Rating: 
Summary: Waste of time
Review: The critical reviewers are on target but unfortunately they don't dwell on the vast superficiality of the novel and the cut and paste, politically correct ramble that it is. I bought the book at a discount in a small town in the U.S. where I live. I was ecstatic that I could get the book so cheap, for I remember reading Prasannarajan's review in India Today, and I usually like what he says. And if I remember right, Prasannarajan speaks well of this meandering trickle of a terrible tale. I wish I had the patience to sit down and do a serious deconstruction of this "plotless plot" and "clueless narration" from a pretend writer who relies on a condensed version of the Gita, the first chapter of Radhakrishnan's tome on the Upanishads and whatever else he could lay his hands on to "learn" and "speak" about India. Dilettantism therefore is in powerful and peerless display.
Rating:
Summary: A publisher doesn't a writer make
Review: The critical reviewers are on target but unfortunately they don't dwell on the vast superficiality of the novel and the cut and paste, politically correct ramble that it is. I bought the book at a discount in a small town in the U.S. where I live. I was ecstatic that I could get the book so cheap, for I remember reading Prasannarajan's review in India Today, and I usually like what he says. And if I remember right, Prasannarajan speaks well of this meandering trickle of a terrible tale. I wish I had the patience to sit down and do a serious deconstruction of this "plotless plot" and "clueless narration" from a pretend writer who relies on a condensed version of the Gita, the first chapter of Radhakrishnan's tome on the Upanishads and whatever else he could lay his hands on to "learn" and "speak" about India. Dilettantism therefore is in powerful and peerless display.
Rating: 
Summary: Worth a read
Review: The House of Blue Mangoes - Neelam Illum - is a tale written on a large canvas spanning three generations of the Dorai family. The scale of this tale is magnificent and immense in its spread and reach across centuries and cultures. History and its constant mutatory effect on the socio-political aspect of Indian society, forms the backdrop against which the lives of the characters in this novel are played out.
The book is about three generations of the Dorais and spans the latter nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Their story is thus deeply intertwined with that of the tumultuous political fabric of the times, set as it is in the last few decades of imperial rule in India. Solomon, Daniel and Kannan, are the three successive Dorais and though Davidar has fleshed out all three characters well, this book is Daniel's book, and it is in the telling of Daniel's tale that Davidar comes into his own.
After meandering down 'clever' alleyways for the first fifty or so pages when the narration seems interminably boring and a tad preachy (Father Ashworth!), Davidar settles down to doing what he intended to do - tell a story. And once the realization seems to have hit him, there's no stopping the pace of this book. Most debut forays into fiction have the weary pall of yet another 'wannabe clever' book. This one though seems to have missed that and like its chief protagonist, Daniel, who lives life divorced from any aspect of it that does not involve him and that he cannot control, this book tells a story divorced largely of unnecessary frills(excluding bits like the tea ceremony and the search for the mangoes)and, is for the large part, neither preachy nor does it make judgment or provoke much such.
This book affords no appreciations of style or language or poetry of prose; it tells a story, that's it. Moments in the lives of the characters of the book that one would think would require some deliberation; moments to stop, ponder, and reflect upon, are sadly dealt with in a very superfluous fashion. And that catches the reader by surprise. Instances like chapter 56 on the mangoes (the casual way in which the Chevathar Neelam is adjudged the finest by Daniel after a rather tedious telling of the scouring of the countryside of the land for its competitor, is left curiously and anti climatically undone) and the return of Daniel to Chevathar are some such. The pace of the book is largely sustained and makes for an engrossing read.
Rating: 
Summary: Not to be missed
Review: The House of Blue Mangoes is a beautiful tale of three generations of the Dorai clan. Set in the colonial days of Southern India (from the period of 1899 to 1947), David Davidar takes you through the struggles of Solomon Dorai, his son Daniel and grandson, Kannan as they come to terms with their inner conflicts with the caste system, sectarian violence, the squabbles of an extended family, and impending nationalism. Inevitably it is the strong sense of family duty that draws everyone back to the centrepiece, the Dorai house in Chevathar.The author's attempts to weave history in between the story lines can be dry at times but once you overcome that, the book grows on you. If you do not enjoy long descriptive narratives of people and places, then this book will have little appeal. However,anyone who has an interest in India or Indian history during the British "occupation", will find the House of Blue Mangoes a pleasurable read.
