The God of Small Things: A Novel

This book won the Booker Prize for Literature. And "in my book," it's also a world-class (as well as world-lit) winner, heartbreaking, haunting, and wise. The main action takes place in India in 1969, but it jumps around in time. As the author put it, the story "begins at the end and ends in the middle." So we know from the beginning that there has been a terrible tragedy that permanently affected the lives of fraternal twins Estha (boy) and Rahel (girl.) The book is about finding out exactly what it was that happened; and how and why it happened. I guessed most of the answer pretty early on, but I think that was the intent of the author. The book is more about the process than the solution, and she gives the reader plenty of hints, respecting the reader's intelligence and gently guiding him or her to figure out the answer for himself or herself. It's not so much a novel of mystery or suspense as it is one of psychology (of both personality and relationships) and social commentary. Ms. Roy shows enormous insight into her characters and their situation, and while the writing is deceptively lovely and easy to read, The God of Small Things has a great deal of depth. Some of her insight comes from writing about what she knows. Parts of the story are autobiographical. Arundhati Roy grew up in the same rural town in India where the book is set, and her grandmother really did own and run a pickle factory. A recipe for Banana Jam is included which not only sounds delicious, but also easily doable for the average American cook. (I'm totally fascinated by how the banana puree turns scarlet red as it cooks. I've got to try that!) Since the reader has already mostly figured out what happened, in a way the big "reveal" scene in which the full tragedy is described in detail, is anti-climactic; and again I feel certain that this is deliberate. It is as if Ms. Roy wants us to focus on the characters - why they each behaved as they did, and how they were affected, rather than the actual events. There are still a couple of surprises coming, though. Yet even with those, one feels less surprise than might be expected. There's a sense of, "Of course - I should have seen that coming." Because although the author hasn't given us any hints about those particular surprises, she has set up a certain subtle and carefully-crafted atmosphere in which such surprising/shocking/awful things become the natural or logical cause (in one case) or consequence (in the other case.) And this ability of hers to hit us with a big surprise while making it seem not all that surprising, is part of Ms. Roy's genius. The ending is also anti-climactic, and yet again this is clearly the author's intent. Partly this is because the book ends, as she says, in the middle. I think that, after all the tragedy and loss of the the story, she wanted us to leave the book on a note of gentleness, love, and hope. Social commentary is a strong theme throughout this work. (Arundhati Roy became a social activist after it was published to such acclaim that she was able to wield considerable influence.) As an adjunct to that, the breaking of taboos and the consequences of that are two major story lines. In one, the consequences are terrible. Yet later, an even more pervasive (across many cultures) and powerful taboo is broken without any noticeable consequence. In fact, Roy has prepared the reader so well that the taboo act comes across as natural, appropriate, and even a positive thing for the characters involved. It is a brilliant and thought-provoking juxtaposition. I was totally charmed by the way this author plays with the English language. She thinks out of the box: breaks the rules in such a way that it makes sense, rather than causing chaos and confusion. She capitalizes certain words against the rules of grammar, as a very successful way of emphasizing them (". . . life was full of Beginnings and no Ends, and Everything was Forever . . . "). She makes up words, often by combining one or more words ("a viable die-able age" "sicksweet", "a Furrywhirring and a Sariflapping", "dullthudding") or by deliberate misspellings ("Infinnate"). The result is a sense of non-native-English-speakers' minds, a foreign perspective and way of thinking; or perhaps the perspective of a child. Either way, that is so fitting for the setting of the book. And it's much the same as the way she breaks the rules of structure (i.e., rules of chronology, de-emphasizing the climax, letting us guess the answer to the mystery early on, etc.) in ways that work, that beautifully and creatively accomplish what she is trying to do with the book. She's an ultimate example of how someone with a thorough knowledge of the rules can know when and how to break them. The God of Small Things is an outstanding work of fiction, one that I think fully deserves its award and acclaim. So far it is Ms. Roy's only novel, as she has been occupied in the decade since its publication with social activism. However, the Kindle edition that I read included an interview with the author in which she says that she is now writing a new book. I hope that it is finished and published soon. I would love to read more of her work. Quotes from The God of Small Things: "Occasionally, when Ammu listened to songs that she loved on the radio, something stirred inside her. A liquid ache spread under her skin, and she walked out of the world like a witch, to a better, happier place. On days like this there was something restless and untamed about her. As though she had temporarily set aside the morality of motherhood and divorcée-hood. Even her walk changed from a safe mother-walk to another wilder sort of walk. She wore flowers in her hair and carried magic secrets in her eyes. She spoke to no one. She spent hours on the riverbank with her little plastic transistor shaped like a tangerine. She smoked cigarettes and had midnight swims. What was it that gave Ammu this Unsafe Edge? This air of unpredictability? It was what she had battling inside her. An unmixable mix. The infinite tenderness of motherhood and the reckless rage of the suice bomber." "He trembled his own body like a man with malaria." "It is after all so easy to shatter a story. To break a chain of thought. To ruin a fragment of a dream being carried around carefully like a piece of porcelain. To let it be, to travel with it, as Velutha did, is much the harder thing to do." "It's true. Things can change in a day." (321 pages)

