The God of Small Things / by Arundhati Roy

[Kim Allen Scott]

I must be the last leisure reader in this library to pour over this 1997 award-winning novel.  I’m rather glad I put it off, since it follows my consumption of “A Suitable Boy” and several other Indian novels in the last few years.  “The God of Small Things” is a remarkable book, told in a series of flashbacks, mostly from the point of view of twin children whose lives were shattered by a number of tragedies.  One reviewer has said of this book that it begins at the end and ends in the middle, and that is somewhat true.  Since I knew from the outset that something terrible was going to befall these children, I had an uneasy sense of foreboding all while I read the book.  However, the descriptions and character development were first rate, and helped me deal with the uneasiness I felt.  This is not a happy tale, but nevertheless a fascinating look at live, love, politics and religion in India as experienced by some interesting people.

[Jane B]

Try if you can find it: A Fine Balance by Rohington Mistry, one of my favourite books.