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jackalop3's review
dark
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
daniellewalsh's review
4.0
At the start I found it difficult to get round the Ishwari/I change in narrative. I understood that it was self-referential but still found it jarring at times. Once I got into the groove of it though, I found it a really interesting way of getting the character’s thoughts and feelings across in retrospect.
This narrative allows the split of female identity to be portrayed, as Ishwari struggles with her identity as a mother, wanting to run away from that responsibility and life. When she finds her son has followed her she is forced to continue to care for him and provide for him as he becomes increasingly ill, whilst wanting to continue living her own life
It’s interesting to read about Ishwari’s lack of want of the position of motherhood, whilst seeing the childlike innocence of Roo. Ishwari was forced into the world, unwanted, with society saying his soul needed to be saved, but he ended up living a life of pain and suffering.
It’s a hard hitting one, and another book that I’m very glad Tilted Axis have in their collection.
This narrative allows the split of female identity to be portrayed, as Ishwari struggles with her identity as a mother, wanting to run away from that responsibility and life. When she finds her son has followed her she is forced to continue to care for him and provide for him as he becomes increasingly ill, whilst wanting to continue living her own life
It’s interesting to read about Ishwari’s lack of want of the position of motherhood, whilst seeing the childlike innocence of Roo. Ishwari was forced into the world, unwanted, with society saying his soul needed to be saved, but he ended up living a life of pain and suffering.
It’s a hard hitting one, and another book that I’m very glad Tilted Axis have in their collection.
whatiread's review
challenging
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
qomareads's review
4.0
I was dreading the ending of this book because deep down I already knew what will happen to dear lovely Roo. I’ll come back with proper review.
thatothernigeriangirl's review
challenging
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
3.5 stars
Another book that I forced myself not to cry over till I couldn’t hold it in at the last page
Another book that I forced myself not to cry over till I couldn’t hold it in at the last page
lauren_endnotes's review
4.0
"I am a lover of the night, a woman who roves in the dark... I have no expectations of dawn. Dawn signifies transparency, trustworthiness - dawn means the end of all mystery, or all romance. But tonight my inclinations have changed. Mine, or Ishwari's?"
From ABANDON by Sangeetha Bandyopadhyay, translated from the Bengali by Arunava Sinha, 2013 / 2017 by @tiltedaxisbooks
#ReadtheWorld21
From ABANDON by Sangeetha Bandyopadhyay, translated from the Bengali by Arunava Sinha, 2013 / 2017 by @tiltedaxisbooks
#ReadtheWorld21
naddie_reads's review
slow-paced
4.0
Abandon is one of those books that is hard to classify, even after I've left my thoughts to stew overnight. It is a story about motherhood and the burden society puts on widows or single mothers, as it delves into the ways in which society has provided no safety nets for these women to fall back on. With little to no help forthcoming and inefficient bureaucracy issues obstructing the women's fight for survival (for themselves and/or their children), it's no wonder mothers inevitably opt for the "easiest" choice in order to live -- hence the title.
The novel is written with an interesting perspective, and the technique of separating Ishwari-the-character and Ishwari's consciousness into two separate characters sort of brings to mind the Japanese's "i-novel" literary fiction genre when it comes to the choice of narrators in charge of this story. In this way, the novel also discusses the issue of art vs. empathy, where an argument is made that the art we see
The novel is written with an interesting perspective, and the technique of separating Ishwari-the-character and Ishwari's consciousness into two separate characters sort of brings to mind the Japanese's "i-novel" literary fiction genre when it comes to the choice of narrators in charge of this story. In this way, the novel also discusses the issue of art vs. empathy, where an argument is made that the art we see
vis-à-vis literature only exists to put itself forward first and foremost, and thus art will oftentimes make use of its subjects (e.g. poverty, motherhood) to elicit sympathy or empathy ultimately for its own gain. When the objective of art for art's sake has been satisfied, the subjects of these studies are then set aside and abandoned in favor of the next art project.
Lastly: Poor, poor Roo -- while I felt a lot of things towards Ishwari and her (non-)choices, there's no denying the impact of these choices on the poor child, even as his mother tries her best. That ending definitely made a lasting impression on me. In short, this was a poignant read.
Lastly: Poor, poor Roo -- while I felt a lot of things towards Ishwari and her (non-)choices, there's no denying the impact of these choices on the poor child, even as his mother tries her best. That ending definitely made a lasting impression on me. In short, this was a poignant read.
ruthie_'s review against another edition
challenging
dark
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75