Rating: 
Summary: too long
Review: A novel set in the upper class of the gracious, repressive and complex world of the 1920's. Cinnamon Gardens is a suburb of Colombo and was built by the colonial masters for the purpose of gain. In these and around the gardens were exclusive homes; in two of these homes were related family members. This book tells of two families and their stories are intertwined. There is the uncle Balendram, who must suppress his secret desires and urges. And Annalukshmiis, a young teacher and niece of Balendram, whose family has arranged marriage to a man she does not love, causing her to be torn between family honor and her own independent nature. I found this to be a mature complex read of 400 pages. Fascinating read of the 1920's.
Rating: 
Summary: Grips You After The First Half
Review: After reading 'Funny Boy', I was eagerly awaiting Selvadurai's second offering. It is a very well written novel contrary to the reviews I had read. Selvadurai truly has the talent of a good writer. I picked up Funny Boy out of curiosity and events in my personal life and was hooked at his way of narrating a story. The characters of Annulakshmi and Balendran captivated me as much as that of Radha Aunty and Arjie in Funny Boy. I don't if it is just me, but I seemed to have noticed that Selvadurai has a way of emphasing the relationship between the main characters in an Aunt-Nephew role(Radha Aunty-Arjie) or Uncle-Niece role(Balendran-Annulaksmi). The first half of the book dealt with a little too much history, but I think that was necessary to establish the mood of the period. I really liked the way the book ended, however the romantic in me would have preferred a different ending for Annulakshmi's character. All in all, it is a must read. And here's hoping that Selvadurai continues to enthrall readers.
Rating: 
Summary: Exquisite
Review: After reading this author's first book, "Funny Boy," I went right to this. Like "Funny Boy," it is rich with culture, history and politics, all wrapped up in a fulfilling, captivating story. This book, set in the 1920s, has two parallel narratives.
The first is of Annalukshmi, a young, independent woman from Ceylon who struggles with her family's (and society's) insistence on an arranged marriage. The other narrative is about her uncle Balendran, a businessman who has obeyed familial restrictions and expectations, at great emotional sacrifice. Both of their worlds get turned upside down--by the actions of others, and how they choose to react to others in light of their own internal changes.
The many other characters are well-drawn, and it's a gripping story you don't want to end. When all the plot lines are tied up, though, it leaves you with a feeling of deep satisfaction and of having seen, and learned from, important lives of an earlier time. Quality writing, superb story-telling and peerless creation of a environment little known to most Westerners.
Rating:
Summary: Quietly and richly told
Review: CINNAMON GARDENS is really two gently unfolding stories of the effects an oppressive society (or family) can have on love and hope. The first story is that of Annalukshmi-a young teacher who simply wants to forge her own way through life, without being bound by societal conventions. She is a teacher, who dreams of being a headmistress, until she learns that because she is not English it can never happen. She hopes to find a loving relationship, but instead must struggle with the necessity of arranged marriages. Selvadurai beautifully portrays her inner conflict and frustration with the limitations imposed upon her, and the open-ended resolution of her story is so completely in tune with her character. The second story is that of Balendran, the beloved younger son of a wealthy businessman. When the man with whom he had an affair during college in England comes to Ceylon, Balendran gets a glimpse of how differently his life could have turned out had his father not abruptly ended the affair. He is forced to look at where he is and where he could have been, and to decide where he wants to be in the future. Several other events force Balendran to take control at last of his life, instead of letting others control it for him. Selvadurai allows the stories to quietly be told. CINNAMON GARDENS is not a page-turner in the usual sense of the word, but I guarantee if you read it you'll want to stick with it to see where Balendran and Annalukshmi end up.
Rating:
Summary: Quietly and richly told
Review: CINNAMON GARDENS is really two gently unfolding stories of the effects an oppressive society (or family) can have on love and hope. The first story is that of Annalukshmi-a young teacher who simply wants to forge her own way through life, without being bound by societal conventions. She is a teacher, who dreams of being a headmistress, until she learns that because she is not English it can never happen. She hopes to find a loving relationship, but instead must struggle with the necessity of arranged marriages. Selvadurai beautifully portrays her inner conflict and frustration with the limitations imposed upon her, and the open-ended resolution of her story is so completely in tune with her character. The second story is that of Balendran, the beloved younger son of a wealthy businessman. When the man with whom he had an affair during college in England comes to Ceylon, Balendran gets a glimpse of how differently his life could have turned out had his father not abruptly ended the affair. He is forced to look at where he is and where he could have been, and to decide where he wants to be in the future. Several other events force Balendran to take control at last of his life, instead of letting others control it for him. Selvadurai allows the stories to quietly be told. CINNAMON GARDENS is not a page-turner in the usual sense of the word, but I guarantee if you read it you'll want to stick with it to see where Balendran and Annalukshmi end up.
Rating:
Summary: a circuitous victory!
