The God of Small Things

Synopsis: The Asian literary phenomenon of the 90s. More magical than Mistry, more of a rollicking good read than Rushdie, more nerve-tinglingly imagined than Naipaul, here, perhaps, is the greatest Indian novel by a woman. Arundhati Roy has written an astonishingly rich, fertile novel, teeming with life, colour, heart-stopping language, wry comedy and a hint of magical realism. Set against a background of political turbulence in Kerala, Southern India, The God of Small Things tells the story of twins Esthappen and Rahel. Amongst the vats of banana jam and heaps of peppercorns in their grandmother's factory, they try to craft a childhood for themselves amidst what constitutes their family -- their lonely, lovely mother, their beloved Uncle Chacko (pickle baron, radical Marxist and bottom-pincher) and their avowed enemy Baby Kochamma (ex-nun and incumbent grand-aunt).

Review: I really liked this one, it's full of incredibly dreamy, evocative prose and beautifully crafted. Told mostly from the viewpoint of the 'two egg' twins Esthappen (or Estha as he is mostly called) and Rahel, it tells the tale of the death of their cousin Sophie Mol who is visiting from England .. with her yellow bell bottoms and go-go bag. The narrative jumps back and forward in time a lot, one minute we are with the adult twins in the present and the next they are children again. There are a lot of characters to try and place and remember, it took me a couple of chapters to familiarise myself with them but I was hooked really from page one. Very descriptive and poetic, the author is brilliant at capturing the sights and smells of Kerala. Witty and funny in parts especially the bits about Mammachi's pickle factory and Kochu Maria, the family's 'vinegar-hearted, short-tempered, midget cook,' who is letting the housework go to blazes as she indulges in her addiction to TV. Lots of sadness too, overall the book does have a melancholy feel. Poor little Estha who, after what should have been a lovely trip out to the Abhilash talkies, is sent outside for singing too loudly during 'The Sound of Music' and falls foul of the 'Orangedrink Lemondrink' man, the fear of this man finding him again haunts Estha during his childhood and the incredibly moving tale of Velutha an 'Untouchable' who is suspected of killing Sophie Mol.