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3.94 AVERAGE
3.94 AVERAGE
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
DNF - got halfway
TW - Child Abuse
I’ve never really reviewed books I dnf but since I got about half way through I thought I would share my thoughts and count it towards my good reads goal lol
I loved the writing in this book, the author has such amazing control over her writing and characters and it felt like I was in this haze of memories and storytelling . I also really liked how rich with Indian culture this book is and as someone who loves history, I really liked having to look up the historical context of the book and learning about certain aspects of South Indian culture and society .
the issue I kept having was that the book Jumps back and forth in time constantly, I don’t really have an issue when it’s done right but it felt like we were going back and forth way too many times to the point where the actual main story was not progressing. Although The structure of the book was interesting, I just thought it was way too slow and What led to me to dnf was the really graphic descriptions of child abuse that came out of nowhere. Although I’m sure this book is loved by many, I just don’t really think it’s one that I am willing to continue.
TW - Child Abuse
I’ve never really reviewed books I dnf but since I got about half way through I thought I would share my thoughts and count it towards my good reads goal lol
I loved the writing in this book, the author has such amazing control over her writing and characters and it felt like I was in this haze of memories and storytelling . I also really liked how rich with Indian culture this book is and as someone who loves history, I really liked having to look up the historical context of the book and learning about certain aspects of South Indian culture and society .
the issue I kept having was that the book Jumps back and forth in time constantly, I don’t really have an issue when it’s done right but it felt like we were going back and forth way too many times to the point where the actual main story was not progressing. Although The structure of the book was interesting, I just thought it was way too slow and What led to me to dnf was the really graphic descriptions of child abuse that came out of nowhere. Although I’m sure this book is loved by many, I just don’t really think it’s one that I am willing to continue.
challenging
dark
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Did I enjoy this book? No, but it did make me feel a lot of things.
Anger was the main emotion. Confusion too, as I struggled with the timeline of the plot. Even if the author had just dated each chapter that would have improved my reading experience.
This book makes me glad I'm in a book club as I think the discussion will be really interesting.
Also, the end!!!
Anger was the main emotion. Confusion too, as I struggled with the timeline of the plot. Even if the author had just dated each chapter that would have improved my reading experience.
This book makes me glad I'm in a book club as I think the discussion will be really interesting.
Also, the end!!!
emotional
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The things I didn’t like about this book—the slow pacing, the nonlinear plot, the meandering prose—are what contributed to it being so critically accompanied, but those are just my preferences. This book also reveals what I already knew from reading some of Roy’s nonfiction work: she has a sharp and scathing analysis of the conditions that have led to the polycrisis, and I find that much more interesting in essay format.
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
despite the timeline being all over the place, the writing is so gripping that you always want to keep reading to get to the ending. i loved the child-like perspective, the new words and the phrasing, all of it made the book feel very immersive. the plot also has you in a chokehold, there's so much foreshadowing, but at the same time, the story isn't plot-driven, it focuses more on the characters.
Unique, dark and in many ways broken. The language is Beautiful. Otherwise definitely a five star read, but the way fat people were portrayed—no thanks.
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The God Of Small Things is a novel written by indian writer Arundhati Roy. It won the 1997 Booker prize. It is a work of domestic fiction and is centered around a family living in the town of a fictional town called Ayemenem in Kerela, India. The narrative follows a non linear structure as the chapters alternate between past and present.
Now i must say. The novel is really beautifully written. The prose is dense and descriptive but also very evocative and luscious, detailing every small things just like the theme of this novel which is that every small things contributes to history in a major way and a even a small incident can have lasting consequences in a person's life.
The novel depicts issues that plague india like caste system, colonialism and love laws which dictates who should be loved and how much. It also very beautifully showcases how the children's world is different from adult's world and how the actions of adults impacts innocent children in the long run.
The book is sharp, piercing and gorgeous. The prose is so so beautiful that even in the heartbreaking scenes i didn't know whether to be sad or just marvel at how beautifully it's written. Although Arundhati Roy often polarizes people with her views in india, there's is no doubt that she is a master of craft. This book that she has written is a piece of art and it clearly deserves all the praise that it receives. Just marvelous. I haven't read anything like this before.
The phrase "A banquet for all senses" is a perfect compliment for this book because the writer evokes such gorgeous imagery of Ayemenem and the surrounding area that the reader will smell the fragrance of wet earth and will feel the heaviness of hot and humid weather.
The book perfectly captures the state of the country and the mentality of the citizens post colonialism with sharp precision and sometimes with a pinch of humour. Every line of this book serves a purpose and it is written so poetically that it gives every other book a run for it's money.
Quite simply one of the best books i've ever read.
Now i must say. The novel is really beautifully written. The prose is dense and descriptive but also very evocative and luscious, detailing every small things just like the theme of this novel which is that every small things contributes to history in a major way and a even a small incident can have lasting consequences in a person's life.
The novel depicts issues that plague india like caste system, colonialism and love laws which dictates who should be loved and how much. It also very beautifully showcases how the children's world is different from adult's world and how the actions of adults impacts innocent children in the long run.
The book is sharp, piercing and gorgeous. The prose is so so beautiful that even in the heartbreaking scenes i didn't know whether to be sad or just marvel at how beautifully it's written. Although Arundhati Roy often polarizes people with her views in india, there's is no doubt that she is a master of craft. This book that she has written is a piece of art and it clearly deserves all the praise that it receives. Just marvelous. I haven't read anything like this before.
The phrase "A banquet for all senses" is a perfect compliment for this book because the writer evokes such gorgeous imagery of Ayemenem and the surrounding area that the reader will smell the fragrance of wet earth and will feel the heaviness of hot and humid weather.
The book perfectly captures the state of the country and the mentality of the citizens post colonialism with sharp precision and sometimes with a pinch of humour. Every line of this book serves a purpose and it is written so poetically that it gives every other book a run for it's money.
Quite simply one of the best books i've ever read.
This is the first book I read of Roy and I beat myself up for not knowing her earlier. There is a way, Indian authors write that fills their sentences with the smell of nature and familiarity. I often miss that in English writer. May be it is because I am from sub-continent that it seems "oh so mine" but I like it.
Roy won me over with her carefully crafted prose. I loved her analogies and savoured her paragraphs. In this book, she told us the story of a family and now that I just finished it and pieced it all together, I realised, any other way, this wouldn't come across as gripping as she made it so.
I would highly recommend it to people who love good prose and well-written stories.
Roy, you rock!
Roy won me over with her carefully crafted prose. I loved her analogies and savoured her paragraphs. In this book, she told us the story of a family and now that I just finished it and pieced it all together, I realised, any other way, this wouldn't come across as gripping as she made it so.
I would highly recommend it to people who love good prose and well-written stories.
Roy, you rock!
I wasn’t in the right mood or mind space to read this right now.