The author goes back and forth from the past to the present. At first, I found this annoying. However, I begin to admire that the author had her own rules for writing this novel. There are instances where there is no standard punctuation. There are similes I found indefinable. I would reread a passage trying to get the gist of what the author conveyed The main characters are the fraternal twins, Rahel, daughter and Esthappen (Estha), son, the children of Ammu, a divorcé, her lover, Velutha, a Paravan (untouchable). The story begins with the funeral of Sophie Mol, cousin and playmate of the twins. Sophie Mol was the daughter of Ammu’s brother, Chacko and his former wife, Englishwoman, Margaret Kochamma. Sophie and Margaret had recently arrived from England at the invitation of Chacko after the death of Margaret’s second husband. Ammu and the twins are forbidden to sit with the family during the funeral service. The reason will be revealed later. A disillusioned Ammu, married to an abusive alcoholic, returned to the family home in Ayemenem. Her father, John Ipe (Pappachi) does not believe her husband’s English boss requested he sleep with her. At home, she is expected to live out her days, in shame at divorcing her husband. After his failed marriage and the death of their father, John, Chacko, a Rhodes Scholar at Oxford, returned home to manage his mother’s pickle business. Home is where Chacko and Ammu’s blind mother, Shoshamma Ipe, known as Mammachi (grandmother) resides. Mammachi founded and owned the Paradise Pickles and Preserves factory. Also living in the home are the twins’ deceitful, vindictive, unmarried, paternal great-aunt, Baby Kochamma. Throughout the novel, Baby Kochamma is devoted to self-interest. She is the catalyst who revealed life and death are in the power of the tongue. Kochu Maria (little Maria), is the family cook. This book gives a brief glimpse at the social mores of India concerning the “Untouchables.” Historically the country was divided among caste and color lines; an ancient system that rejected their fellow countrymen with discrimination, violence, persecution and social exclusion. In the book, the family’s bias is expressed with profound intensity when it is discovered Ammu and the brilliant and likable Velutha are having an affair. Velutha was the intelligent, skilled artisan, awarded a high position in the pickle factory by Mammachi. Even Velutha’s father, Vellya Paapen, was angry and horrified at his son “crossing the line.” Vellya felt indebted to Mammachi. She had purchased his artificial eye and treated his family well. The author’s vivid description of Mammachi’s deep-seated anger toward the “messenger,” Vellya, Velutha’s father, with Velutha was profound. Although blind, Mammachi’s vile denunciations and spittle hit their mark. Mammachi’ showed tolerance for her son Chacko’s “men’s needs” when he sexually exploited the female factory workers. However, she expressed intolerance for Ammu’s tender love affair with Velutha. Ammu was locked away in her room. As I read this book, I discovered the childhood terror witnessed by Rahel and Estha had damaged them emotionally as adults. Estha refused to communicate. As children, the twins were very close and had their own way of communicating. They even read backwards. Chacko, the weak-willed, indolent son, manipulated by Baby Kochamma’s promptings, ejected his sister, Ammu, from their home. Baby Kochamma is the “keeper of honor,” the traditionalist, and advocate of the caste system. Because of her deceit, she has her own reasons for wanting Ammu ousted and the children gone. I will not give the reasons away, but she strikes fear in the children’s hearts. I believe the small things are Velutha and Ammu’s love. He loved her children and they him. Ammu and Velutha were two kindred spirits. Theirs was a love affair that maybe even today would be unthinkable and not permitted in Indian society. But 40 years ago, they could have no future, so they made no plans. They lived for each night together. Although during the late sixties and early seventies, this was considered a patriarchal society, the women are strong characters. Mammachi was an accomplished violinist, later in life she was founder and owner of Paradise Pickles and Preserves, much to the annoyance of a violently abusive husband. I admired Ammu’s resilience. She defended herself against her husband, Baba’s, physical abuse, refused to sleep with his English boss and ultimately divorced him. I admired that she ignored the caste system and found love with Velutha. Velutha had an important role. Much of the conflict involved him, but in some instances he appeared almost invisible to me. I saw him as tender and loving with Ammu. A socialist, a man who desired change in his country. The prosaic love scene between Ammu and Velutha were beautifully written. The brief violence in the book is powerfully written too. I felt queasy reading it. I would have enjoyed more on the ill-fated lovers, Ammu and Velutha. Although the caste system and discrimination has been outlawed, I think Arundhati Roy’s book reveals what is still prevalent today, cruel and often inhumane treatment of India’s “Untouchables.” I think the author conveyed how deeply embedded the caste system is. How it destroys and demeans human lives and stereotypes them. Toward the end, Ammu’s outcome was sorely missed. The relationship that developed between the twins was perplexing. Imagery and symbolisms are common throughout the book. This novel would stimulate avid conversation in a book club.