Rating: 
Summary: At Home In India
Review: The House of Blue Mangoes is a rarity as rare as the blue mangoes in the book. Let me explain. In the last many years most of the Indian novels I've read have been written by Indians living abroad which robs them of a certain authentic feel. This novel felt authentic alright. I could smell, taste, experience the colours, food and vibrancy of India. In brief it tells the story of a South Indian family, the Dorais who are mired in a period of immense change and turbulance. What I found especially admirable about the book was the way in which the author seamlessly (by and large, there were a couple of sections where it could've been done better) melds the family story with the great historical events of the early twentieth century in India; the struggle for independence, caste wars, world wars etc. The characters are well developed...my favourites were Solomon and Aaron Dorai, although I did like Charity and Father Ashworth as well. The book taught me a lot about India while simultaneously keeping me absolutely hooked through a gripping story.
Rating:
Summary: A book for identity seekers..
Review: The Tamil people have over the period of years spread over many countries and have dispersed outside Tamil Nadu. If a Tamil person is having an identity crisis, this novel may answer some questions. It is also a good look at caste structures as it existed then and now. The novel is a pseudo fictional version of three people depicted as three different generations. The first generation evokes memories of the caste wars at and nearby the Meenakshi temple in Madurai long ago, the second generation looks at the brief flirtation Tamils had with respect to the freedom fight and the third generation gets an upclose and personal look at the English masters and everything that went along with that. The details provided in the novel are an excellent reproduction of the day to day life in the southern parts of Tamil Nadu. The various views are presented without bias; although the author does seem to have a soft corner for Father Ashworth. A must read for people residing in southern parts of India and Kerala.
Rating:
Summary: A History Lesson
Review: This book helped me organize much loose data I had acquired about India, and wasn't quite sure of the order of the events. It was a very nice way to solidify my very scant knowledge of the country. As a history lesson, this book excels, for it makes interesting and lively what could be perceived as dry historical information. The family saga -- three generations -- is perfectly suitable for such an endeavor. However, the book portrays three different lives [more with the subplots], and as such, it lacks smooth continuity, for as soon as we begin to understand, and identify with a character, a death occurs, and it is time to move on to the next point of interest, or character. The only continuous link is Chevathar, the home place. The sense of place, the depiction of life, the taste and colors of India are indeed portrayed well and they seduce. But for the emotional stacatto we readers have to play, because of differing main characters, I have taken one star away from Mr. Davidar's very good book.
Rating:
Summary: Cliche characters and the kitchen sink
Review: This book is an excellent tale of several generations of an Indian family (the Dorais) living through the first half of the 20th century. The author has performed a splendid job of developing the various characters, creating a story that is very captivating, and portraying the historical backdrop of India during this time period. The interplay and relationships among the Indians and the British are clearly presented, and the different manner in which the various generations of the Indian family (the Dorais) adjust and respond to the British rule illuminates much about the history of the country. The author has an extremely engaging writing style, and the descriptions of Indian culture, landscape, buildings, etc. are fascinating. This is apparently Mr. Davidar's first book, and I can only hope he will write another.
Rating:
Summary: An absorbing family saga
Review: This book is an excellent tale of several generations of an Indian family (the Dorais) living through the first half of the 20th century. The author has performed a splendid job of developing the various characters, creating a story that is very captivating, and portraying the historical backdrop of India during this time period. The interplay and relationships among the Indians and the British are clearly presented, and the different manner in which the various generations of the Indian family (the Dorais) adjust and respond to the British rule illuminates much about the history of the country. The author has an extremely engaging writing style, and the descriptions of Indian culture, landscape, buildings, etc. are fascinating. This is apparently Mr. Davidar's first book, and I can only hope he will write another.
Rating:
Summary: Vivid and descriptive
Review: This book was a delight! It was a little slow in the beginning and in retrospect, despite the fact that Solomon Dorai's life was the "bravest" and full of ancient heroic adventure, it was the slowest in pace. In comparison, Daniel Dorai's was more scientific and his son Kannan Dorai's very contemporary and British. It is remarkable how these men, from successive generations, had such different lives yet were drawn emotionally by their native village to return and settle there. I feel like I read three books about three very different characters, and their very different quality of experiences. I thought Davidar very subtly addressed a beautiful point - of Kannan's experience and what he feels and says before he finally leaves the tea estates at Pulimed.
The one thing I realized about the book was that it lacked sufficient conversation - it struck me that though there was rich, vivid description about feelings and places, there was very little conversation. I think more oral exchange between the players would have helped in better connecting the reader with the characters.
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