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3.85 AVERAGE
3.85 AVERAGE
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
informative
fast-paced
The book somehow captured intertwining and complicated indian family dynamics over the years so well in 100 pages.
I'm not a big fan of open ended endings, it feels a bit lazy to me. I have enough uncertainty in life I don't want it in the books I read hahaha. Despite that, the style of writing still kept me hooked till the very end.
I'm not a big fan of open ended endings, it feels a bit lazy to me. I have enough uncertainty in life I don't want it in the books I read hahaha. Despite that, the style of writing still kept me hooked till the very end.
"it's true what they say- it's not we who control money, it's the money that controls us. when there's only a little , it behaves meekly; when it grows , it becomes brash and has it's way with us."
The above line pretty much sums up what the author is trying to convey through this story.
It is essentially a story about a family who overnight make a transition from a lower class to a significantly higher class.
The thing that propelled me to give it a full 5/5 rating is its super sharp relatable content.
There's a segment where the narrator talks about how they used to make purchases on a need basis back when they had a tight budget. But the sudden influx of money changed their shopping habits.
"Our relationship with the things we accumulated around us became casual ; we began treating them carelessly."
Also, that legendary "ANT Episode " is so relatable. I am sure a majority of Indian family has lived through something similar.
I am quite embarrassed to admit but the wife and in-laws drama was accurate to the tee... LOL..!!
It is a short novel and it took me a few hours to finish it.
A shout- out to srinath perur who masterfully translated this masterpiece.
However not gonna lie but that open ended climax threw me off a bit . i spent a couple hours on google to read all the theories behind that vague ending . honestly still trying to guess.
Highly recommended . i can definitely see it being translated into a fantastic movie.
The above line pretty much sums up what the author is trying to convey through this story.
It is essentially a story about a family who overnight make a transition from a lower class to a significantly higher class.
The thing that propelled me to give it a full 5/5 rating is its super sharp relatable content.
There's a segment where the narrator talks about how they used to make purchases on a need basis back when they had a tight budget. But the sudden influx of money changed their shopping habits.
"Our relationship with the things we accumulated around us became casual ; we began treating them carelessly."
Also, that legendary "ANT Episode " is so relatable. I am sure a majority of Indian family has lived through something similar.
I am quite embarrassed to admit but the wife and in-laws drama was accurate to the tee... LOL..!!
It is a short novel and it took me a few hours to finish it.
A shout- out to srinath perur who masterfully translated this masterpiece.
However not gonna lie but that open ended climax threw me off a bit . i spent a couple hours on google to read all the theories behind that vague ending . honestly still trying to guess.
Highly recommended . i can definitely see it being translated into a fantastic movie.
"it’s not we who control money, it’s the money that controls us. When there’s only a little, it behaves meekly; when it grows, it becomes brash and has its way with us."
So many punches and truths packed in such a short read.
So many punches and truths packed in such a short read.
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Thought provoking ending
Another book where the discussion made me realize how deep this book was! A short but interesting read as a character study.
Wish I could have read the original Kannada version! The “earthy” language beautifully expresses traditional thinking and ingrained behaviours. Reading this page-turner I felt complicit and almost another character moving the narrative forward. A good read.
This is a story of a Indian family living in Bangalore that, on the brink of losing what little they have, suddenly becomes wealthy. The new money comes with new problems, in particular, significant changes in the family dynamics that create tensions, resentments, and uncomfortable dependencies. The family has to navigate their new social status, the meaning of work, and the role of money in their lives. The main character is in a fairly constant state of distress about how to handle the relationships among his family members, but is passive to the point of apathetic about it. This is a short book, which means that the author's vivid painting of the characters is all the more impressive. I really enjoyed the prose and the moments of humor (including a long battle against ants and a breakfast that is a call to arms), but the plot is subtle and there were points when I wondered where things were going, if anywhere at all. But then the strangest thing happens: it ends very abruptly and doesn't match the style of the rest of the book at all. It invites us to reinterpret things; or not, it's left to the reader to decide. This book didn't blow me away, but I enjoyed it. It's also the first novel written in Kannada (an Indian language) to be published in America.
The Spice must Flow
"Ghachar Ghochar" takes such an odd turn at the end that you may feel the need to read it again immediately in order to look for the dark thread that runs through it underneath its mostly light and often humorous surface. For me, the ending was at first utterly shocking and seemed as if it was for a different book. But with some thought and hindsight (and admittedly some re-reading) it does make a kind of sense. Readers who like things to be explained clearly may be disappointed.
As described in the book, the title is an invented family saying which is the equivalent of "all messed up", "fouled up beyond all repair", etc. This private joke is used initially about a ball of thread but it becomes an expression to describe the situation of a rags-to-riches family. While the novella is mostly a drama/comedy, there is a hint of noir mystery as well. Saying any more would be a spoiler.
"Ghachar Ghochar" takes such an odd turn at the end that you may feel the need to read it again immediately in order to look for the dark thread that runs through it underneath its mostly light and often humorous surface. For me, the ending was at first utterly shocking and seemed as if it was for a different book. But with some thought and hindsight (and admittedly some re-reading) it does make a kind of sense. Readers who like things to be explained clearly may be disappointed.
As described in the book, the title is an invented family saying which is the equivalent of "all messed up", "fouled up beyond all repair", etc. This private joke is used initially about a ball of thread but it becomes an expression to describe the situation of a rags-to-riches family. While the novella is mostly a drama/comedy, there is a hint of noir mystery as well. Saying any more would be a spoiler.