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4.34 AVERAGE
4.34 AVERAGE
Completely absorbing saga set in India between 1974 to 1984 when the Prime Minister was trying to clear up the slums. Well drawn characters who stay with you. Moving ending. Still our Book Group’s top rated book after 10 years!
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-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:
Yes
I read this book years and years ago and suddenly thought of it this morning, out of the blue, so I was moved to post a review here. I am not normally a reader of literary fiction. I normally read genre fiction - romance and fantasy typically. So the fact that I read and enjoyed this book speaks volumes of just how good it is. The biggest point about this book is that it stays with you for LOOONG after you've read it. It's the sort of book you'll never forget. There are parts that are so traumatic that they will haunt you. But it is a profound book, exposing the injustices of poverty, and the caste system, with elegance, grace and subtlety. The characters are well-developed, as is the plot. It is a gripping read, despite being an emotionally challenging one. If you have not yet read it, I implore you to. You will not be disappointed.
This was part of my period of reading books set in India. I loved the description of life in India. Oh how I don't want to go there but I have become completely fascinated by the country and there are quite a few brilliant authors ready to lead me there. This is an absolute must read. Mistry paints a world you might not want to live in but it exists and you really do need to know about it. He has such a light touch with such a heavy subject. He is a social commentator highlighting corruption and despair and survival in India.
5 starts because there's not a single day that I don't feel depressed and disgusted because of this book.
dark
emotional
sad
slow-paced
3 stars, but 4 for the writing.
This book is good... but it’s too damn long and it has too much filler. I also worry how accessible it is for those who are not Indian/south Asian. There is much jargon with no explanation which I find to be the best way to world build - except this book was really bad at setting scenes. But back to the filler - there have now been 3 consecutive pages where the author has managed to talk about a document binder... yes it really is that ridiculous. So much filler. Just write the story! So it’s going to go back on my bookshelf and maybe back into my life when I know I’ve got time to waste. Having said all of this - it’s not a bad book by any means - just the slowest paced book in the world.
challenging
dark
informative
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Dark and devastating but weirdly hopeful. There was so much foreshadowing that broke me before anything was actually happening. The name of the book definitely makes sense after reading the whole book.