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3.57 AVERAGE
3.57 AVERAGE
I first bought the book after it was reviewed on World Literature Today last year but finally decided to read it after it was longlisted for the Women's Prize for Fiction. It was a bit difficult to follow all the characters and different timelines. The book seems divided into two parts that only connect to the very end and with all the Indian and Pakistani names and places it is difficult to keep up. What I found really valuable was learning about the Indo-Pakistani war and the Kashmiri conflict of which I knew nothing. It is amazing that these things are happening in the world now and I am completely ignorant. If you are planning to read this book I would suggest to learn first a bit about these conflicts so you can understand the context of the story.
I don’t know if it would be a stretch to call Roy India’s very own Pasternak.
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I enjoy the authors use of metaphors and colorful language. Poetic at times. Not knowing all of the historical references made leaves some questions to be answered, I'll definitely do further research before I pick this book up again. Definitely a book worth rereading in my opinion.
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
challenging
dark
informative
reflective
sad
fast-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
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
very well-written but quite scattered in its execution
challenging
emotional
mysterious
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:
Yes
challenging
emotional
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Overall very dense at times and hard to follow, but I thoroughly enjoyed following along without worrying about the plot. Roy certainly has a way with words, and there were many quotes that were just beautiful.
"But her desolation protected her. Unleashed at last from social protocol, it rose up around her in all its majesty—a fort, with ramparts, turrets, hidden dungeons and walls that hummed like an approaching mob. She rattled through its gilded chambers like a fugitive absconding from herself."
I can see Arundhati Roy's activism and passion for human rights in these pages. Much of the book is commentary about India and how its people continue to survive and make a living in such a tumultuous state (most of which went over my head, with many unexplained references of historical happenings).
This was really hard to read, not only because it was hard to understand - which I could forgive - because it was dull, and as so many other reviews mention, messy. The narrative jumped around so much that I felt I barely got to know or understand any of the characters. I could reread The God of Small Things 1000 times over, but I don't think I'll revisit this book, even though I waited so long for it. However, I deeply respect Roy as an activist and writer, and would love to read some of her nonfiction works!
This was really hard to read, not only because it was hard to understand - which I could forgive - because it was dull, and as so many other reviews mention, messy. The narrative jumped around so much that I felt I barely got to know or understand any of the characters. I could reread The God of Small Things 1000 times over, but I don't think I'll revisit this book, even though I waited so long for it. However, I deeply respect Roy as an activist and writer, and would love to read some of her nonfiction works!