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deedireads's review against another edition
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
I read Western Lane because it was shortlisted for the Booker Prize, and I enjoyed it. It’s a very quiet, interior novel that packs a punch much bigger than its slim size might suggest. At first glance, this is a coming of age novel about a girl named Gopi who plays squash, but really, it’s much more about a family dealing with grief as told through that girl’s eyes.
The emotional power of the book comes not from what is said by the characters, but by their silences, their unfinished sentences. On the one hand, I found this to be really impressive (and effective) from a craft perspective; on the other, I thought Gopi’s powers of observation made her feel much older than she was supposed to be (eleven years old). Sure, she was only noticing limited interactions, but her gaze was also focused enough that it led the audience to understand a great deal. In the end, though, this was a minor complaint; there’s no denying that Maroo is an ultra-talented writer and I’ll be interested to see what she does next.
The emotional power of the book comes not from what is said by the characters, but by their silences, their unfinished sentences. On the one hand, I found this to be really impressive (and effective) from a craft perspective; on the other, I thought Gopi’s powers of observation made her feel much older than she was supposed to be (eleven years old). Sure, she was only noticing limited interactions, but her gaze was also focused enough that it led the audience to understand a great deal. In the end, though, this was a minor complaint; there’s no denying that Maroo is an ultra-talented writer and I’ll be interested to see what she does next.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Grief, and Death
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