The God of Small Things
by Arundhati Roy
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Book Summary Information
Author: Arundhati RoyEdition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 1998-05-01
ISBN: 0060977493
Number of pages: 336
Publisher: Harper Perennial
Book Reviews of The God of Small Things
Book Review: "Just Wait"
Summary: 3 Stars
The God of Small Things, Arundhati Roy's award winning novel, combines a complex structure, a series of paradoxes, and stream of consciousness to tell her story. The impression given after the first few chapters are not an indication of what follows in the remainder of the book. In fact, the opening chapters serve as a basis for what is to come and in missing them, the reader would miss critical connections that later refer to previous chapters. These connections foreshadow, hint, and allude to the tragic inevitable fate that befalls the family. Roy waits until the last chapters to pull everything together to create the Terror of a family in India. The novel is clever in its selection of literary techniques. Repeated phrases such as "...the moth spread its wings..." and "dum dum" all mean something and are not inserted to be viewed as annoying intrusions. In addition to her repeated phrases, Roy coins words, and uses vivid description and detail. "...Baby Kochamma balanced like a big bird over a public pot. Blue veins like lumpy knitting running up her translucent shins. Fat knees dimpled. Hair on them. Poor little tiny feet to carry such a load!)... (91). Some of this technique is unnecessary, slowing the plot's progression and distracting the reader. On the other hand, the creative language adds to the power of the novel. The book can be read on many levels. At its most basic level, it is a mystery about "small things" of a family. The question is what is the Terror, what occurred, and why did it destroy the family. These "small things," however, are a cover for a deeper and more ambitious story having to do with the "big things" that trouble India such as racial discrimination, class conflict and hatred, and tradition and sexuality. Each character is destroyed by these societal problems which are familiar to Western readers even if the Indian culture is foreign. Despite the richness of the language and the importance of the book's themes, many readers become discouraged by the rambling and out of sequence narrative which often appears to lack purpose. The author's lack of focus causes some readers to lose interest and their own focus. The attention to details and repetitiveness weakens the story line and diminishes the excitement. There is never a true climax, and little action. The style may leave readers confused and impatient. I experienced both the frustration and the satisfaction as I read the book. In the early going, things seemed dull and confusing with the introduction of too many characters all at once. The book seemed long and pointless. The action picks up in the last few chapters. The novel finished strongly, revealing truth and the misfortune of each character. The final revelation changed my original opinion of the novel. I realized that in a sense the story was told backwards. Reading the ending, clarified the meaning of the entire book for me. The ending saved the novel.
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