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A review by thewordyhabitat
Prelude to a Riot by Annie Zaidi
4.0
A short but contentful book, Prelude to a Riot was easy to read but also made me give it attention and annotate to fully understand what the author tried to portray. As the title says, it doesn't show the actual riots or the violence but rather what precedes it and how those small small thoughts and influences change the flow of the entire society.
Written in soliloquys of individual characters, without the structure of a normal book, the book shows us the thoughts of multiple characters and their views about their lives and surroundings. We see comparisons between modern day India and ancient history with the strange history teacher Garuda, how Hindu landowners think in terms of "us" and "them", how migrant labourers want to make lives for themselves and are shut down by higher classes because "there are always replacements for your jobs", and how the younger generation struggle to make a sense of everything and make actionable decisions after having the power of knowledge on their side.
It also an incomplete story because it just reflects modern day India and our stories are still being written. The book is food for thought.
Written in soliloquys of individual characters, without the structure of a normal book, the book shows us the thoughts of multiple characters and their views about their lives and surroundings. We see comparisons between modern day India and ancient history with the strange history teacher Garuda, how Hindu landowners think in terms of "us" and "them", how migrant labourers want to make lives for themselves and are shut down by higher classes because "there are always replacements for your jobs", and how the younger generation struggle to make a sense of everything and make actionable decisions after having the power of knowledge on their side.
It also an incomplete story because it just reflects modern day India and our stories are still being written. The book is food for thought.