I had picked up 'God of small things' by Arundhati Roy from a book sale at a local library. I vaguely remembered my friend recommending it to me a while ago and that it was a Booker prize winner. So I thought of giving it a read. And now that I've finished with it, I am so happy that I did. It's one of the most awesome books I've read in quite some time now.
It follows the story of a Syrian christian family in Kerala, while giving us a glimpse of the world through the eyes of children, the caste system and its influence on the actions of people, of love, innocence and hatred.
The plot is strikingly similar to the classic 'To kill a mockingbird' but that doesn't make the book any less worthy of praise. What I like about the book is not so much the story but the narrative. The author has a way of painting pictures through words and they come to life to absorb you into the story. The ability to convey emotions in very simple yet highly effective words is the writer's strength. After reading through the first few chapters, you get a good idea of the story. The beauty is that this doesn't deter the book from being a page-turner.
The details into which the writer goes to establish the characters is simply brilliant. The book throws light on life in Kerala and the caste politics in a very raw and straightforward manner. Love and betrayal are recurring themes in the story. Be it Estha's betray at the hands of the 'Orangedrink Lemondrink' man or Velutha's betray by Estha, each character has their trust destroyed at some point. All these incidents are interconnected and cause the story to progress.
My favorite part of the book is the depiction of the world through the innocent eyes of Estha and Rahel. It portrays how children view the world and how words spoken by adults assume a life of their own. Reading words backwards, blowing spit bubbles or planning to run away from home-all the typical childish behavior is beautifully described and brings the children closer to the reader's heart.
On the whole, this is a must-read for anyone who enjoys a descriptive and emotional novel. Those looking for a quick read without bothering about literary quality of the book may find this disappointing. Justifying its title, the book indeed is about the God of small things and is important and enjoyable for these very small things.
It follows the story of a Syrian christian family in Kerala, while giving us a glimpse of the world through the eyes of children, the caste system and its influence on the actions of people, of love, innocence and hatred.
The plot is strikingly similar to the classic 'To kill a mockingbird' but that doesn't make the book any less worthy of praise. What I like about the book is not so much the story but the narrative. The author has a way of painting pictures through words and they come to life to absorb you into the story. The ability to convey emotions in very simple yet highly effective words is the writer's strength. After reading through the first few chapters, you get a good idea of the story. The beauty is that this doesn't deter the book from being a page-turner.
The details into which the writer goes to establish the characters is simply brilliant. The book throws light on life in Kerala and the caste politics in a very raw and straightforward manner. Love and betrayal are recurring themes in the story. Be it Estha's betray at the hands of the 'Orangedrink Lemondrink' man or Velutha's betray by Estha, each character has their trust destroyed at some point. All these incidents are interconnected and cause the story to progress.
My favorite part of the book is the depiction of the world through the innocent eyes of Estha and Rahel. It portrays how children view the world and how words spoken by adults assume a life of their own. Reading words backwards, blowing spit bubbles or planning to run away from home-all the typical childish behavior is beautifully described and brings the children closer to the reader's heart.
On the whole, this is a must-read for anyone who enjoys a descriptive and emotional novel. Those looking for a quick read without bothering about literary quality of the book may find this disappointing. Justifying its title, the book indeed is about the God of small things and is important and enjoyable for these very small things.
