and fantasies of Bhola, the central character in this inexplicably disjointed novel. It blatantly discusses sex. All depictions here are devoid of any subtlety, beauty, or imagination. Whether Bhola, the protagonist derives a sadistic pleasure through his multiple (eight to be precise!) sexual liaisons or indulges in these clandestine encounters simply to while away his time is difficult to decipher.

You may wonder if Bhola is a sex maniac when he smirks wryly at the plight of the poor couple (a vegetable seller and her husband) who satisfy his sexual pangs, when his perverted mind has a fixation for the landlady, when he has an eye on the family cook, and when he fantasizes about his sports teacher. Bhola does not show any preferences when it comes to sex. He is equally forthcoming and blunt in all his relationships and does not get emotionally attached to anyone. The subject is gawky and the treatment is blasé. So the story or the characters do not move you.

You would neither feel love, hatred, nor empathy for the sexual deviant. What is surprising is that the author does not make any attempt to explain Bhola’s behavior pattern. So one actually has no clue as to what triggers off his extreme obsession with sex. The story is not convincing at all — the situations are neither practical nor believable.

At the end of the story when Bhola breathes his last, you will not even pity him. The only emotions he may evoke in your mind are anger and disgust. I for one was happy that the story finally came to an end, not a logical one though. A lot has been written about Chatterjee’s mastery over black humor. But he does not toy with that idea in this piece at all.

The only redeeming quality in Weight Loss is the author’s writing style — suave and articulate. However, at times the language used is vulgar and sans any literary flavor. It may actually prompt you to turn back to the cover page and verify the name of the novelist before you proceed. Beyond Chatterjee’s name, the book falls flat. It is devoid of any depth, purpose, or even a meaningful backdrop. After the first two chapters, I was wondering why I was still reading the book! Had it not been for my ardent adulation for the author, I would not have reached the last page. A very forgettable book, perhaps you would want to revise your knowledge on The Last Burden to refresh your mind.