Reviews with content warning for Incest - The God of Small Things

Roy is an activist first and writer second and it shows in the material! This is a compliment, she writes stories that are necessary and missing. Prose + use of repetition off them shits, beautifully and sickeningly vivid imagery. The story lingers still, I won’t forget it anytime soon

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tinny's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad medium-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

Stunning. Not a single word misplaced.

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catalyst226's review against another edition

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dark reflective sad slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

This had an absolutely beautiful writing style and explored a lot of different themes surrounding family, caste, and loss (in more than one way). The story is set up in an interesting frame and plays with time bouncing between present and past and each of the family members before and after a sudden and tragic death. There's some really difficult passages to read content wise so be aware (TW: child molestation)

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arunphilip's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.25

As someone from the same community as the characters in the book, the opportunity to have read such an honest exploration not only of the community but humans in general was incredible. Rare treat.

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hellodebbies's review against another edition

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3.5

I have a love-hate relationship with this book... Tho I loved the 6-7 chapter and the ending

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meghancolbert's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional sad tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Arundhati Roy’s writing is exquisite. She writes as if the plot is a block of marble that she is slowly chiseling away at. The story does not unfold in chronological order, and the narrative subtly switches between past and present (sometimes you have to pay attention to small details to know which decade you are in). Despite the constant shifting, I was never confused about what was happening or where the author was leading me. I could see the final masterpiece emerging from the block of marble bit by bit. Arundhati Roy paints an incredibly detailed and nuanced picture of generational trauma, family dysfunction, and the corrosive natures of jealousy, grief, and guilt. This is the story of fraternal twins Estha and Rahel, who have their childhood innocence violently stolen from them by the adults who were supposed to protect them. As adults, Estha and Rahel reunite and struggle to repair their once-inseparable bond. As they battle their demons, they make a remarkably destructive choice that endangers them both.
I appreciate that Roy refused to sugar coat the devastating effects of trauma on the human psyche, and resisted the common temptation to force happy endings on her characters. This book will disturb and sadden you, but at the same time will prompt you to reflect deeply on human nature, love, rebellion, and free will.

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