1997 Booker WinnerWhat lovely prose and a compelling story. Roy's debut novel tells the tale of twins Rahel and Estha, during the 1960s and in the present. The spiralling story deftly carries you along, gradually introducing characters and more and more information about an event that happened one day and affected both twins. I found the suspense building and building as more layers of details are revealed.
We are shown a slice of life in one family in Kerala, India but also the political climate of the day, the caste system of course and how both contributed to the event in question. The story is well written and the language is beautiful, as Roy plays with words and with the idea that twins have a special connection.
This book has been sitting on my shelf for almost two years now. I never seem to make the time for it. Hopefully your glowing review will inspire me!
ReplyDeletejohn - not everyone has liked it, but I enjoyed it
ReplyDeleteThis one is going on my wish list. Thank you for the review, Elizabeth. I hadn't heard of it before, but my interest in India certainly has me curious about this one.
ReplyDeleteGreat review! This is on my wishlist (which is evergrowing!).
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