Kaavya In The Kitchen

One would like to bring to the attention of the editors of the Harvard Crimson that it isn’t just Sophie Kinsella, Salman Rushdie and Megan McCafferty whom Kaavya Vishwanathan has been inspired by. That woman has also been plagiarising freely from one’s own kitchen. Here are ten incontrovertible examples:

* The carton of orange juice says, “Shake well”. On page 193 of the book, when Opal is learning dance moves for the prom, her boyfriend advises her to “shake well”.

* An inscription on the box of processed cheese says, “Refrigerate after opening”. On page 43 of the book, Opal goes to her “refrigerator” and thinks about “opening” a can of soda.

* The wrapper of a brand of biscuits proclaims, “Fresh and wholesome”. On page 112 of the book, Opal slaps an admirer for attempting to be “fresh”, and then, in the next line itself, her looks are described as “wholesome”.

* The word “and” appears 14 times on the bottle of dishwashing fluid. The word “and” appears 6,542 times in Kaavya’s book. Coincidence?

* The bottle of mustard is described as “piquant”. On page 14, the language of a sophomore is described as “piquant”.

* The milk carton has the word, “homogenized” on it. On page 12 of the book, a group of students seeking admission to Harvard are described as “homogenized”.

* The peanut butter next to the mustard is described as “chunky”. On page 252 of the book, Opal’s best friend Sapphire goes on a diet because Opal calls her thighs “chunky”.

* “Kenwood” is the logo on the toaster. On page 43, we meet Opal’s classmate, “Ken”, whose father plays golf with a No. 9 “wood”.

* The slab of chocolate is termed “rich and creamy”. On page 68, shortly after Opal tries a new brand of moisturizer, her skin is described as feeling “rich and creamy”

*The set of kitchen knives has the word “Sheffield” inscribed on the back. On page 184 of the book, Opal’s English cousin, Bert, comes to visit them from “Sheffield”. His intelligence is “as sharp as a knife”.