The God of Small Things

Arundati Roy is a poetess. I left the book in Drayton, or I'd be adding a couple of quotes here for momentos.

This book has been recommended to me by the wierdest assortment of people that I felt compelled to read it. I actually think I signed it out of the library when I was in high school, but I don't remember reading any of the text. One day this winter, walking by the BookMarket, it was in the window, so I bought it. I think I was in school at the time, because I remember reading the first chapter and feeling incredibly guilty about the fact that I was reading it when I was supposed to be reading something else.

Anyway, I lent the book to Lynne (in an attempt to get it out of my sight and focus on schoolwork) and she enjoyed it. Then we went to a book sale and I bought another copy. I gave Lynne one copy and kept the other and finally--finally!--I've read it. Satisfaction is mine!

I love the way the book unfolds like memory--slipping back and forth between past and present with a level of fluidity and confusion that matches real-life recollection. I also love Roy's compound word creations--when two words are joined to make a new one--there's an English Lit term for this and I've completely forgotten it. Again, no book handy to quote from or give examples. Sigh.

Everyone compares Roy to Rushdie. I've never read any Rushdie. Perhaps I should...

In terms of interesting Web resources linked to this book, Washington State University has a study guide for the book that fills in some interesting background detail on some of the terms, etc. used in the book.

p.s. Backdating these comments because I finished the book a few days ago...