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4.34 AVERAGE
4.34 AVERAGE
I really enjoyed this, although it took me a while to get through it. It wasn't one of those 'rattle through at a rate of knots' books. It was more one to savour. It's about four very different people who come to live together in a small flat in a big city in India in the mid-70s: Dina, a middle-aged widow striving for her independence from her overbearing brother, Maneck, a young university student, and Omprakash and Ishvar, two tailors from a low caste who have come to the city from their small village to earn money and escape persecution. It's wonderful to see how all these people relate to each other, moving from distrust into friendship and back again. It's populated with a host of wonderful vivid minor characters who pop in and out of the narrative. And it's very very sad. I'd definitely recommend it.
So. Incredibly. Sad. There's only a short section of the story that is hopeful.
It's important to know what life was like for people in lower castes in India in the '40s - '80s, I guess, but if sad stories will get you down, you should probably give this one a pass.
It's important to know what life was like for people in lower castes in India in the '40s - '80s, I guess, but if sad stories will get you down, you should probably give this one a pass.
This is a difficult book to read. If you want a happy story, find something else. But, it is beautifully written, the characters are wonderfully diverse and believable. It was one of those stories where I just had to keep reading to find out what eventually happened to them. I so desperately wanted them to be happy. The ending was very hard for me to take. That being said, I still recommend it. All stories aren't happy.
Great book - highlights the sad reality and the sad truth, so I think because of this I was disappointed at the end but still enjoyed the book.
There was a bit in the middle when I was interested in this, but mostly I found it dull and rambling, and exactly why the kind of book I hate. Droning, full of tragedy for the sake of tragedy and just when you start to like someone, they get killed, or say, castrated against their will (???!!!)
This has such great reviews but I wouldn't recommend it to anyone.
This has such great reviews but I wouldn't recommend it to anyone.
I cannot yet fully describe why I loved this book. It is so heartbreaking and tragic but the relationships and the people are beautiful.
I have to admit, I didn't have high hopes going into this, as it sounded like it might be somewhat on the boring side. Turns out, it was actually surprisingly good. Probably not for the squeamish though...
Loved this book to death. It's savage detail of Indian poverty will kill you.
