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hollyrebecca's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
A stunning and gripping tale about interior life within two different time periods. I got swept up in the telling, both due to the plot and the beautiful narrative Sahota spins, and could barely put this down.
Our occasional narrator, 17 and unnamed, immersed us in the racism he endured growing up in the UK and the vices he turned to in order to cope. In an effort to recover from the vice that has him in its grip, prior to starting University, he’s sent to India to visit family. Here he has an opportunity to ground himself in the people and culture he’s been missing from his life, to learn how to spend time alone and make friends without expectations.
In the past we follow Mehar, 15, and two other girls, Harbans and Gurleen, who are married to three brothers on a farm . But whilst the brothers know who their wives are, the girls don’t know which of the brothers is their husband. Mehar spends her time with the other two wives in the China Room, unless instructed by her mother-in-law to go to a dark room and perform her marriage duties. Any instance in which she may catch sight of her husband is foiled by the red veil she must continue to wear.
For Mehar, life unravels in a misunderstanding which leads to danger, secrets and growing love. This is all told against a backdrop of the growing political strife prior to the Indian partition, which enhances the tension on the farm and leads to devastating consequences.
Sahota wrote the China Room based on an old family legend and, when combined with the use of first person narrative for our unnamed narrator, this book feels almost autobiographical in its telling. This is further indicated at through the family photo provided at the end of the novel and lends extra weight to the tale as a result.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction and Confinement
Moderate: Racism
ellen_suth's review against another edition
emotional
sad
tense
fast-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
5.0
Just beautiful - beautiful story, prose, characters, everything.
TW: there are scenes where the main character’s consent to sex is very dubious, i.e. she doesn’t really understand what she’s consenting to, and other characters take advantage of this. Something to be aware of!
TW: there are scenes where the main character’s consent to sex is very dubious, i.e. she doesn’t really understand what she’s consenting to, and other characters take advantage of this. Something to be aware of!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infidelity, Sexism, and Misogyny
Moderate: Racism, Drug abuse, Addiction, Confinement, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Xenophobia, Adult/minor relationship, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Colonisation
internationalreads's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
informative
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-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
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Drug abuse, Medical content, Pregnancy, Sexual assault, Alcohol, Addiction, Confinement, Sexual content, Domestic abuse, Grief, Infidelity, Sexual violence, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Kidnapping, Rape, and Sexism
onmalsshelf's review against another edition
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Could’ve been a high rating if the modern setting in the dual timeline actually made sense.
Short read though to help knock out BOTM challenges and the 2022 reading goals.
Short read though to help knock out BOTM challenges and the 2022 reading goals.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Pregnancy, and Rape
abbycummings13's review against another edition
dark
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
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
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Misogyny, and Sexism
Moderate: Infidelity, Sexual assault, and Sexual content
deedireads's review against another edition
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
All my reviews live at https://deedispeaking.com/reads/.
TL;DR REVIEW:
I liked China Room a lot. Short, and with one plotline that’s more plot-driven and one that’s more character-driven, I was pleasantly surprised at how fast-paced and engaging it was.
For you if: You want to read more books with Punjabi representation.
FULL REVIEW:
China Room landed on my radar because it was longlisted for the 2021 Booker Prize. It’s only 250 pages long, and I ended up easily reading it in one day; the super-short chapters combined with the fast pace (at least for a ~Booker book~) really had me turning the pages.
The story takes place in two timelines with two characters: The first, Mehar, lives in Punjab in the 1920s. She is married off to one of three brothers in a triple wedding, but she and her fellow brides are kept in the dark (literally) about which of the brothers are their husbands. When she seems to have figured it out, she can’t help but careen herself down a very risky path. The other timeline, which takes place today, is about Mehar’s unnamed great-grandson, who travels to Punjab to recover from addiction. Staying in the same house where she lived, he faces down his own kind of personal and generational trauma.
While I was reading, I found myself most engaged in Mehar’s story, although that’s mostly because her chapters were fast-paced and driven heavily by plot. The story of our unnamed modern main character, on the other hand, is much more introspective and character-driven. I’m not sure I’ve ever read a book that had both of those styles alongside one another like that, and it was really interesting.
