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joy2996's review against another edition
challenging
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.25
allikane's review against another edition
challenging
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
The writing is incredibly beautiful. The language is playful, wandering, and philosophical. It took me a long time to read all the way through and I'm glad I took my time. If I read this book again I know I could get even more out of it. Read once for the plot and once for the celebration of words.
vidyareads's review against another edition
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? It's complicated
5.0
I actually called my mom after reading the first chapter. I wanted to tell her about the old lady, an 80 year old whose husband has passed away. I refer to my mom as Amma IRL so I’ll call the old lady Aunty, even though she’s called Amma in the book😊 just helps me keep them separate for this post
Aunty just exists in a room in her son’s house where rest of the family lives. Existing feels like the right word to use. She comes alive when her daughter moves her to her flat. I won’t tell you everything that happens after that but it’s not a spoiler that this has a significant detail owing to the Partition of India and Pakistan
I called Amma just now and told her that I had finished the book on Saturday and that it’s not a fast moving or action oriented in every page but rather a slow burn. I was sad at the end and as is typical of Amma, she shared her opinion, I can’t tell you what it is, it would be a spoiler. I also told her that I really liked how some of the original language text was left behind by Daisy Rockwell and not translated. Rockwell noted in the translator’s note that the original Indian text was not all Hindi but with a good mix of other languages. I love that she shared that detail. It made it more relevant and real because I definitely mix a lot of English, Hindi words when I speak in Tamil to Amma. I really enjoyed it to be able to read those Hindi or Punjabi words in an English book
This is a book to celebrate the greatness of a big book, of an Octogenarian Aunty character, of the beauty of translating a book and keeping the original language mix, and of giving us a solid story filled with love, sadness, familial complexity and the great Partition. But more than everything, I feel this book is very Indian, I don’t know how to express it any other way, simply put it reminds me of how I speak and of me
Highly recommend!
Aunty just exists in a room in her son’s house where rest of the family lives. Existing feels like the right word to use. She comes alive when her daughter moves her to her flat. I won’t tell you everything that happens after that but it’s not a spoiler that this has a significant detail owing to the Partition of India and Pakistan
I called Amma just now and told her that I had finished the book on Saturday and that it’s not a fast moving or action oriented in every page but rather a slow burn. I was sad at the end and as is typical of Amma, she shared her opinion, I can’t tell you what it is, it would be a spoiler. I also told her that I really liked how some of the original language text was left behind by Daisy Rockwell and not translated. Rockwell noted in the translator’s note that the original Indian text was not all Hindi but with a good mix of other languages. I love that she shared that detail. It made it more relevant and real because I definitely mix a lot of English, Hindi words when I speak in Tamil to Amma. I really enjoyed it to be able to read those Hindi or Punjabi words in an English book
This is a book to celebrate the greatness of a big book, of an Octogenarian Aunty character, of the beauty of translating a book and keeping the original language mix, and of giving us a solid story filled with love, sadness, familial complexity and the great Partition. But more than everything, I feel this book is very Indian, I don’t know how to express it any other way, simply put it reminds me of how I speak and of me
Highly recommend!
mimosasonly's review against another edition
switched to the translated version. i can't do this 😭
fatinallen's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
sad
tense
slow-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
3.0
shaambhavipathak's review against another edition
1.0
लेखिका क्या लिखना चाहती हैं और क्या लिख रहीं हैं, इन दोनों में कोई समन्वय नहीं है. तकरीबन 50 पन्ने पढ़े हमने, और वो भी बड़े कष्ट से. इसके आगे हिम्मत नहीं हुई. पता नहीं कैसे बुकर पुरस्कार मिल गया. 3.8 की भी रेटिंग यहां पर कैसे है, समझ नहीं आता.
laelia's review against another edition
2.5
This was at first very enjoyable to read because of the metaphors and the use of such poetic writing but it got tiresome after a couple of hundred pages of just that and jumping back and forth in time and between characters. I felt lost at times, which is maybe the purpose of the book, but I couldn't enjoy it at all. Especially Rosie's role in the book, although I can see why she was a plot device, I didn't like that she was used like that. With her being highlighted in all the blurbs as the trans woman the mother befriends, confusing the daughter Beti, who believes she was the more 'modern' of the two, it just leaves a bad taste in my mouth...
Yes, the book raises some issues and I think some parts are really well done and I enjoyed those parts, but I couldn't really enjoy and love the book.
Yes, the book raises some issues and I think some parts are really well done and I enjoyed those parts, but I couldn't really enjoy and love the book.
kmerms's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
kalyfornian's review against another edition
funny
reflective
sad
3.0
I found the novel very uneven, but I appreciated the last third in Pakistan the most.