Review: Halfway through this book i dreaded the thougtht that "Cinnamon Gardens" was going to be just another romance novel, albeit one that is met less frequently because of its homosexual theme. Therefore, one of the best things that the author does is to bid Richard goodbye and show us Balendran as he deals with the here and the now of Ceylon life. I was once again drawn into the novel through my concern for Bala's life and Anna..(sp)and the family of the estranged brother as well as everyone at Cinnamon Gardens. Selvadurai writes with a gentle touch, one is reminded vaguely of George Eliot whom he quotes at the begining of the novel. Since writing Funny Boy the author has grown. Funny Boy, i still think was a much more enjoyable/engrossing novel. One is faced with the prospect of much more reading to be done in Cinnamon Gardens. If anything, i found Dr. Govind's dialogues very stilted and fake sounding- this is probably the main problem i have with this novel. All the same i reccomend the novel :4.5 out of 5. I cant help thinking that another attempt by the author to write on the same subject would be a real challenge to him in bringing any freshness to the same themes. Wonder what path his next project will cut out for itself?...
Rating:
Summary: too short
Review: I became interested in Shyam Selvadurai's novels after he came to read at my high school a little while ago. He read from "Funny Boy", and I got so intrigued I went right to the library to pick it up. I had it read in three days. About a month and a half later, I picked up "Cinnamon Gardens" Selvadurai's novels both deal with Sri Lanka (Ceylon during the 20s), politics, and the social constraints of Asian society. I've read a lot of books, but for some reason, Selvadurai's strike me as the most honest. It's so refreshing to read a novel in which nobody is simply "Good" or "Bad". The people are real, rounded characters with dreams and fears, desires and regrets. The prose is written in the third person but there is none of the tiresome self-absorbed banter that often plagues novels about serious issues such as homosexuality, self-government, and women's rights. Reading Selvadurai's prose, you feel as though you are experiencing events, not being told that they are occurring.
I actually found "Cinnamon Gardens" more enjoyable than "Funny Boy" if only because it was a continuous novel, allowing for more character development than the six short stories in "Funny Boy". Somehow, with his plain style, Selvadurai made the characters real. I found myself sympathizing with them right from the very beginning. It's too bad the book was double spaced and in large font, because I could have read a thousand pages of this novel and still felt like it was too short. I can't wait until Mr. Selvadurai's next novel is finished. He told us it would be set in Toronto, which promises a very interesting perspective. A real achievement.
Rating:
Summary: too short
Review: I became interested in Shyam Selvadurai's novels after he came to read at my high school a little while ago. He read from "Funny Boy", and I got so intrigued I went right to the library to pick it up. I had it read in three days. About a month and a half later, I picked up "Cinnamon Gardens" Selvadurai's novels both deal with Sri Lanka (Ceylon during the 20s), politics, and the social constraints of Asian society. I've read a lot of books, but for some reason, Selvadurai's strike me as the most honest. It's so refreshing to read a novel in which nobody is simply "Good" or "Bad". The people are real, rounded characters with dreams and fears, desires and regrets. The prose is written in the third person but there is none of the tiresome self-absorbed banter that often plagues novels about serious issues such as homosexuality, self-government, and women's rights. Reading Selvadurai's prose, you feel as though you are experiencing events, not being told that they are occurring.
I actually found "Cinnamon Gardens" more enjoyable than "Funny Boy" if only because it was a continuous novel, allowing for more character development than the six short stories in "Funny Boy". Somehow, with his plain style, Selvadurai made the characters real. I found myself sympathizing with them right from the very beginning. It's too bad the book was double spaced and in large font, because I could have read a thousand pages of this novel and still felt like it was too short. I can't wait until Mr. Selvadurai's next novel is finished. He told us it would be set in Toronto, which promises a very interesting perspective. A real achievement.
Rating: 
Summary: Smooth story and cliched writing.
Review: I picked up Cinnamon Gardens with great expectations from the good reviews of Funny Boy which I have not read. The writing is rather ordinary and surprisingly cliché ridden for an established writer such as Selvadurai. The omniscient pov feels old fashioned but perhaps is right for the kind of book - it has the touch and feel of a Jane Austen book with the girls from the Rose Cottage, the wealthy families of Cinnamon Gardens and society parties. I enjoyed learning about the Tamil community of Ceylon and Jaffna but wish he had done more with the history and politics. The character of Balendran and Annalukshmi have been well drawn but some of the other characters who would have made interesting studies have been left underdeveloped - such as the Mudaliar's wife and Pakkiam. He summarizes scenes that should have been dramatized thus losing impact - such as the ones with the Mudaliar, his son and Pakkiam. This would have given an edge to the story which moves along smoothly - too smoothly.
Rating:
Summary: magestic, probing and oh, so, realistic!
Review: i think shyam selvadurai is one of the best new authors from the indian sub-continent. i've read books by a lot of the more popular ones, and this would rank above my previous favorite a fine balance' by rohinton mistry. i found the book luxurious in it's descriptions, yet not so wordy to be boring. It showed Sri Lanka with all of it's infinite dimensions - and definitely as a place I would want to visit. It also examined several issues with alarming perceptivity - the experiences of those from the sub-continent that come from the "well-off" families but yet try to reconcile with old family values and traditions, the heart-break that comes from having the brain make you deeply believe in certain opinions but not having the heart to let those down that sacrificed everything for you. It also examined the area of homosexuality in the sub-continent - enough to shed light on what the issues are, but not enough to turn-off those not overly interested in those issues. I intend to buy all past and future books written by this author!
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