At book club, a lot of us talked about wanting more out of either or both of the storylines, at the same time realizing that Sahota’s restraint was likely purposeful, even if the reason why wasn’t immediately clear. I can agree here; there were definitely connections and events I’d been rooting for (love when a book makes you root for things!), and yet I also think what we were ultimately given did quite a bit of work.
Pick this one up if you’re a sucker for a love story and/or interested in reading more historical fiction set in India.
TL;DR REVIEW:
I liked China Room a lot. Short, and with one plotline that’s more plot-driven and one that’s more character-driven, I was pleasantly surprised at how fast-paced and engaging it was.
For you if: You want to read more books with Punjabi representation.
FULL REVIEW:
China Room landed on my radar because it was longlisted for the 2021 Booker Prize. It’s only 250 pages long, and I ended up easily reading it in one day; the super-short chapters combined with the fast pace (at least for a ~Booker book~) really had me turning the pages.
The story takes place in two timelines with two characters: The first, Mehar, lives in Punjab in the 1920s. She is married off to one of three brothers in a triple wedding, but she and her fellow brides are kept in the dark (literally) about which of the brothers are their husbands. When she seems to have figured it out, she can’t help but careen herself down a very risky path. The other timeline, which takes place today, is about Mehar’s unnamed great-grandson, who travels to Punjab to recover from addiction. Staying in the same house where she lived, he faces down his own kind of personal and generational trauma.
While I was reading, I found myself most engaged in Mehar’s story, although that’s mostly because her chapters were fast-paced and driven heavily by plot. The story of our unnamed modern main character, on the other hand, is much more introspective and character-driven. I’m not sure I’ve ever read a book that had both of those styles alongside one another like that, and it was really interesting.
At book club, a lot of us talked about wanting more out of either or both of the storylines, at the same time realizing that Sahota’s restraint was likely purposeful, even if the reason why wasn’t immediately clear. I can agree here; there were definitely connections and events I’d been rooting for (love when a book makes you root for things!), and yet I also think what we were ultimately given did quite a bit of work.
Pick this one up if you’re a sucker for a love story and/or interested in reading more historical fiction set in India.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Racism, and Xenophobia
Moderate: Confinement
Minor: Pregnancy
emmagreenwood's review
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Excrement, Gaslighting, Infidelity, Misogyny, Pregnancy, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, and Xenophobia
serendipitysbooks's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
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
4.25
China Room hooked me with its opening line - “Mehar is not so obedient a fifteen-year-old that she won’t try to uncover which of the three brothers is her husband.”
In 1929 Punjab Mehar and her two new “sisters” are married to three brothers in a single ceremony. Custom requires that they are veiled and keep their eyes averted. Since her husband’s visits are conducted in virtual silence and darkness the mystery remains and her efforts to uncover his identity leads to a tragic ending. Interspersing Mehar’s story is that of her great-grandson who has travelled from Britain to India to visit relatives and overcome his heroin addiction.
There was much I loved about this novel, plenty I could appreciate, plus some aspects which frustrated me.
I loved Mehar and was fully invested in her story. I certainly loved the way the story shone a light on the poor treatment of women in traditional Indian society and the way other women contributed to that. I liked how the nuance of Mehar’s relationship with her sisters-in-law was depicted, the way they supported each other but were also in competition with to curry favour with Mai and to fall pregnant with a son. I appreciated her great-grandson’s storyline and the way it thematically connected with Mehar’s. Both were seeking freedom, one from confining gender role expectations and an abusive and controlling mother-in-law; the other from racism and addiction. What frustrated me was that the relative brevity of the book left me wanting more. Specifically I saw scope for more about Mai’s background and if there was anything in it that would explain her cruelty and extremely controlling behaviour. But I would also have loved more about Harbans and Gurleen, more about the brothers before the wedding, more about the political situation in India … just more in general. I could see what the author was attempting to do with the dual timelines but feel the book was too short to do justice to them both. Either the book needed to be longer or it should have focussed solely on Mehar’s storyline.
