The Free-Range Bookclub
Bookclubbers without boundaries in Nelson, New Zealand
The God Of Small Things – Arundhati Roy
READ FOR BOOKCLUB
Chosen by Nadine
This novel discusses who should be loved, and how. And how much. It describes how small things affect people’s behaviour and lives
♥ “The God of Small Things details the lives of fraternal twins Rahel and her brother Estha. The narrative alternates between two time periods from the present to the of the time of the twins’ greatest trauma, which occurred upon the childhood visit of their cousin Sophie Mol.
“Separated for twenty-three years with no contact, the twins are now adults. Rahel had travelled to America, where she suffered a failed marriage. Estha went mute willingly.
“In the present they meet at their family home in Ayemenem, where the trauma that separated them occurred. During the course of the novel, Rahel unravels her memories of what happened to them and their family, while the perspective periodically moves into other family members’ lives to provide an understanding of the family dissolution.
“The story revolves around the way different family members’ choices and attempts to escape their culture or class impacts them. Abuse and betrayals are passed down from generation to generation. There is much marital discord, abuse, and rejection by the family members from whom they most the need love.
“Yes there is a lot of sadness, but Roy’s portrayal of innocence is touching. The characters are relatable and likeable from the first page. The many changes in narrative perspective proved a bit of a distraction to us all but ultimately the characters’ believability transcended the confusion.”
—–
Published 1997
IndiaInk
368 pages
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