A masterpiece. The book received a little well-worn

Brilliant text and composition. Extraordinarily creative writing, inventive, comical and witty yet combined with a serious discourse on Indian tradition and caste mentality. Both beautiful and sad.

Though it took me quite some time to finish this book, I truly believe it deserves every bit of that time. This isn’t a story you rush through it’s one you read slowly, observe carefully, and allow yourself to absorb. I haven’t read anything written so beautifully and poetically. Every sentence feels crafted with care, and every image lingers long after you close the book. It truly deserves all the praise it receives. Arundhati Roy has woven critical themes of Indian society- caste, class, patriarchy, and the quiet cruelty of social hierarchies with breathtaking delicacy. The story of the twin siblings, Estha and Rahel, and the man who did nothing but love a woman society forbade him to, will stay with me for a long time. I loved everything about this novel from the mischievous innocence of the twins to the sharp portrayal of family tensions, power, and hypocrisy. Even the smallest details - the irritated grandmother, the nosy uncles, the suffocating weight of societal expectations feel alive. This isn’t just a book; it’s an experience. A must-read for anyone who loves powerful storytelling, layered emotions, and writing that feels almost like poetry.

GW前にKERALA＆MUMBAIへ赴任することになっている為、この地を少しでも学ぶ必要があったので購入致しました。著者のArundhati Roy氏が脚本担当、出演された映画「In Which Annie Gives It Those Ones」も感銘を受けた大切な要素だ。当時は２６，７歳位で大変可愛らしい女性だなという印象。映画の内容はご本人が建築家の卵として学生時代を淡々と語ったものです。当時のインド国内では大変評価が高くお勧めできる作品です。 こちらを読み終えた後はSalman Rushdie氏著のMidnight's Children、Jhumpa Lahiri氏著のInterpreter of Maladies, Rohinton Mistry氏著のSuch a Long Journeyを大好きなLeopold Cafeの地で楽しみたいと思います(笑）

El caos en palabras. Conocer más sobre la vida en la India, su sistema de castas, su caos y su belleza. Todo aquel que se jacte de ser un gran lector, que ame los retos y la belleza de la narrativa debe conocer esta historia. Todo gira al rededor de la muerte de una niña. Por medio de saltos en el tiempo, de descripciones poéticas y complejas como la vida misma, conocemos la historia de una familia que se salta todas las normas de la cultura al amar. Sígueme en instagram para más recomendaciones literarias. @Nora_d_tinta_y_papel