Reviews with content warning for Sexual assault - The God of Small Things

Reviews tagging 'Sexual assault'

The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy

133 reviews

heather_c_w's review

dark reflective sad slow-paced

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

3.75

Beautifully written. Hard to read at times with the subject matter. I found it tricky to follow and get the gist at points, as the narrative switches perspectives and time frames a lot. But things generally became a bit clearer towards the end as the timelines merged - and this actually reflects that clarity that comes to the characters in adulthood in comparison to their childhood understanding.

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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

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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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deviousrizzlord's review

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challenging dark emotional slow-paced

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

2.5

pov: racism and parental neglect upset you to the point that you fuck your twin brother

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anjiandrada's review against another edition

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dark emotional funny mysterious sad slow-paced

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

5.0

One of the things I love about reading is the way authors use words to explain, to describe, to convey. I don't know how to do that myself so I devour their words, the imagery they paint, the feelings they invoke and everything else they do with words. This book is no exception.

It's funny coz I bought this book without any second thought. My brain just told me, oh that's something familiar..and cheap, let's buy that. Thanks brain.

I didn't know anything about it when I started reading it and so nothing prepared me for the feelings I felt during and after I read it. Was a lil bit confused with the timeline coz we go back and forth a LOT of the time, but of course the author meant it to be that way. My one braincell can't deconstruct why that's actually a good thing tho. But I'll say this book has unique storytelling (im saying that while not being very well read 😅)

A story about a pair of twins
Their bond
A tragedy that changed that bond, or did it?
There's a tragic love story
Injustices in society, the caste system
The nuances of that system
Do we hate baby kochamma? Is there redemption for people like her? Is it possible in another world for me to become like her? What if I grew up in the same system, culture, family like hers?

Read about an eerily familiar scenario (didn't see that coming, mini childhood traumas luh 🧐)

This a five.🫀🫀🫀🫀🫀

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