Synopsis
The God of Small Things is the winner of the 1997 Booker Prize, by Arundhati Roy, a renowned author and activist from India.
It is a family saga that follows a multigenerational cast of characters from the same family living in Ayemenem, a small village in Kerala, south India.
My thoughts…
Complex, Shocking and Beautiful. I sailed through the last half in one sitting and even though one is aware of the books tragic end as soon as it begins, the end isn’t worse than the journey, in fact it is the journey that made the end so bitter.
This book is a family drama set in Ayemenem, a small village in Kerala during the Marxist revolution. It has two alternating timelines, one set in the past and one set in the rotting remains of its aftermath. Its story is closely tied to the multitude of complex issues that govern Indian life to this day including the caste system, corrupt politicians, a patriarchal society, the love laws, a post colonial society etc. which made my feelings towards each of the characters even more visceral. Whether it was Mammachis very much unconditional (to a fault) love for her son and her violent dismissal of her daughter, or the scheming aunt who cared more for the family’s reputation than the family themselves. These are characters who I know in real life, stories I see play out in front of my eyes and I too don’t know who to blame.
Arundhati Roy’s exquisite prose, with its abundant similes and metaphors transports you to that sticky, hot, humid village in Kerala and makes you almost experience the tragedy as acutely as the characters themselves.
I will not recommend this book to everyone. It is a laborious read even though Arundhati Roy’s prose is beautiful and poetic. If you aren’t Indian or unaware of the political and social climate behind the book you will not understand the depth of its tragedy or the motivations of each of the characters, so this read will require some background research. In my opinion the fruit is worth the labour.
ishita thinks... 