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A review by dzavatsky
The Magnificent Ruins by Nayantara Roy
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
A story about a woman who inherits a house in Kolkata from her grandfather - a house her estranged mother and all her extended family life in, but don’t want her to have control of. So she has to go back to face the demons of her past, and figure out the right things to do when it’s hard to know in whose interest she should act.
This book felt a little long and a little slow, and was all about facing generational trauma headfirst. That made it a tough and not always inviting read, despite the lovely writing. The first 100 pages were meant to set the stage, but I feel like they could have been shortened. I also felt like the story could have ended before the big twist in the last 100 pages, and been exactly the same impact. That being said, we had a great book club discussion about how the west and India handle secrets, abuse, family, gossip and other things differently and the same, and how you stop inherited trauma from one generation to the next. Not unhappy I read it.
This book felt a little long and a little slow, and was all about facing generational trauma headfirst. That made it a tough and not always inviting read, despite the lovely writing. The first 100 pages were meant to set the stage, but I feel like they could have been shortened. I also felt like the story could have ended before the big twist in the last 100 pages, and been exactly the same impact. That being said, we had a great book club discussion about how the west and India handle secrets, abuse, family, gossip and other things differently and the same, and how you stop inherited trauma from one generation to the next. Not unhappy I read it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse
Moderate: Alcoholism
Minor: Child abuse