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3.61 AVERAGE
3.61 AVERAGE
This first Indian authored dystopian fiction that I read, based on a recommendation from a book tuber. The story is straight forward and simply written. It is about a mother who sees her life tumble down as extreme caste politics takes over everything and destroys freedom and equality as we know it today. And in between all this, a mother loses her three year old daughter and spends sixteen years looking for her. The whole story is dark and really depressing. I couldn’t grasp the ending that well either, it is quite open ended and leaves a lot for discussion and debate. This is going to be made into a Netflix series so I’m interested to see how the series turns out to be.
But overall, this was a little too dark and depressing for me.
But overall, this was a little too dark and depressing for me.
The book is based on a futuristic Indian city where we have high walls dividing all. Within the areas of these walls specific community reside and no intermixing is allowed. There is strict surveillance. If you break any rule than one has to face consequences and one is pushed to fringes. In this, we follow the journey of Shalini who has broken one of the laws and now is in search of her daughter Leila.
This is a really engrossing book that will make you scared and emotional. The author has done an excellent job in terms of world-building and the pace of the novel keeps you engrossed. I loved the way how the author pinpoints to a lot of issue like environmental issues, class distinction in this short read.
For fans of dystopian, I highly recommend this one.
This is a really engrossing book that will make you scared and emotional. The author has done an excellent job in terms of world-building and the pace of the novel keeps you engrossed. I loved the way how the author pinpoints to a lot of issue like environmental issues, class distinction in this short read.
For fans of dystopian, I highly recommend this one.
A very interesting concept which gave a lot of food for thought. Great to get a non-western perspective but not as well fleshed out as I would have liked. I felt let down by the ending.
Holy shit this book gives Atwood a run for her money. Utterly terrifying.
After drawing you in so well, teasing out the backstory of how nationalism became wall-enforced apartheid, the ambiguous ending felt rather rushed. It echoed The Handmaid's Tale in deliberately leaving the reader with unanswered questions.
I came across this book in a BookRiot article, and immediately set about hunting down a copy. The blurb was fantastic, and it sounded completely different from any dystopian novel I've read to date. Luckily, the book delivered on all of my expectations and more!
I think this may be the first time I've read a dystopian with a clearly non-western setting; most are set in North America, with a smattering of European settings, but I don't think I've ever read one set in Asia. So that alone made this book unique and interesting to me; it offered a much different view on a dystopian society, one that feels frighteningly possible. It reminded me a bit of The Handmaid's Tale, though with an opposite scenario where women who don't "fit" the new society isolated and not allowed to have or raise children.
This is a spectacularly emotional read. I got literal chills reading certain parts of the novel, and found myself riveted to the page. Between the unique plot and the incredible writing, the author truly brings the reader into his world. An excellent read, and well worth hunting down for anyone who enjoys a good dystopia.
I think this may be the first time I've read a dystopian with a clearly non-western setting; most are set in North America, with a smattering of European settings, but I don't think I've ever read one set in Asia. So that alone made this book unique and interesting to me; it offered a much different view on a dystopian society, one that feels frighteningly possible. It reminded me a bit of The Handmaid's Tale, though with an opposite scenario where women who don't "fit" the new society isolated and not allowed to have or raise children.
This is a spectacularly emotional read. I got literal chills reading certain parts of the novel, and found myself riveted to the page. Between the unique plot and the incredible writing, the author truly brings the reader into his world. An excellent read, and well worth hunting down for anyone who enjoys a good dystopia.
I got a copy of the book after watching the Netflix show, so I was obviously looking for similarities and differences between the two, and the impact those had on me as a viewer/reader. My review will focus on the same.
I think that the book did a really good job telling a very difficult story. The book is narrated from Shalini's POV, which makes her character and her inner resolve clearer to me. Her steely determination really shines through, and her journey to her daughter is fascinating. Another thing that the book does beautifully is the narration of the gradual decline of the society into the dystopia that exists in the present day. Details about Shalini's childhood add a depth to the story that I found lacking in the show.
Prayaag Akbar's dystopia is real and scary, but the show manages to paint a more vivid picture of it. The pollution, degradation and depravation have a lesser impact on me in the novel. Maybe it's because Shalini barely notices and narrates her hardships. So list she is in her drugged search for Leila.
Over all, the book is a real page-turner, even if you've seen the show. The story-telling style is very engrossing, and the dystopia real and familiar.
I think that the book did a really good job telling a very difficult story. The book is narrated from Shalini's POV, which makes her character and her inner resolve clearer to me. Her steely determination really shines through, and her journey to her daughter is fascinating. Another thing that the book does beautifully is the narration of the gradual decline of the society into the dystopia that exists in the present day. Details about Shalini's childhood add a depth to the story that I found lacking in the show.
Prayaag Akbar's dystopia is real and scary, but the show manages to paint a more vivid picture of it. The pollution, degradation and depravation have a lesser impact on me in the novel. Maybe it's because Shalini barely notices and narrates her hardships. So list she is in her drugged search for Leila.
Over all, the book is a real page-turner, even if you've seen the show. The story-telling style is very engrossing, and the dystopia real and familiar.
There’s been a notably high number of dystopian novels being published in recent years and it feels like this reflects a widespread anxiety. Novels such as “Station Eleven”, “The Country of Ice Cream Star”, “The Power” and “Hazards of Time Travel” have all taken very different approaches to creating scarily convincing counter-realities to our present landscape, especially in regards to misogynistic attitudes towards women. It’s always interesting to see how new dystopian fiction tries to create an urgent, radical dialogue with society today. The presumption being: if we don’t pay attention to what’s happening around us this nightmarish landscape might come sooner than we think. In the case of “The Handmaid’s Tale”, Atwood has famously said the novel contains nothing which hasn’t already happened in the world.
Prayaag Akbar’s debut novel “Leila” deals directly with issues of the caste system in India which has such a far-reaching, complex history and continues to incite horrific instances of violence. The novel takes the divisions between castes to the extreme where physical walls are erected to separate communities from each other, shore in resources for members of “elite” castes and strive towards a “purity” of race and social status. This is filtered through the perspective of Shalini who mourns the disappearance of her daughter Leila when she was suddenly lost after Shalini was seized and taken to a government-sanctioned reform camp. For years she’s secretly schemed how to find her daughter again amidst an aggressively conservative and strict system. Finally her plans might be carried out. We follow her journey as she puts her plot into action and recalls the horrific events which led to this dire situation.
Read my full review of Leila by Prayaag Akbar on LonesomeReader
Prayaag Akbar’s debut novel “Leila” deals directly with issues of the caste system in India which has such a far-reaching, complex history and continues to incite horrific instances of violence. The novel takes the divisions between castes to the extreme where physical walls are erected to separate communities from each other, shore in resources for members of “elite” castes and strive towards a “purity” of race and social status. This is filtered through the perspective of Shalini who mourns the disappearance of her daughter Leila when she was suddenly lost after Shalini was seized and taken to a government-sanctioned reform camp. For years she’s secretly schemed how to find her daughter again amidst an aggressively conservative and strict system. Finally her plans might be carried out. We follow her journey as she puts her plot into action and recalls the horrific events which led to this dire situation.
Read my full review of Leila by Prayaag Akbar on LonesomeReader
This has a very Handmaids Tale vibe to it - which is no bad thing! The creeping sense of dread at learning Shalini’s history is extremely well done, but then it just kind of ends, and nothing is really resolved. This feels like maybe 2/3 of a book - I would have liked more about the society that Shalini lives in, do they actually worship air conditioners?
This has great potential, but just feels very rushed at the end.
This has great potential, but just feels very rushed at the end.