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3.57 AVERAGE
3.57 AVERAGE
God, this was so long-winded and difficult to follow. All the complicated names, the twisted timeline, the sheer boredom of all the descriptions and all the stories...I can't believe I made it 'til the end. I respect the author's need to write about her beliefs and the Kashmir struggle but a much simpler structure might have been a better option. The initial section about the Hejiras gets pushed to the side for the main story to emerge, making the first part a big pointless, even though it was probably more interesting in comparison...
I haven't really finished, I just got bored. I spent most of the time trying to figure out which character, timeperiode or context is the narrator/author focusing at almost every chapter, and that annoyed me and unmotivated me to continue. Maybe if my knowledge of recent indian subcontinet history was deeper or if that was a particular topic that interests me, would have made this book more interesting, but I was struggling to continue, so I quit halfways. Life is too short to spend it on books that are not interesting you.
Wat een fascinerend boek: alsof je zo hard bergaf rent dat je je benen niet meer bijhoudt en de flarden verhaal je om de oren vliegen. Maar zo mooi geschreven en zo’n krachtige politieke boodschap (het belang en de uitzichtloosheid van sociale bewegingen, de keiharde wereld waarin toch overal sprookjes te vinden zijn) dat ik het vijf sterren geef.
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
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:
Complicated
The ending was beautiful. The words were poetry. Sentences evoking complex imagery. It was an artful ending that I am glad I stuck around for. I loved the funerals and the wedding. I loved the uniqueness and the craziness of Jamat Guest House. I thought it was the perfect place for Anjum. In the end, it was the perfect place for them all. Arundhati Roy created a tapestry of words. I am very glad I won The Ministry of Utmost Happiness from Goodreads.
What grabbed me in the story was Anjum and the Hijra. The discoveries and secrets of Anjum's mother were captivating. I needed to know what happened next in Anjum's life, every moment, every adventure, the sadness and happiness. I really enjoyed reading about the Hijra and how they all lived and loved. Though sometimes a bit crazy, Anjum's life captured my imagination. She suffers so much, yet comes out of it with a home. I still want to know if Anjum gets to live out the rest of her days in peace.
Tilo, the other main character, was also very interesting. She seemed too modern for modern India. She was irreverent about caste, class and etiquette. I liked Tilo. I thought she was unique, which is probably why she was loved by thee different men in the novel. I just felt we spent too much time on her story. I liked Garson Hobart, Naga and Musa. But my favourite part of their love square is towards the end with Tilo and Musa. They are some very interesting situations the three men find themselves in over the years. Tilo has a quality about her though, a grace that I connected with. Still, I felt her part of the story was too long. I wanted to get back to Anjum and Saddam and the baby. I wanted to know what was happening in the graveyard and how the blind Imam was.
The Ministry of Utmost Happiness was not an easy book to love, but I did. I thoroughly enjoyed it. Everything at the end, in the Jamat Guest House was wonderful and the characters went through a lot to get there.
What grabbed me in the story was Anjum and the Hijra. The discoveries and secrets of Anjum's mother were captivating. I needed to know what happened next in Anjum's life, every moment, every adventure, the sadness and happiness. I really enjoyed reading about the Hijra and how they all lived and loved. Though sometimes a bit crazy, Anjum's life captured my imagination. She suffers so much, yet comes out of it with a home. I still want to know if Anjum gets to live out the rest of her days in peace.
Tilo, the other main character, was also very interesting. She seemed too modern for modern India. She was irreverent about caste, class and etiquette. I liked Tilo. I thought she was unique, which is probably why she was loved by thee different men in the novel. I just felt we spent too much time on her story. I liked Garson Hobart, Naga and Musa. But my favourite part of their love square is towards the end with Tilo and Musa. They are some very interesting situations the three men find themselves in over the years. Tilo has a quality about her though, a grace that I connected with. Still, I felt her part of the story was too long. I wanted to get back to Anjum and Saddam and the baby. I wanted to know what was happening in the graveyard and how the blind Imam was.
The Ministry of Utmost Happiness was not an easy book to love, but I did. I thoroughly enjoyed it. Everything at the end, in the Jamat Guest House was wonderful and the characters went through a lot to get there.
"Szeretnék egy olyan kifinomult történetet írni, amelyben bár nem sok történik, rengeteg mindenről lehet írni. Ezt Kasmírban nem lehet. Az nem kifinomult, ami itt zajlik. Túl sok a vér a minőségi szépirodalomhoz."
Ennek a regénynek a sok főhőse ahány, annyiféle, de nem arról szól a történet elsősorban, hogy mifélék (pedig szólhatna, mert mind érdekesek), vagy hogy miért épp olyanok, amilyenek, hanem arról, hogy mi történik velük, és miért történik. (Elölről kezdhetném most azonnal, és szinte minden sora épp olyan újnak hatna, mint először.)
Nekem nagyon tetszik ez a szerteágazás, sokszínűség, még akkor is, ha szeszélyes, kaotikus, és sokszor borzalmakról mesél; pont így képzelem el Indiát, ahol sosem jártam, és jó eséllyel nem is fogok soha, mégis élénk képek élnek bennem róla. Ami olyan, mint egy másik bolygó, de mégis ismerős, és sajnos a borzalmai sem különböznek sokban az általunk ismert borzalmaktól - a szépségei viszont teljesen mások.
challenging
emotional
medium-paced
dark
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
A brilliant book! A very human way to look at modern Indian history
23 pages and I'm out. I kept falling asleep. Maybe I'll try again some other time.
I loved the first third of this book, but got pretty bored and/or lost for the rest. It got very political, and was hard to follow, and I didn't really care about the characters. Disappointing after the beauty that was God of Small Things.