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luwalhati's review
dark
reflective
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
4.5
I'm somewhat at a loss of words for this book. Thayil's writing style in this novel is simply entrancing, and it was what pulled me to continue trekking on his words.
However, while reading, I kept on trying to pull myself from the depth of the waves the themes of this book pulled me in. A little while and then, I'd try not to drown in the pervasive manner the events written in this book wrangled in my mind. If you're planning to read this, you do need a bit of strength to pull through the vivdly violent parts. Though, some parts were actually hard to read, and I wouldn't be quite sure if it was the writing style and plot starting to bore me, or if I simply just couldn't handle it.
And let's talk about how Jeet Thayil treated Dimple's Character. Now, personally, I loved her. She was the first character introduced in the book, other than the main character, Dom.
However, while reading, I kept on trying to pull myself from the depth of the waves the themes of this book pulled me in. A little while and then, I'd try not to drown in the pervasive manner the events written in this book wrangled in my mind. If you're planning to read this, you do need a bit of strength to pull through the vivdly violent parts. Though, some parts were actually hard to read, and I wouldn't be quite sure if it was the writing style and plot starting to bore me, or if I simply just couldn't handle it.
She said: "Woman and man are words other people use, not me. Some days I'm neither, or nothing. On other days I feel I'm both.
She is a hijra, a genderqueer identity in India (from my understanding), a eunuch. When Dimple said that, I immediately felt as if I clicked with her. I sympathized with her character a lot throughout the book.
However, I simply wished her character was just written better. The way she's written is already spectacular, but there's this something that Thayil failed to write down and grasp. I don't know what it is either. Maybe I've liked her too much.
Anyways, this book is full of poetic devices, and the imagery was so colorful. Since the first page. It wasn't a read that I could stomach all too well, but it was a thriling one. I would love to re-read this, though.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Body horror, Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Excrement, Gore, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Rape, Sexual assault, and Transphobia
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