The God of Small Things

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Summary: Required reading for class... and I still loved it!
Review: I read this book for extra credit in one of my classes at Rice. Though I didn't finish the whole book before the semester was over, I actually took the time to complete it over my short winter break... And that's saying a lot, since I am quite a slow reader. In other words, I thought it was a great book, though I imagine some will find it slow and needlessly complicated. I, however, enjoyed the reflective-flashback style of the book, and I delighted in Roy's attention to detail. Again, this book will not appeal to everyone, but it's definitely worth looking into.

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Summary: College Essay
Review: While some parts were eloquently written, I couldn't help but feel the novice-level in which the story was portrayed. It was very any-climatic and over-hyped in my opinion. However, for those consumers influence by the covers of books, it's a grabber.

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Summary: Terrific!
Review: I loved this book! A true classic for the 90's. For those of you out there who did not enjoy Roy's style-I am sorry that you couldn't get swept up in her story. Her writing is stylized, sophisticated, and poetic-but not pretentious by any means.In fact this is a story for the masses-love, sex, politics, murder, villains and heros. For those of you reading this who haven't read God of Small Things yet definately pick it up today!

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Summary: Excellent a must read
Review: Arundhati Roy is amazing and this her debut I just can't wait for her next book to be out. She describes the characters so well....you feel that you are there and watching the whole story unfold in front of you.

A DEFINITE HAVE...if you have read it...read it again and again.

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Summary: Gave up...
Review: I tried to get into the book, but there was not enough to keep it all together. I had to put it down for good after the first 100 pages. I agree wholeheartedly with the comments made by [e-mail] from Singapore.

Rating:
Summary: An overhyped work.
Review: One wonders what all the hoopla was about. I consider myself a very tolerant reader, but this really tested my patience. Indeed, it is with very great difficulty that I finished the book. At best, it is a commendable first effort,certainly not a masterpiece. There is something to be said for the language, which is richly evocative, the similies and metaphors startlingly accurate. But Ms Roy simply overdoes this, so that the language becomes irritating after a while. The characters, I felt, were poorly drawn; they do not linger in the mind nor do they engender the sort of wistfullness that one finds in trully great works. It is also obviously a made-for-western-eyes work; it panders to western ideas of the exotic East rather than forcing western readers to approach India on her own terms. The novel therefore appears artificial. Despite all this,it is obvious that Ms Roy has a lot of talent, and her next novel - if there is going to be one - can only get better.

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Summary: A Syrian-Christian's Review of 'God of Small Things'
Review: The book makes unprecedented comments on the Syrian-Christian community at once thought-provoking and radical. The fact that this community has been mired in conservatism and has not dared to come out of it, despite education and material and financial prosperity is highlighted in the book. Arundhati takes liberties with the English language which no other writer has so far done making her unique and experimental. But its overuse has cluttered the pages and some times distracts. For instance 'Fountain in a Love in Tokyo' is used again and again ad nauseum. These words describe the way a Kerala mother ties her daughter's hair by gathering all of it at the top and putting a rubber band with two balls which serve to hold the hair in place so that the hair is heaped on the head to resemble a fountain. The author also says she doesn't change a word she writes. But editing is a necessary part of writing and changes must be made instead of rambling on from page to page. This is not to say that the book is in any way bad. It has the freshness of a first writer, the improvisation of a lingual genius, the vision of an artist and the sensitivity which is rarely found. Though praised as unique and exotic product Indo-Anglian writers should, this reviewer feels, not aim at being exotic and thus being ignored but topical and contemporory. The book is enchanting alright. It has also the ingredients of the experimental and vibrant Malayalam literature which was embellished and nourished by the priests and missionaries of the Syrian-Christian community of Kerala. Reading the book is a pleasant experience especially for a Syrian-Christian like me.

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Summary: A beautifully written and stirring piece of literature
Review: On the surface, The God of Small Things comes accross as a novel perhaps not so meaningful in its attempt to convey a message, but rather in the beauty and mesmerizing language embedded upon each page. To read each sentence is truly a gift rarely found in many novels, but is the meaning of Roy's work truly irrellevent? . The novel is beautiful, yes, but so too is the often unaccounted message hidden within its radiance. This work stirs up issues that have not been touched upon in South Asian literature very often. The role of women is dealt with harsh undertones of societal hypocracy and the ramifications of belonging to a particular class. Perhaps the most incredible aspect of this novel is the question which haunts the reader well beyond the conclusion of the novel "Who dictates a woman's happiness?"

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Summary: A Great, Vividly Told Journey
Review: Not being very familiar with Indian culture, I was initially a little slow at getting into this story. However, once I was in, I was IN! This book is wonderfully written and emotionally evocative. The characters are very developed, and the book is lyrically haunting and told with such honesty of feeling. I urge everyone to read it! I especially enjoyed learning more about India.

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Summary: A terrific book about small things having great impact.
Review: Arundhati Roy manages to capture the essence of India in her book. While reading it, I was amused by phrases that are part of everyday conversation in India and not given much thought by the average person - gum boots, Eagle flasks and tiffins of tomato sandwiches. The plot itself is the familiar one of star-crossed lovers, but the story is told through the eyes of young children who are confused yet intrigued by the goings-on of a grown-up world. The impact carries over into their lives as adults. Because the book is not written in linear time, but zig zags between past and present, the plot and characters form a large, fascinating jigsaw puzzle. I loved most of the characters, I hated the others, but I felt sorry for them all. "The God of Small Things" is based in India, but it is a book about human nature. Anyone can relate to it.