Discussions
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mizdandy
I agree with kebellis. There were times when the writing seemed a bit precious and forced, but I'll be damned if I didn't finish the whole thing!
posted 5 years ago.
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TusharA
Picked it up a couple of years ago, and I'm sorry to say that I couldn't even get through a quarter. The book just didn't interest me, still doesn't, to be honest.
Might try again sometime in the future, though.posted 5 years ago.
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ColeMcGee
As a twin, I have to say I loved this book. :-) Language is beautiful. I remember some comments about how it was too "vulgar" for the Booker Prize. nonsense.
posted 5 years ago.
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I couldn't get past the first few chapters in the book. The first few pages and I discovered why my high school english teacher recommended reading it, rich wrt literature and no real substance IMO. Being an Indian and having grown up in Kerala, I could very well picture the scenarios & even identify the brand names used, but all of it seemed to lead nowhere. Not enough to retain my attention and I forced myself to continue reading. A few chapters and I couldn't push myself further. Definitely not a book I would recommend.
posted 5 years ago.
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riturawat
i dont know why but i didnt quite like the book - i read it quite some time back when it first appeared - but i have nearly no memory of it now
posted 5 years ago.
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shkza
i like to think of 'the god of small things' like chinese food - it's great and tasty while you're in the middle of it, but two hours later you're hungry again. i'm not sure how she manages it, but the book leaves almost no lasting impression days after you finish it. i'd be hard pressed to recall anything (having read it when it first came out in hardcover) other than some child abuse and some beautiful writing.
posted 5 years ago.
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pooja28986
it's been almost a year since i read it......i can recall of some really sweet and tender moments described beautifully in the book....the dilemmas,desires and obligations of an indian women....the harshness of life....some very cute conversations between the mother and her children....the beauty of finding divinity in small emotions.....simply touching
posted 5 years ago.
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SilentSensation
i actually quite like the fleshed out character of baby kochamma. i could sense the desperation of her circumstances. did you?
posted 5 years ago.
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Sheila
I read this book when it came due to all the hype - it really did not meet my expectations - even though I like Arundhati's ideologies
posted 5 years ago.
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thoughts_evolve
Well it was a great read except that I got pretty depressed with the ending as it was abrupt and so abstract.. The whole theme makes you think in many ways... I could literally see a movie parallely while I was reading it,,, the characters had so much strength... Amazing work..
posted 5 years ago.
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ATTICUS
The first English novel I read which was based on life in my part of the world... And easily the best Indian English novel I have read so far... Will be a tough first-act to follow... Waiting for her next book...
posted 5 years ago.
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aparna17 removed this reply 5 years ago
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aparna17
I was initially a little sceptical about about what it'd be like, coz i'd heard adverse reviews from lots of people about it... but from the first line I was swept away... Its got a simplictity about it that not many other books match up to... the characters are all so real, so vibrant... and more than what she says its the things that arent spelt out that make the book so unique...
posted 5 years ago.
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kamaljee removed this reply 5 years ago
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chandan77
The story telling abilities and extensive word power is well appreciated, but it could have been a little short and crisp! The author easily takes you to the Indian setting and raises several prominent issues in caste, politics and behavioral norms.
posted 5 years ago.
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mahendra_limilama
i am really surprise that how it got booker prize award.so can u tell me that what essentials facts lead a book to get booker prize.this book has no moral .it will help society in no ways
posted 5 years ago.
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mahendra_limilama
i am really surprise that how it got booker prize award.so can u tell me that what essentials facts lead a book to get booker prize.this book has no moral .it will help society in no ways
posted 5 years ago.
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Silver Worm
One of the best books that I have ever read.I had read this book 4 years back...even today each line, character and situation come back to me.It is one of those books which fills your heart with .....who knows what?Definitely in my top five best reads.....
posted 5 years ago.
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coniffer_fig
People who has liked this book would surely read "Inheritance Of Loss" by Kiran Desai...
Both Arundhati and Kiran have a very similiar style of reading..
Its poetic,serene and very beautifulposted 5 years ago.
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Preetsli
Perception is individualistic. The descriptive imagery and language got this book the booker prize and its worth it.. not merely any hype..
posted 5 years ago.
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Charishm
Which are your favourite lines from the book...those you identify with...those you have thought yourself but could never find words to bring out...those that touched you....those that astounded you.....and those you thought could never have been conceived......
posted 5 years ago.
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Charishm
Some of those unforgettable for me are.......
"Love Laws: Who should be loved, and how. And how much."
"Smells, like music, hold memories."
"There are things you can't do - like writing letters to a part of yourself. To your feet or hair. Or heart."
"The Great Stories are the ones you have heard and want to hear again.........You know how they end, yrt you listen as though you don't. In the way that although you know that one day you will die, you live as though you won't..........In the Great Stories you know who lives, who dies, who finds love, who doesn't. And you want to know again. That is their mystery and thair magic."
