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The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy

The God of Small Things

by Arundhati Roy
  • Critics' Consensus:
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  • First Published:
  • May 1, 1997, 321 pages
  • Paperback:
  • May 1998, 321 pages
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There are currently 56 reader reviews for The God of Small Things
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pepson

Absolutely tremendous. Unbelieveable.
Divya

I love the way the author has used repetition as a tool,throughout the book,consistently.Also the way she had described nature.Description through smell(smell of sour metal,smell of roses on a breeze) strikes a familiar chord or two in the readers mind whenever it is repeated.This book , written by a feminist point of view ,brings out the harsh injustice women in India faced even in the post -independence era.And caste discrimination that existed at the time.And last but not least the book taken you into the minds of children.Small things that amuse children,that give them pleasure (that go unnoticed by the adult eye)are depicted so wonderfully.This is the first time I've read a novel set in India.And I'm so in love with it.Looking forward to many such novels from Ms Roy.
Ann Marie Stock

I was given this book to read as an English Assignment. I think her writing style and descriptive form make the book what it is, reviting and suspensful.
Rebecca Clark

Very good, but confusing.
yrratykcim

Godless book
I really wanted to enjoy this book and feel like I am bad for not having had a good time at a party without not really knowing why - is it me?

The book is really a series of loosely connected short stories which could probably be shuffled and the outcome would be the same. You have to concentrate hard on the who's who in this book as it is really baffling at times. There are 20 chapters of which I am glad that I read two. As I reached the end I just had to get on and skim read the final 50 pages because it portrays such a nasty and vile set of circumstances that I could not bear to be manipulated and deceived by this author's grotesquely gorgeous prose. I guess it is just me but I know that I am not alone in this
marie

I found this book very hard to keep up with because of the way that Roy jumps from past to present. I did enjoy the way that Roy uses words to describe people, places, animals, it's almost like if you are there or can just imagine it. Roy does play around with words and spells them backwards but I think that it is all intentionally and serves a purpose.

Over all this book was ok! It did have many good themes, like social classes, religion and politics. I would like to see Roy make this book into a film.
angela

I have spent the last ten weeks studying Roys novel. The first time i read it i thought it was wonderful, all the imagery and descriptions! the second time i read the book it became tedious. there are so many pointless descriptions "earthworms frolicked purple.." has any one else noticed that the entire story is told in the first two chapters? The God Of Small Things might have been interesting if she wasnt trying so hard, maybe if the book wasnt so up its self i would have liked it better. i read an interview with her and she says she never edits a word she writes, because thats what she was feeling at the time. well maybe she should. maybe she should edit bits out to make it more readable, i mean how many of u forgot who mammachi was by the fourth chapter?

angela age 15
Hannah

The book has some wonderful and even eerie images that take your breath away. Top marks for that, but it can be a little long winded and jumps around too much

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