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3.31 AVERAGE
3.31 AVERAGE
I wish I could give it 3.5 stars, that's what Desai deserves.
challenging
dark
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Hard going. Glad I managed it but not one I enjoyed. Hard to keep the characters straight in my mind, and surely they could have put in a glossary of all the foreign words used?
Well written but depressing in parts, I don't know the history of the civil issues described which didn't help. Found Biju's immigrant storyline the most interesting, Sai/Gyan were just annoying.
I'll keep pursuing Man Booker books but this won't be one I ever read again.
Well written but depressing in parts, I don't know the history of the civil issues described which didn't help. Found Biju's immigrant storyline the most interesting, Sai/Gyan were just annoying.
I'll keep pursuing Man Booker books but this won't be one I ever read again.
This is Desai’s debut novel and she was awarded the Man Booker Prize for it. The story revolves around two sets of “parents” – The judge, an English-educated Indian, and his equally-educated granddaughter, Sai; the cook, a virtually illiterate servant of the judge and his son, Biju, who has gone to America to seek his fortune. The setting is northeastern India and the time is civil war and the ethnic cleansing among warring factions. There is so much “loss” passed from generation to generation … loss of culture, of ethnic identity, of opportunity, of love, of respect, of class, of illusion. Was Desai saying that we “cannot” go home again, or that we “should not” go home again?
A very thought provoking work, but I’m not sure to whom I’d recommend it. It’s not a fast or easy book to read. The plot doesn’t carry you along and it is bleak in places. Yet the writing is beautiful and, especially on giving it some thought, I really appreciate the book.
A very thought provoking work, but I’m not sure to whom I’d recommend it. It’s not a fast or easy book to read. The plot doesn’t carry you along and it is bleak in places. Yet the writing is beautiful and, especially on giving it some thought, I really appreciate the book.
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-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:
Complicated
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
funny
informative
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
The dog deserved better.
Well executed prose (though, as many have said, it almost has a twee affectation, but perhaps this was deliberate?) and just such a sad exploration of colonialism and loss of culture.
But unfortunately we're left with horrible broken characters. The most sympathetic (besides the dog) are Sai and Biju. The new generation that has been created by this turmoil and systemic stripping of heritage. Strange then, that one decides to leave and the other comes back.
(The Judge? Well, he's a monster created by internalized hatred and external pressures...but with his treatment of Nimi/his family I can't call him sympathetic. Monsters doing monstrous things).
I think if I had a deeper connection to Indian/British culture this book would have resonated so much more. But alas, instead I'm left lamenting Mutt.
Well executed prose (though, as many have said, it almost has a twee affectation, but perhaps this was deliberate?) and just such a sad exploration of colonialism and loss of culture.
But unfortunately we're left with horrible broken characters. The most sympathetic (besides the dog) are Sai and Biju. The new generation that has been created by this turmoil and systemic stripping of heritage. Strange then, that one decides to leave and the other comes back.
(The Judge? Well, he's a monster created by internalized hatred and external pressures...but with his treatment of Nimi/his family I can't call him sympathetic. Monsters doing monstrous things).
I think if I had a deeper connection to Indian/British culture this book would have resonated so much more. But alas, instead I'm left lamenting Mutt.