Final Verdict - I enjoyed the reading experience but was left hungry for more.
In 1929 Punjab Mehar and her two new “sisters” are married to three brothers in a single ceremony. Custom requires that they are veiled and keep their eyes averted. Since her husband’s visits are conducted in virtual silence and darkness the mystery remains and her efforts to uncover his identity leads to a tragic ending. Interspersing Mehar’s story is that of her great-grandson who has travelled from Britain to India to visit relatives and overcome his heroin addiction.
There was much I loved about this novel, plenty I could appreciate, plus some aspects which frustrated me.
I loved Mehar and was fully invested in her story. I certainly loved the way the story shone a light on the poor treatment of women in traditional Indian society and the way other women contributed to that. I liked how the nuance of Mehar’s relationship with her sisters-in-law was depicted, the way they supported each other but were also in competition with to curry favour with Mai and to fall pregnant with a son. I appreciated her great-grandson’s storyline and the way it thematically connected with Mehar’s. Both were seeking freedom, one from confining gender role expectations and an abusive and controlling mother-in-law; the other from racism and addiction. What frustrated me was that the relative brevity of the book left me wanting more. Specifically I saw scope for more about Mai’s background and if there was anything in it that would explain her cruelty and extremely controlling behaviour. But I would also have loved more about Harbans and Gurleen, more about the brothers before the wedding, more about the political situation in India … just more in general. I could see what the author was attempting to do with the dual timelines but feel the book was too short to do justice to them both. Either the book needed to be longer or it should have focussed solely on Mehar’s storyline.
Final Verdict - I enjoyed the reading experience but was left hungry for more.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement and Domestic abuse
thecriticalreader's review
challenging
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.25
I chose this as a Book of the Month add-on because the premise sounded interesting.
Plot:
China Room follows two plots, one in 1999 with a young man and another with his great-grandmother, Mehar, in 1929. Mehar’s plot is much more fleshed out than the young man’s, although both were intriguing. Ultimately, however, Mehar’s plot plays out rather predictably, and the young man’s plot fizzles out anticlimactically.
Characters:
Most of Sahota’s characters have clear defining characteristics, but none are really explored as individuals. Sahota is more interested in the factors that motivate the characters—outside influences, relationships, etc. than he is in the people themselves.
Setting:
This book takes place in a small Indian village. As someone who has never been to India, Sahota does a good job capturing the stifling nature of the village. However, it could be hard to visualize as someone with little knowledge of India and Indian history. Of course, Sahota should not feel obligated to cater to white audiences—but this was just my experience reading the book. It gives a fascinating glimpse into rural Indian culture circa 1929.
Themes:
The main theme explored in China Room is relationships. Relationships between family and lovers. Characters navigate complicated relationships in complicated circumstances, often trapped between their own desires and societal expectations. For me, thematic exploration was the most compelling part of China Room.
Writing Style:
Sahota’s writing toes the line between dense and flowery. I never got overly frustrated with his writing, but at times I felt myself skimming over descriptive paragraphs to follow the plot.
Conclusion:
China Room is a challenging yet intriguing read, especially as a white American. The plot is captivating, especially initially, even if the resolution leaves something to be desired. Mehar’s plotline is much more interesting than the plot involving her great-grandson.
Other Points:
· I did not connect to Mehar’s and Suraj’s relationship. I found it reflected more lust than love, so I wasn’t particularly rooting for them to make it to the end. Suraj seemed rather entitled and creepy (he did, after all, assault Mehar). I wished Mehar would find a place where she could be herself, but that place did not seem to be with Suraj.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Confinement, and Infidelity
Moderate: Sexual content, Sexual assault, Rape, Pregnancy, Addiction, Alcohol, and Drug abuse
Minor: Colonisation and Domestic abuse
mandy_reads's review
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Drug abuse, Drug use, Racism, Xenophobia, Infidelity, and Confinement
Minor: Pregnancy
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