(I think that last one holds true for the book itself!)posted 5 years ago.
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Abhishek
thrilling experience....................i felt as if i was a part of the story watching all of them........listening to them.........
posted 5 years ago.
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debanjandey
This is a truly magnificent book... I'll go as far as to say its my top rated book. The undercurrents hidden within the paragraphs are like nothing you're ever likely to experience again. Taking nothing away from the book, the very final chapter fell a bit flat, though.
posted 5 years ago.
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Oswald Pereira
Brilliant writing. Does get slow in between; but then it's not meant to be a thriller. It's good literature.
posted 5 years ago.
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rajeshgangam
Sorry you cannot read any book on this site... It only contains reviews
posted 5 years ago.
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lekshmi removed this reply 5 years ago
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lekshmi
I am from Kerala, and I have read this book. It is lyrical, yes, but it hardly appeals to the sensibilities of people who hail from the same place as where the novel is set. Possibly because it is pretentious - very much so, and also possibly because knowing the personality of the author (who was, for a time, active in the socio-political scenario here) interferes with an objective evaluation
posted 5 years ago.
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scheruvi
...that's unfortunate. The part about "knowing the author personality". I can see why Roy can be obnoxious, but that does not make GofSmall Things any less of a magnificent achievement of a novel.
what's pretentious about it?
It's command of narrative scope is nothing short of brilliant. With the vision of a cathedral-esque architect, Roy constructs a story, a plot that evolves and reaches into grand, historical reaches. Never before have I seen language, and time used so effectively. So poignantly.posted 5 years ago.
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Anushil
hi all , once agn n invitation 2 all of u who have loved this masterpiece n have coonected to it, to the GOST group, lets share some thoughts n ideas there, n make it a more active..
here's the link
http://www.shelfari.com/groups/12335/aboutposted 5 years ago.
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dgmcnelis
Hello Gordon,
Thanks for your note about the God of Small Things, a book I really liked. My favorite sci fi is the Dune series and Ursula LeGuin. I've just finished A Fine Balance by Rohinton Mistry another novel of India dealing with the change to democracy... politics prejudices and people, very fine writing.posted 5 years ago.
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sanghamitra c
Loved it. Her Indian background gives a different dimension to the writing style. As if a long poem has been narrated. Quite captivating!
posted 5 years ago.
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chand k
Arundhati Roy's one of the best novels.The story gives me the feeling of being close to its characters.
posted 5 years ago.
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shahamit
As far as I know this is her only novel. She has started on another project recently.
posted 5 years ago.
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Princess Lubna Orchid of India
An original book written par excellence! Intriguing book!
posted 5 years ago.
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Thandassery S
The narration style , the political environment of the situation , the longness for love , the jealousy of the human kinds reflected the entire theme . The logic and the attitude of that places culture where the story circumference is justifiable. An excellent creation of the internal sufferings!
posted 5 years ago.
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Princess Lubna Orchid of India
An original book written par excellence! Intriguing book! A must read! Booker prize winner!
posted 5 years ago.
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sophia ak
I read the books a couple of years back..sad that she has not come back with anything as good as that. I still remember the book as one of my best reads..lovely langauge and her one liners are fantastics
posted 5 years ago.
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mili r
Taught me that " anything can happen to anyone" and that" things can change in a day".
posted 5 years ago.
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mili r removed this reply 5 years ago
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An announcement though informal has been made that Roy has started working on her second novel.
Read the complete article at
http://www.smh.com.au/news/books/an-activist-returns-to-the-novel/2007/03/08/1173166881043.html?page=fullpage#contentSwap2
Last time she took 4 years to complete going by that i think you will have to wait for some time...posted 5 years ago.
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Shirin V
Excellent Book. The grief of Estha, Rahel & Ammu haunt you long after you have finished reading the book.
posted 5 years ago.
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Wetherhaven removed this reply 5 years ago
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redfishbluefish
Hype? Sorry....maybe we down here on the bottom of the world are some how far off the hype track....but I can't say that I was exposed to ANY hype on Arandhati Roy or GOST..... I picked up the book at the Sydney airport with three hours to kill between flights. I couldn't put the book down and read all the way home to Darwin (5 hours)...and then stayed awake to finish when I arrived home. Like so many of my 'friends' (aren't your books cherished companions?) my first copy was shared with a remote area nurse working in an Aboriginal community 12 hours drive from Darwin.....she shared it with another and another and now the book is somewhere in the Queensland bush...connecting people to a world they will probably never visit any other way than through its pages....and for each of us, it's a surprise journey...the first page is the 'way in', rather than some hyped introduction to spoil the personal discovery and 'order' your expectations.....
posted 5 years ago.
