Masterpiece!
|
The God of Small Things is an excellent book, one of a kind. Vocabulary that Roy has used, though unconventional and sometimes grammatically incorrect, is what makes the story powerful and unique.
In its simplest description it is a story of one family, mostly of Estha and Rahel. In its complex description it is a story that raises many questions that for generations have been unanswerable.
Caste system in India, discrimination against untouchables is only of them. Through sad tale of Velutha and Ammu, we see the price one pays for trying to overcome the barriers that society has placed. Velutha's untouchable body touched Ammu's upper-cast body in the most intimate form. He was a man, she a woman and they made passionate love. But it wasn't how the society saw it. He was an untouchable and she a divorcee woman of upper-cast. She had on right to sleep with any man, least of all with an untouchable. She had no right to open her legs for a man, who was not considered good enough to be invited in the house. As Roy reminds us several times, there are rules about who should be loved and how much. When someone like Ammu dares to break those rules, someone like Velutha pays the price.
Twins broke the rules too, but their oneness of soul protects them from the accusing fingers of society. They are withdrawn; careless about the world. They have a protective shell around them which no one but only the other twin can enter. No one understands their bond, the closeness they share. Estha's silence is interpreted only by Rahel. Estha's invisible presence is seen by Rahel.
It is a story of love and loss, of politics and national changes. But above all it is a story of humanity that somehow manages to touch a soul of a reader.
|
|
|
A mix of everything
|
The God of Small Things tells the story of an Indian family that defies the Laws of Love ("that say who should be loved and how much").
It's a wonderful portrayal of Indian society over the past forty years and surprisingly insightful about family relationships. It's got a bit of everything as well: humor, innocence, sorrow, death, love, sex. It hides very little and it happens to give a very clear idea of the world through a child's eyes - something that reminded me of Mark Haddon, I must admit.
I enjoyed it a lot and I recommend whole-heartedly.
|
|
Tray Bong
|
My first attempt at reading this book took me to page 70, then I gave up. The descriptive language and pointless metaphors annoyed me. I also found the book hard to get into because it kept jumping around between past and present.
Unfortunately, I had to try and read the book again because I was studying it in English. I started, again, from the beginning and persisted with Roy's unique style. Once I had re-reached page 70 I realised that I was enjoying the book much more this time around. The mixed up chronology gives each event more significance and realism, and the jumbled order soon becomes easy enough to follow and understand. Every chapter has its own importance and relevance as in any good book, you just don't know it yet. I think that some knowledge of India and Indian Politics, especially Communism, might help people enjoy the book more because it will make some parts easier to understand.
Overall, it is worth the initial struggle needed to get into this book, because when you do you will be rewarded. It is also ironic that Roy's style is the first thing you hate but the last thing you love.
I would like to finish by urging anyone that gave the book a review of 1 or 2 stars to read it again. Of course, you are entitled to your opinion and if you believe this book to be bad then that is fine. However, you are wrong.
|
|
Review of 'The God of Small Things'
|
At first, I found this book quite inaccessible, due to the many characters thrown at you within the first few pages, and the way the plot gallops off without you. In fact, I did wonder whether my copy had a few pages missing at the start, and it took me several attempts at reading chapter 1 before I finally started to get into the book. But when I did, it was well worth it.
Roy displays emotions in an equally sensitive and delicate way as nature. Working hard to follow the sections of plot revealed at different points, I think I learnt something of the confusion Rahel and Estha felt, and the efforts they had to make growing up in the midst of a broken family, and a troubled culture. I found the juxtaposition between the un-conventionally structured novel, and the ever present metaphorical boundaries very appropriate.
A mix of the stories of individuals, and those that affect all of us, this book finishes with a concept we can all relate to: tommorow.
|
|
|
Worth it!
|
The fact that `The God of Small Things' has won the Booker Prize would initially make anyone think that the book was probably worth a read.
However Roy's individual writing style can make getting into this book and understanding the concepts and plot challenging. Other reviewers have commented on the difficulty in getting to know the characters and associating with them in the plot that frequently switches between past and present. Initially, after the first few chapters, I would have agreed with them; however if you want to fully appreciate this book it is necessary to look further into the book than merely the words on the page. The childish language and descriptive narrative that many readers have expressed dislike with, I think is entirely necessary in creating the right ambiance in the chapters where Rahel and Estha are children. Additionally, the way in which the plot is told is entirely in keeping with how any real life story is discovered, through snippets of information, and not in a chronological list.
The negative reviews of this book I can sympathise with, but unfortunately I have to say that they will be from reviewers who do not want to delve deeper into the Indian meanings, customs and cultures that Roy includes; and instead want everything laid out for them on a plate... Persevere with this book and you will be rewarded!
|
|
|
United States | 
United Kingdom | 
Canada