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3.47 AVERAGE
3.47 AVERAGE
I thought this novel started off stronger than it finished. There were elements of beautiful, descriptive language. I enjoyed the development of some of the characters and how their lives intertwined.
However, I felt I lost interest just over half of the way through. I quite liked the concept of finding out about the people who lived in the apartment building that Vishnu had contact with while living in the corridor. Although, I think too many characters ended up being introduced and getting little snippets from all of their lives just made me lose the thread of the story.
By the end, I was willing myself to find out what happens rather than wanting to.
However, I felt I lost interest just over half of the way through. I quite liked the concept of finding out about the people who lived in the apartment building that Vishnu had contact with while living in the corridor. Although, I think too many characters ended up being introduced and getting little snippets from all of their lives just made me lose the thread of the story.
By the end, I was willing myself to find out what happens rather than wanting to.
The core premise of The Death of Vishnu is that a local odd-job man named Vishnu collapses on the landing of a apartment building and hallucinates himself as the god that shares his name. It's because of the beautiful cover and this premise that I bought the book. Weirdly though, Vishnu's character was not what I enjoyed the most though. I didn't dislike his chapters but found myself excited to get back to the other members of the apartment complex.
What I most enjoyed in this book was the apartment's tenants: the feuding Mrs. Pathak and Mrs. Asrani. their beleaguered husbands. the melancholic chapters following widower Mr. Taneja, the forbidden romance of Kavita and Salim, as well as the brilliant religious odyssey of Salim's father, Mr. Jalal. Manil Suri here creates an engrossing environment, a web of lives that intersect and complement each other to such a degree that I was enraptured by the small moments much more than I expected. The book is like a beautiful painting of a Bombay community, complete with fully realized families and characters who use the Vedas and Bollywood movies constantly as benchmarks for their own lives. Food too plays a large role in the book, either as status symbols or connections between characters (in flashbacks, much of Vishnu's relationship with his 'girlfriend' Padmini is expressed through him giving her food and in the present, Vishnu is paid with stale food by the Pathaks. Mr. Taneja's only interaction with the outside world is when Short Ganga brings him lunch everyday. Whereas Mr. Jalal gives up food as part of his attempt at asceticism and leaves a mango by Vishnu's head as an offering later in the book). The surrealism of Vishnu's chapters helps to punctuate the drama of the tenants, providing structure and connecting for the many storylines.
Overall, I wish there was more to this book. I hear there are sequels and I may check them out. Without spoiling anything, it ends rather abruptly and several characters are not given the send off I expected. Regardless, the prose is excellent and the world of the novel is engrossing. It's in some ways a pastiche of India as a whole and dives deep into questions of religion, family, love, faith, and community. I would certainly recommend this surprisingly slice-of-life story.
What I most enjoyed in this book was the apartment's tenants: the feuding Mrs. Pathak and Mrs. Asrani. their beleaguered husbands. the melancholic chapters following widower Mr. Taneja, the forbidden romance of Kavita and Salim, as well as the brilliant religious odyssey of Salim's father, Mr. Jalal. Manil Suri here creates an engrossing environment, a web of lives that intersect and complement each other to such a degree that I was enraptured by the small moments much more than I expected. The book is like a beautiful painting of a Bombay community, complete with fully realized families and characters who use the Vedas and Bollywood movies constantly as benchmarks for their own lives. Food too plays a large role in the book, either as status symbols or connections between characters (in flashbacks, much of Vishnu's relationship with his 'girlfriend' Padmini is expressed through him giving her food and in the present, Vishnu is paid with stale food by the Pathaks. Mr. Taneja's only interaction with the outside world is when Short Ganga brings him lunch everyday. Whereas Mr. Jalal gives up food as part of his attempt at asceticism and leaves a mango by Vishnu's head as an offering later in the book). The surrealism of Vishnu's chapters helps to punctuate the drama of the tenants, providing structure and connecting for the many storylines.
Overall, I wish there was more to this book. I hear there are sequels and I may check them out. Without spoiling anything, it ends rather abruptly and several characters are not given the send off I expected. Regardless, the prose is excellent and the world of the novel is engrossing. It's in some ways a pastiche of India as a whole and dives deep into questions of religion, family, love, faith, and community. I would certainly recommend this surprisingly slice-of-life story.
I give this a 2 star not because it's not well written, but because there isn't a likeable character in the book. It was an interesting peek into Indian culture, but for me that was the only thing that held my interest.
funny
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Manil Suri skillfully captures the dynamics among neighbors in a Mumbai apartment block, revealing universal themes with an Indian flair and subtle humor. The novel delves into everyday tensions, from petty rivalries to the dreams of children. The narrative explores class, religious, and social tensions unique to India. However, the portrayal of religious bigotry and persecution bothered me, as it disrupted the narrative with unsettling mythology.
While Suri attempts to balance the depiction, the writing tries to do too many things and, in my opinion, misses the mark at quite a few places. If you are interested in religion and its connection to social structures this might be worth a read.
Note for diaspora: I had an enjoyable experience reading this to understand the social dynamics and how they may differ for Indians that haven't grown up in India. If that's what you're interested in give this a shot!
Beautifully written book. It’s the latest in a group of books I’ve read lately that tell stories of a group of interconnected people without providing closure for the players. So in that way it reminds me of There, There; A People’s History of Heaven; and Homecoming. I love all of these so that’s a high compliment.
I like the non-linear structure of the book and bringing the imagery of Hinduism to the book felt really like a movie. The book however did proceed very slowly, particularly the look into the surrounding cast
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I randomly stumbled upon this book at a used bookstore and am so glad I did. There are areas with beautiful lyrical prose as the titular character drifts away towards death and what comes after while reminiscing on his life. The book provides a fascinating glimpse into daily life in Bombay (complete with a glossary of Hindi words in the back) while highlighting religious tensions, gender roles and class divides. It also provides a glimpse into topics such as navigating grief and love.
Some of my favorite and most memorable quotes from the book:
"Vishnu looks at the torso outlined under the sheet. It lies there unmoving, mapping out the space he occupies in the world. He has worked so hard to stake out this space. Every inch his body has grown, every cell it has generated, every hair, every eyelash, has needed space. He has fought to claim it from the outside, gouged it out from the unyielding reserves around. He has guarded it, hoarded it, squeezed his body into its confines. He is loathe to give up this space." (76)
"He went through many deaths and rebirths, it is true, but then one is so small, it is not too painful to be born again." (142)
"Sometimes he spent the afternoon sitting in the verandah, watching the parrots in the mango trees lunge at the unripe fruit with their hooded red beaks." (256)
"Does he enjoy his current existence so much that he cannot bear to give it up? Is the plot of this life so compelling that he will not exchange it for another?" (274)
Some of my favorite and most memorable quotes from the book:
"Vishnu looks at the torso outlined under the sheet. It lies there unmoving, mapping out the space he occupies in the world. He has worked so hard to stake out this space. Every inch his body has grown, every cell it has generated, every hair, every eyelash, has needed space. He has fought to claim it from the outside, gouged it out from the unyielding reserves around. He has guarded it, hoarded it, squeezed his body into its confines. He is loathe to give up this space." (76)
"He went through many deaths and rebirths, it is true, but then one is so small, it is not too painful to be born again." (142)
"Sometimes he spent the afternoon sitting in the verandah, watching the parrots in the mango trees lunge at the unripe fruit with their hooded red beaks." (256)
"Does he enjoy his current existence so much that he cannot bear to give it up? Is the plot of this life so compelling that he will not exchange it for another?" (274)