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Claudiu b
the cultural element certainly makes this book worth reading......even if i had problems with her style of writing i couldn't let it down.....definitely a plus for arundhati roy
posted 5 years ago.
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aysha n
this story proves that arundhati is defenitly a gifted writer.
even though i have read the book years back, the story and its characters remain fresh in my heart as a newly read book.posted 5 years ago.
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aysha n removed this reply 5 years ago
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poojaverma123123
I would really agree with the comments, as even i have tried for so long to finish THIS book, but still havent been able to ....
But will definitely finish it off one day ... ;)posted 5 years ago.
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poojaverma123123 removed this reply 5 years ago
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sohail abdullah
when i started readin this book, i had just finished Crime and Punishment and "Raja Gidh". This book takes time as it has been written in bits and pieces in almost five years of time. But the beauty of the language, expressions and bringing the little little things to the spot light really kept me spending time with that book and I love it.
posted 5 years ago.
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drjayeshsharma
i am the most rabid anti-communist u'll find on the face of this earth. the whole idea of communism as a force of liberation is repugnant to me. but the beauty f the book is not its ideology. its the flow of language. the use of elvis as a metaphor, the use of small details to illutrate a mood, the use of quirks to outline personalities.... all this fascinates me. 1 star for ideology 4.5 stars for style
posted 5 years ago.
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carla s
the book is fascinating..the detailed description of the inner and outer worlds of the participants. the feeling that it gives you, as if you were there in the midst of the story seeing, hearing feeling everything..the sadness, the despair, the love..simply fascinating. i can't understand how someone could not finish this book..it is a book you can't put down..it catches you and won't let you go even after you have finished reading it.
posted 5 years ago.
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Madhu C
This book provides an isnight into so many conflicts that man faces within himself and with the outside world.Roy's prose is beautiful and keeps you wanting for more.A wonderful creation
posted 5 years ago.
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Dawn M removed this reply 5 years ago
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FAROOQ I
The “God of Small Things” is about the middle class Christian family in India and the events leading up to a tragedy that affect their lives forever. The fact that goes on is a story based on the experiences of young twins, Rahel and Estha, who become victims of circumstances, beyond their control.
I thought the writing was very poetic but at times, it is confusing and hard to follow. Seems like a stream of consciousness.posted 5 years ago.
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avi7
well a very unusal book with a good clutural study of kerala...a communist outrage n all is really true...n all those social stuffs n all are enjoyable
posted 5 years ago.
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avi7 removed this reply 5 years ago
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Lily K
I really loved this book, but I do think its the kind of book you have to read twice because there is so much referring back to things which work well on a second reading. One question: have I completely imagined the incest of the twins at the end? im sure thats what she was saying happened, but where does that come into the story?? I could be really off the mark here.
posted 5 years ago.
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Yiwonda B
No you didn't imagine the incest at the end; my interpretation of the incest is that it is the result of their utter despair-thier state is such that if you wiegh the unthinkable (the incest) and its awful gravity, it is the equivalent of the pain they are going through-it was the only thing they could do to get some sort of (good) feeling back. Have u read the book only once? I find the that the incest chapter is the best written chapter in the book-she is amazing!
posted 5 years ago.
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Lily K
I really loved this book, but I do think its the kind of book you have to read twice because there is so much referring back to things which work well on a second reading. One question: have I completely imagined the incest of the twins at the end? im sure thats what she was saying happened, but where does that come into the story?? I could be really off the mark here.
posted 5 years ago.
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ayuel m
i love this book it`s great and is one of this book
you need to readed towiceposted 5 years ago.
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Amanda L
a lovely book - easy to read, and yet very rich with images and philosophies. I LOVED IT and I read it again right after I finished it. a truly moving story this is!
posted 5 years ago.
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hirok removed this reply 5 years ago
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hirok
a beautifully tld story.. showing bful illustration of kerala..nd der culture.
posted 5 years ago.
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Athitha K
Tragic but very impressive one. The language used is so rich and beautiful.
This book brings me back the memory of people, rain, mangos, river and the beauty of Kerala.posted 5 years ago.
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chhaya removed this reply 5 years ago
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chhaya
I have read this book many times and each time the tragedy only multiplies. When estha goes silent , u can feel that around u and really at a point of time silence becomes really deafenning. With beautiful kerala set as background , one cannot stop admiring the nature at its best.
posted 5 years ago.
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nimbus81 removed this reply 5 years ago
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Sarah B
Her use of language is amazing...I found it very hard to keep track of what was going on and when. Lots of going back and forth in time. I would have to read it again to completely understand it. I'm glad I read it but it was definitely challenging.
posted 5 years ago.
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varnika y removed this reply 5 years ago
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Bookwormdoc
The style is very different, going back and forth in time and seeing an incident from the point of view of different characters. The first few chapters seemed confusing, but towards the end, everything fell into place like the pieces of a jigsaw puzzle.The typically Indian terminology is interesting, like 'A fountain in love in Tokyo'. Some descriptions are amazing, like 'The dark of heartness going into the heart of darkness.' An unforgettable book.
posted 5 years ago.
