The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy.
In 1997 this was a novel from a new author, published when Roy was aged 36.
The book won the Man Booker Prize in its publication year; it was followed by a series of non-fiction items and then in 2017 her second novel, “The Ministry of Utmost Happiness”.
The God of Small Things is the drama of an Indian family spanning three generations and set in Kerala, southern India.
The family are initially materially well placed with land and buildings and a good living. They gradually descend into poverty as the caste system bears down on their relationships.
This is also a story about the childhood experiences of (not identical) twins and the manner in which Indian societal norms influence their lives.
The book generated a very lively and extensive debate in the review meeting.
The focus on just three generations of one family, could have been a limitation, but with Roy’s skilful prose the book takes on a vivid nature and epic scale.
All Book Club members experienced some difficulties with this book.
The time structure (which jumps around) makes reading difficult.
The general dirtiness of mud, blood, mosquitos, slime, and excrement makes reading unpleasant, and the violence amplified that unpleasantness.
However, this is a book of vivid prose, of being taken into the moment with children and families, and of exquisite detail.
The characters are well described and differentiated, with all their flaws on display.
The plot and narrative arc are abundantly clear and the writing is excellent.
A reluctant reader is drawn, inexorably to the story.
The dizygotic twins are fundamental to this book, and Roy exploits their relationship throughout.
She also cleverly depicts the way children react to words spoken by adults.
The final chapters of the book elicited reactions ranging from “beautiful ending” to “horrid”.
The book generated much discussion, including topics:
The time jumps made reading more difficult. Is this a “fashion” issue? (There are 567 time-jump books listed on goodreads).
Is it a faithful presentation if Indian society in the way it depicts family life, casteism, politics, the environment, poverty etc?
Can twins be so close as to seem to have only one mind?
AABC Rating: 4.1
PC. 12 Feb 2022.
|
