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A review by dhrish
Ghachar Ghochar by Vivek Shanbhag
dark
informative
reflective
fast-paced
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
4.5 stars
Srinath Perur is an excellent translator, not for a minute did I ever feel like I was supposed to be reading "Ghachar Ghochar" in Kannada in order to get the full picture. Although I am curious to read more of Vivek Shanbhag's work.
None of the female characters ever endeared themselves to me. I genuinely disliked how each of them was portrayed. The narrator, Anita's husband, explains his life by highlighting his mom, sister, ex-girlfriend and wife. Through them, we see how money changes a family's situation (not only financially), as well as, their familial dynamics.
This is a novella-length work where there is not a single moment that was wasted or needed to be expanded upon when telling this family's story. The Narrator (who remains unnamed) forces the reader to inspect what an "over-night rags to riches" tale means to what was once a lower-middle-class Bangalore family.
Srinath Perur is an excellent translator, not for a minute did I ever feel like I was supposed to be reading "Ghachar Ghochar" in Kannada in order to get the full picture. Although I am curious to read more of Vivek Shanbhag's work.
None of the female characters ever endeared themselves to me. I genuinely disliked how each of them was portrayed. The narrator, Anita's husband, explains his life by highlighting his mom, sister, ex-girlfriend and wife. Through them, we see how money changes a family's situation (not only financially), as well as, their familial dynamics.
This is a novella-length work where there is not a single moment that was wasted or needed to be expanded upon when telling this family's story. The Narrator (who remains unnamed) forces the reader to inspect what an "over-night rags to riches" tale means to what was once a lower-middle-class Bangalore family.