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Gupts
Honestly, i didnt lik this book at all.. Found it extremely boring.. Never figured out why this book created so much hype
posted 5 years ago.
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cutiepie1_amz
i compeletly disagree wth ur comment....
her language is jus amazin...
i had found myself literally cryin many times while i was readin dat book....(may b dats ma fault)
d world f estha n rahel jus makes me recollect ma childhood days.... spent wth ma bro....hw many ppl can recreate chldren's world jus as she did...she has mapped children's thoughts quite well
d book is al abt d pain f seperation n loss ...
I lOve this book
its wonderfulposted 5 years ago.
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Bia A
A beautifully detailed book........I think women have enjoyed it much more than men atleast amongst my friends. I found it sad yes but its language and style, and honesty is exceptional
posted 5 years ago.
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mukesh k removed this reply 5 years ago
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mukesh k removed this reply 5 years ago
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Indrani D
The author is incredibly talented. But I simply cannot condone the tremendous violence that permeates every page of this book. Also turns childhood on its head.
posted 5 years ago.
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john
a very complex way of writing.atimes i ran out of patience reading the "too detailed" description of the minutest of things and events.
posted 5 years ago.
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rupashri p removed this reply 5 years ago
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vaishu
this book has nothin to its credit... it's amazin how some writers can garner the putridities from the sewers of their soul and put it to paper... and then the media goes to hype on it..
in today's world, any fool who can spell out his perversions gets applauded... this is one such book... if u haven't read it, good for u, don't pollute ur mind!!posted 4 years ago.
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playagirl
I just finished reading this book and I thought it was amazing. However, like Inheritance of Loss I feel as though the ending leaves us hanging a bit. How does everyone else feel about the ending? Obviously (I think) there is some incest involved but what else are we to take from this ending??? Anyone?
posted 4 years ago.
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rexitup
Disappointed!!! One word to sum the book up. Years after the book released and the much hyped Booker Prize marketing, I finally got to" God of small things" …after a decade.
I was merrily surprised by bouts of brilliance in the book, and cheated by such few occurrence of the same.
One cannot miss the different style of writing and Rahel's perception... an acute sense of humor. The incidents are threaded in a bizarre fashion, sometimes overlapping so many times that you just read through it.posted 4 years ago.
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Ahsen A
ridicolous book.....I dnt know what was in writer's mind while writing it....and on this all this whoo whaa about how fantastic the book is....
I hope people will come to their senses...posted 4 years ago.
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Ahsen A
ridicolous book.....I dnt know what was in writer's mind while writing it....and on this all this whoo whaa about how fantastic the book is....
I hope people will come to their senses...posted 4 years ago.
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Abhi
i seriously think this book is very boring... and the language which the author used sounded more like she wants to show her language prowess when its actually not required. I've read this book half way and couldn't proceed any further.
posted 4 years ago.
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cognac h
Seen through the eyes of a young girl , Arundhathi"s debut novel is sharp , well narrated , witty and poignant.
I just loved the book so much .
N.B , best read with a box of tissues !!posted 4 years ago.
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Shonali P
The book definitely does not live up to its hype and I really wonder if it deserved an award! My impression of the book was that it is too perverted!
posted 4 years ago.
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little red wing
That you would call it perverted shows a slight bit of shortsightedness. I have a twin brother. I know what kind of a bond it is to have a twin of a different sex. Though are story isn' anything like this one. I can see how it happened. It's a beautiful story about the human condition. It's honest. People have these harmful/undefinable/amazing sort of relationships all the time. It's important to humanize these people and try to understand what is really happening between them.
I get that you may not have liked it, but calling it perverted show you may have missed the point.
P.S. I do not mean any of these remarks to sound harsh or in anyway angry. Just making an observation.posted 4 years ago.
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Inquilab
A brilliant book. The style of narration was dreamy and really different. Don't miss this beautiful piece of literature.
posted 4 years ago.
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Inquilab removed this reply 4 years ago
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Anuradha G
This is a must read book. It will take a mature and highly intellectual mind to visualize every sequence as described by the author. For those who could not digest it, I would urge you to re-read it with an open mind. I did not find anything objectionable or perverse, or disappointing in this book. If you are from the generation of the 50s and 60s, you will surely appreciate the truthfulness of the author. I am re-reading this book after a gap of 10 years. It appears so new and fresh again. Do read it!
posted 4 years ago.
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swamiji
i appreciate that you really enjoyed the book.can you explain one thing?in the climax, does it mean that one child was born to the paravan and the other to ammu's first husband?Or does it mean that the 2 children had sex?Please do explain.I am really confused
posted 3 years ago.
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