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3.31 AVERAGE
3.31 AVERAGE
I finished the book feeling deeply unsatisfied, but I can't help to suspect that dissatisfaction was the goal of the author. I enjoyed the strong sense of place this book developed, but I never felt like I got to know the characters and as such felt unable to connect with them or feel hope for them. This novel flowed laconically, punctuated by violence, but never elicited in me emotions beyond confusion and ultimately resignation. I am still left wondering if these feelings have been masterfully created in me by Desai, or if I am just disappointed in the book. I stayed with it through the end and I am still thinking about it, but I still can't put my finger on why.
Rating: I don't feel like I can justifiably rate a book I only finished by skipping through to the end, but, like, a 0.5 and at least a 12 (rape scene).
I think my thoughts on this book can be summed up with something I wrote just after 'reading' it: Why do all adult fiction books that win an award seem to end unhappily? It's as if happy endings are purely for children and once you reach the big bad world cynicism is the only thing that is rewarded.
I couldn't connect with anyone. I tried to connect with the girl's first romance, with the man going to Cambridge university, the man trying to get a job in a foreign country. Everything ended badly. EVERYTHING. There was no hope. Even the dog left. Perhaps that is the deep meaning of the book that I couldn't appreciate, but I just couldn't/wouldn't/didn't get it.
The descriptions of the mountains of Nepal were very atmospheric, though. That was appreciated.
I think my thoughts on this book can be summed up with something I wrote just after 'reading' it: Why do all adult fiction books that win an award seem to end unhappily? It's as if happy endings are purely for children and once you reach the big bad world cynicism is the only thing that is rewarded.
I couldn't connect with anyone. I tried to connect with the girl's first romance, with the man going to Cambridge university, the man trying to get a job in a foreign country. Everything ended badly. EVERYTHING. There was no hope. Even the dog left. Perhaps that is the deep meaning of the book that I couldn't appreciate, but I just couldn't/wouldn't/didn't get it.
The descriptions of the mountains of Nepal were very atmospheric, though. That was appreciated.
This book is a revelation for anyone from a third-world country. The narrative is no-page turner but a breathtaking collection of vignettes that perfectly capture both the confusion and dark charm of living in a postcolonial reality. Desai's Kalimpong is a stand-in for an India that moves about its memories like the river Teesta - lurching backward into its Hindu roots but also hurtling towards modernity in an awkward rush. This is a no-holds barred dissection of colonial mentality, in which not only India but we all of us brown-skinned worship the white despite the material and cultural wealth they've divested us of. This manifests in all the variations of migration represented in the book: Biju who sought out a living in the U.S., the judge who had been sent to England for an education, and the multitude of minor characters' relations who hunted for refinement in the West. This way of thinking has such gravity that it has the power to remove a man's sense of cultural identity from his own land, though he has lived in it all his life, and this is a message I could not relate more with.
The duality about which the cast of characters are portrayed is wonderful - they each go through their own battles but the narration never fails to highlight the (often humorous) ironies circumscribing their lives. Quite possibly an invitation to look into the ones surrounding our own.
The duality about which the cast of characters are portrayed is wonderful - they each go through their own battles but the narration never fails to highlight the (often humorous) ironies circumscribing their lives. Quite possibly an invitation to look into the ones surrounding our own.
Some paragraphs had writing that absolutely sparkled, however, overall I found the book lacking emotional depth. In some ways (albeit with significant geographic and political differences), the book tried to do what The God of Small Things eventually did, but it fell flat for me. The love story between the two protagonists felt forced (given that they were the only two like-aged characters in the book). It seemed like things "happen" to characters (Gyan joined a protest as he was just walking by) rather than thoughtful choice making. However, the sections with Biju's restaurants were marvelous. I would read a sequel that focused more on Biju!
The most stand-outish element of this novel was the suspension of time. I read and read and kept on thinking it was modern day. It was only mention of payphones and cassette that drew me back to the 1980s.
Maybe it is this colonialist idea in me of that that is what India is like that makes placing the time so hard. This idea of a romantic place of caste and servants, which as an educated person is so abhorrent to me, yet so exotic. The idea of the underclass uprising and attempting to over throw it's oppressors... Oh, it appeals to so many parts of my own conflicting identity it's astonishing...
The novel does explore interesting issues of belonging, of "having" and "loss". The most empathic character for me was Sai. Nothing that happened was asked for, in fact was almost imposed on her. I would love to know what happened to her as a young woman. To the same extent, I would love to know what happened to Biju once he had come home.
I am also incredibly interested what this area of India looks like now, with Indians (with their tea houses or not), the Nepali's, the Tibetans and the Gurkha's. Viewing my own father's set of Gurkha knives frequently, the awe of the people of this area has been instilled into my little Australian being from a very young age.
Addressing my own personal issues with that Booker Prize thingo. This book, along with the [b:Life of Pi|4214|Life of Pi|Yann Martel|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1320562005s/4214.jpg|1392700], is my counter to those absolutely terrible books I have mentioned before. There is a reason why this prize exists. And while I personally do not think that this book is exceptional, I do think it is a much more worthy recipient than many others. That is really my way of saying 4/5.
For more reviews visit http://rusalkii.blogspot.com.au/
Maybe it is this colonialist idea in me of that that is what India is like that makes placing the time so hard. This idea of a romantic place of caste and servants, which as an educated person is so abhorrent to me, yet so exotic. The idea of the underclass uprising and attempting to over throw it's oppressors... Oh, it appeals to so many parts of my own conflicting identity it's astonishing...
The novel does explore interesting issues of belonging, of "having" and "loss". The most empathic character for me was Sai. Nothing that happened was asked for, in fact was almost imposed on her. I would love to know what happened to her as a young woman. To the same extent, I would love to know what happened to Biju once he had come home.
I am also incredibly interested what this area of India looks like now, with Indians (with their tea houses or not), the Nepali's, the Tibetans and the Gurkha's. Viewing my own father's set of Gurkha knives frequently, the awe of the people of this area has been instilled into my little Australian being from a very young age.
Addressing my own personal issues with that Booker Prize thingo. This book, along with the [b:Life of Pi|4214|Life of Pi|Yann Martel|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1320562005s/4214.jpg|1392700], is my counter to those absolutely terrible books I have mentioned before. There is a reason why this prize exists. And while I personally do not think that this book is exceptional, I do think it is a much more worthy recipient than many others. That is really my way of saying 4/5.
For more reviews visit http://rusalkii.blogspot.com.au/
Took me a while to get into, but enjoyed it in the end.
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
tense
medium-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
I just couldn't get through this. Nothing compelled me to keep going! Even when the romance started between Sai and Gyan, which was maybe the most interesting part, I still couldn't make myself get interested. The judge's horribly lonely experience as an Indian college student in London was interesting, but it seemed like a short story disconnected from the rest of the novel. I guess it was similar in some ways to Biju's experience as an undocumented restaurant worker in NYC. Sigh. I think I made it about 60% of the way through, but life's too short to carry on with a book that doesn't grab you at all. I'm disappointed that I spent so much of my grown-up book time on this. Back to kid lit!
This is one of those books that I felt guilty not enjoying, but I can't help it - I didn't like it at all. The author's writing is good, I suppose, but her style was too flowery for my liking. The narrative drags by while she goes into inane detail page after page. I didn't enjoy the characters either - they were poorly characterized and I never felt the sympathy for them that the author was aiming for. I sludged through the book because I felt obligated to give it a shot due to the critical acclaim it received, and though I don't regret the time I spent reading it, I wouldn't mind having it back either.