Rating: 
Summary: V. V. Good
Review: Simply the most engaging book I've ever read. I've no more to say
Rating:
Summary: The God of Small Things
Review: I have read many books and this is LITERALLY the BEST book I have ever read. The language is incredible, the characters are convincing, and the plot is heartbreakingly bittersweet. I finished it and started reading it again in the same hour. I wholeheartedly recommend it.
Rating:
Summary: Outstanding
Review: A wonderful book. I highly recommend it to those with an interest in India, its traditions and culture. Roy's language is very rich and unique.
Rating: 
Summary: Nothing special
Review: For the sake of conciseness, I will simplify my review into two lists: what I liked about the book; and what I didn't.WHAT I LIKED: 1) good use of language, especially for someone from India 2) Vivid descriptions that do a nice job of conveying a feeling or mood about a place or character WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE 1) descriptions often too lengthy and verbose 2) lots of sudden jumps in time and between subplots 3) subplots occasionally come together, but never frame or coalesce into a coherent plot 4) description is rendered from a child's prospective in terminology I like to refer to as Bratspeak 4a) too much repetition of cutesy Bratspeak terms and phrases: Orangedrink Lemondrink, stoppited, He lived in a Cara-van. Dum Dum., Ambassador E. Pelvis, A Puff and a Fountain in a Love-in-Tokyo, etc. 5) difficult to relate to regional issues and customs (Communist movement, wars, caste system) that are not explained in enough detail for those of us who weren't Indian History majors. 6) The first 200 pages are tedious to get through as they contain most of the above problems. 7) Ending is anticlimactic (no pun intended). Reading this book was not the rewarding experience that the positive reviews here and elsewhere led me to expect. The fact that USA Today's reviewer reread it immediately is easily explained by the fact that they write for USA Today, bulwark of all things BAD (see BAD, or the Dumbing of America, by Paul Fussell for elaboration). The book was not as bad as the negative reviews here might lead one to believe, but it certainly was nothing special either. I would not have awarded it the Booker Prize, and there are too many good read out there for me to recommend this one.
Rating:
Summary: Captivating story line and thought provoking writing style
Review: This storyline starts slow but unravels all the way to the last chapter and finally leaves the reader captivated. Roy's descriptive brilliance took my imagination to levels I never knew. Her clever writing style may be frustrating at first but all comes together in the end like a revelation! So, please finish the whole thing before you comment! Even better, read the first chapter again after youre finished. I recommend this book to all Indians in the world who are prepared for some harsh reality and to anyone else who is adventerous enough to understand a different culture through Roy's ambigous style (and is willing to look up terms and phrases). This book is not for leisurly easy reading. It is a look at the hidden darker elements of Indian society and its ramifications through the eyes of both children and adults.
Rating: 
Summary: THE GOD OF small THINGS
Review: My book club chose this book as selection of the book and the reviews were generally favorable. Most of the members, including myself, were drawn to the tragic richness of the character devlopment and the wonderul use of language. Although the abscence of a traditional plot line did throw me at first, the brilliant energy and stamina involved in the writing more than compensated. Sort reminded me of Faulkner teaming up with Dr. Seus.
Rating:
Summary: the rest of you just don't get it!(& I didn't at first too!)
Review: I agree with both the negative and positive reviews of this book - they mirrored my own frustration and then elation when I was reading this novel. At first read the style of the language is really jarring and it's as if Roy just wanted to show off her 'creativity' in using the English language but it only resulted in annoying and irritating me. However, as I progress through the book, at first carried by trying to figure out the plot (and finishing the book) more than anything else, Roy's language began to work its magic on me, and I finally came to appreciate how truly beautiful and eloquent her use of the English language is. If you put aside for a moment you prejudice against seemingly unnecessary caps and stilted short phrases, and just let the language speaks its truth directly to you, then you'll appreciate Roy's immense achievement in boiling down the English language into its raw essence. Certain imageries began to stick in my mind because of their potent power: like how Estha was holding an 'invisible orange' after the sickening episode with the Lemondrink man, and the phrase 'schoolteachershaped hole in the Universe' is rather apt. The story is also tremendously moving, and the ebbs and flows of tension tug unrelentlessly at the heartstrings. In all, for those of you who unwisely threw your book into the trash can, I would advise you to fish it back and give it a second try, this time just let its magic work on you, you'll be amply rewarded.
Rating: 
Summary: Just say no
Review: I sincerely applaud anyone who can get through the first chapter of this book without falling asleep. Even my professor who assigned the book--a Stanford professor, if that means anything--admitted that it took him several months to get through the first chapter. Every sentence seems to be so profound that the whole book just dissolves into absurdity. If books that are needlessly complex and satiated with metaphors (see, I'm infected) appeal to you, have a ball. Garbage.
Rating:
Summary: Where is the damn story?
Review: Roy labours hard to describe events/things...flaunts her mastery of the language profusely...but excuse me where is the damn plot? This is story-telling at its worst and ornate writing at its best...for me R K Narayan is still the best Indian English writer...
Rating:
Summary: Speechless
Review: Whenever I dislike a book, I can always think of a thousand reasons *why* I dislike it. When I love a book, when I want to get down on my knees and give thanks to the author's parents for her conception, when I want to climb pecan trees and throw nuts to surprised squirrels and sing with off-key delight, I find myself strangled by tears of gratitude and joy. Thank you, Arundhati Roy, for THE GOD OF SMALL THINGS. I can say nothing more that would do this beautiful and heart-rending book justice.
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