A review by c3rem0nials
The Ministry of Utmost Happiness by Arundhati Roy

Did not finish book. Stopped at 27%.

i really wanted to like this book because of how loved roy's work is, but i didn't really like the way anjum's transgender identity was mostly made up of genital-centric dysphoria. as a trans person i just didn't appreciate that. i do understand context and setting and that a trans woman like anjum would see her transgender identity (as well as intersex identity, but that was really just glossed over very quickly lol) as strictly binary. it made me disappointed. it felt extremely confined to a cisgender woman's view on what a trans woman would act and feel. other than that, i do love arundhati's writing -- i think in terms of ability and artistry there's a reason that this woman won the Booker. however this novel in particular (as echoed by other reviews i've seen on here) genuinely meanders to an insane degree. i acknowledge that novels aren't meant to always follow traditional roles of plot / structure but i could not be engaged because at some points you don't even know who is narrating and why. but i will say i'll give her other works a chance.