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A review by samyukta_24
Running in the Family by Michael Ondaatje
5.0
Another rare gem unearthed from my University library. The only reason I sighted it in the first place and decided to try it was due to its gorgeous cover art. And boy, does the cover match the content perfectly.
Running in the Family is an autobiography-ish of Ondaatje’s childhood in Ceylon, now known as Sri Lanka, showcased via diary entries, snippets of conversation with relatives, stories, incidents, poems, and anecdotes. This can't even be called a novel, it's more like a fluid river of memories tied together by the most nebulous connections. Underlying the entire narrative is the author’s psychological “dissection” of his eccentric parents, especially his father.
I never expected the book to be this laugh-out-loud funny at times, while equally heartbreaking at other times. The vibes and atmosphere were unmistakably how I remember my childhood in India, albeit not nearly as eventful as the escapades of the Ondaatje household.
There’s no plot, moral, climax, or even a satisfactory ending - yet it contains everything one can possibly need from a good read.
Running in the Family is an autobiography-ish of Ondaatje’s childhood in Ceylon, now known as Sri Lanka, showcased via diary entries, snippets of conversation with relatives, stories, incidents, poems, and anecdotes. This can't even be called a novel, it's more like a fluid river of memories tied together by the most nebulous connections. Underlying the entire narrative is the author’s psychological “dissection” of his eccentric parents, especially his father.
I never expected the book to be this laugh-out-loud funny at times, while equally heartbreaking at other times. The vibes and atmosphere were unmistakably how I remember my childhood in India, albeit not nearly as eventful as the escapades of the Ondaatje household.
There’s no plot, moral, climax, or even a satisfactory ending - yet it contains everything one can possibly need from a good read.