Apr 07, 2003 10:49 PM
2090 Views
(Updated Apr 14, 2003 07:36 PM)
''The God Of Small Things'' was written by Arundhati Roy in 1996. I read the Paperback Book. It has 336 pages.
It is the Story of Twins, (Rahel and Estha), and their Family who live in India.
THE MAIN CHARACTERS:
Rahel and Estha are fraternal Twins, (each came from a different egg).
Ammu is their Mother and was married to ''Baba'', (we never hear what his real name is). When the Novel begins they are divorced.
MY REVIEW:
The Book begins 20 years the events have happened. We read about them in flashbacks.
The flashbacks happen in a Town in the State of Kerala, India during the 1960's. The Family belong to the Syrian Orthodox Church. One third of the populations are Christians.
This is the Story of Ammu, (a divorced Mother), her life has been very difficult. She struggle as she has to be both the Mother and Father to her Children. She wants to fall in love and be loved again.
Her Family is very jealous of her. ''Baby Kochamma'', (is her Aunt and has never had sex), and she resents that her Niece has been married and has Children. She uses every thing she can to ruin Ammu’s Family.
The plot revolves around her twins Estha & Rahel.
As you read further you will get an in-depth look into an Indian Society that lives away from India and in a Country that is much different, (the Culture and the Religion).
You will see this through the eyes of the Twins. The Twins are lovable and become devastated as their Childhood is taken away from them.
Their uncle Chacko gets a divorce and his Daughter is so angry with him she won't talk to him.
Their best Friend is a servant called Venlutha. This because difficult because the ''Caste System'' is still a part of life in India.
They have no was to choose their fate. They fall in love with Men they can't marry and arranged marriages are made for them.
They see the accidental death when Sophie Mol, (an English Cousin), drowns. Sophie is only ½ white and after she drowns a Family secret is revealed. Once it's out of the closet it becomes a scandle!
And this is where I'll end my tale because I never tell the ending of a story.
AS I WAS READING THIS BOOK:
This Books flows back a forth between Syria and India and Arundhati weaves this very well.
I could see that Arundhati Roy was using Indian mysticism to weave this story together.
Her descriptions were accurate, emotional and were very significant.
I laughed when I saw she used a lot of capital letters like I do!
THE AUTHOR:
This was Roy Arundhati first Novel. She won the Booker Prize for her Novel in 1997.
Please see:
http://www.commondreams.org/headlines02/0820-07.htm
MY CONCLUSION:
I though my Family was Dysfunction until I read this Book!
This Book was a bit hard to read because it is written in ''colloquial English'' but once you get past that you will fall in love with this Book.
What I loved most about this Book were Roys very human insights into India.
I highly recommended it to you.
I paid $12.00 CAD. ISBN# 0060977493
©LL2003
Comments are always welcome.
