Reviews

Tamas by Bhisham Sahni

poorrniimma's review

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

sparrowgirl's review

challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

insayn's review

dark reflective sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

prateekdwv's review

emotional informative sad tense medium-paced

4.0

ron_roy's review

dark reflective tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? N/A
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

ish_is_great's review

dark emotional slow-paced

4.0

maittrix's review

dark emotional sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

I got this feeling while reading this historical fiction novel that time is a circle. All events are doomed to be repeated because humankind is behind those events. There is no such thing as change and progress because we are all so irreparably human that we are bound to repeat past mistakes.
Tamas means ignorance or darkness of thought and this book deals with events unfolding in a pre-independent Indian village where communal tensions have been purposely made to arise. It deals with the trauma that may be fictionalized but is all too real in light of many riots that have taken place in India before, during and after Partition. 
There are a variety of characters from all walks of life and everyone is affected, the poor and the minorities more so than others. The book displays the callousness of the colonial British with an interesting character of the Deputy Commissioner. The number of characters makes it hard to take a deep dive into everyone but they still feel like real people with real motivations and fears. 
I don't think I'll ever forget this book and what this book seeks to exhibit about the human impulses, constantly warring with the instinct to live by rules within the confines of a society and the need to establish supremacy over others by any means necessary. A must read for everyone, especially Indians seeking to understand our previous generations' trauma a little bit better.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide and Murder

santreads's review against another edition

5.0

What. A. Beautiful. Book.

Loved every aspect of it. Beautifully written and depicted.

More coming soon.

ditiacharya's review

challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

oliviashleigh's review

dark emotional sad medium-paced

• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No