If you are interested in contemporary Indian Literature, this book is for you! The story is set in Kerala, one of the beautiful states in India.
The God of Small Things received England’s 1997 Booker Prize, making Arundhati Roy the first Indian citizen to ever win the honour. This book has become a rapid Indian Best seller! It’s the author’s first novel and has been acclaimed as a masterpiece, ever since it became famous.
This is a tragic story about a Syrian Christian family from Aymenem in Kerala. The story of Ammu, a divorced mother, for whom life has always been bittersweet and her inseparable twins Estha & Rahel. Actually, the plot revolves around them. Roy gives you indepth look into an Indian Society, through the eyes of these innocent children. The lovable twins are just devastated as their childhood innocence is snatched away and their fate is determined accordingly.I don’t want to give you the whole story here, as you may lose interest while reading it for yourself!
As you begin to read, it will take sometime to get used to Roy’s writing style.It is written in a beautiful colloquial language in English. An unusual kind, from a westener’s point of view! Once you get used , you will really find it fascinating! That’s what happened to me. I couldn’t put this book down!
As the story unfolds, you are treated to the rich sights, sounds and smells of Kerala, referred to as God’s own country.You get a taste of India, if I am right!
What I liked more about the book was the honest description of a middle-class Indian family.
In this novel, I liked the author’s narrative skill, Weaving back and forth from the past to the present.She was careful enough not to reveal the future events, which made me get more glued to the novel.This incredible attention to details is most likely what won her the Booker Prize. Author’s style is both poetic and whimsical! I really enjoyed reading her work!
I read in one of her interviews , saying that this book was written by her over a course of three years. Everyday she would write a couple of sentences at the most it seems! Still, she had complete grasp of the story as I could see every single detail was crisp and clear!
She touched me with her wonderful ability to get into the child’s mind and portray what a child would experience and feel!
For people around the world, when they think of India, the first thing they relate to are Gandhi, overpopulation, poverty, Indian curry, Hindu culture etc etc.Now they can add ’The God of Small Things’ to the list.It’s a real reading pleasure which introduces you to middle-class Indians of a small state in India.
This book will prompt you to think and learn more about India, a beautiful country with rich culture along with it’s complicated social problems. In this modern world, in India still arranged marriages are going strong and successful with the exception of few cases.
The God of Small Things fulfills the highest demand of the art of fiction. Roy sees the world not habitually but as though for the first time! Roy’s achievement is never to forget the small things in life such as insects, flowers, wind and water. I think, we can celebrate ’The God of Small Things’ as we cannot do anything about ’Big Things’ happening.
Roy deserved to win and she did! She received the Booker Prize! By winning the Booker Prize, Roy gave Indian writing in English , a global acceptance.
I would say this this is one of the best, I’ve read in a long time. I was very much captivated by this book as the scenes explained were commendable. A fantastic fiction and a must read! I highly recommend this to everyone!