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saareman 's review for:
Ghachar Ghochar
by Vivek Shanbhag
The Spice must Flow
"Ghachar Ghochar" takes such an odd turn at the end that you may feel the need to read it again immediately in order to look for the dark thread that runs through it underneath its mostly light and often humorous surface. For me, the ending was at first utterly shocking and seemed as if it was for a different book. But with some thought and hindsight (and admittedly some re-reading) it does make a kind of sense. Readers who like things to be explained clearly may be disappointed.
As described in the book, the title is an invented family saying which is the equivalent of "all messed up", "fouled up beyond all repair", etc. This private joke is used initially about a ball of thread but it becomes an expression to describe the situation of a rags-to-riches family. While the novella is mostly a drama/comedy, there is a hint of noir mystery as well. Saying any more would be a spoiler.
"Ghachar Ghochar" takes such an odd turn at the end that you may feel the need to read it again immediately in order to look for the dark thread that runs through it underneath its mostly light and often humorous surface. For me, the ending was at first utterly shocking and seemed as if it was for a different book. But with some thought and hindsight (and admittedly some re-reading) it does make a kind of sense. Readers who like things to be explained clearly may be disappointed.
As described in the book, the title is an invented family saying which is the equivalent of "all messed up", "fouled up beyond all repair", etc. This private joke is used initially about a ball of thread but it becomes an expression to describe the situation of a rags-to-riches family. While the novella is mostly a drama/comedy, there is a hint of noir mystery as well. Saying any more would be a spoiler.