'The God of Small Things' by Arundhati Roy - A Review


Never separate twins.

Rating - ⭐⭐⭐

Genre - domestic fiction, psychological fiction

Themes - family, trauma, childhood, caste, love

Similar Books - 'The Covenant of Water' - Abraham Varghese

'The God of Small Things' by Arundhati Roy follows the story of fraternal twins Rahel and Estha, and how the accidental death of their English cousin Sophie Mol, changes their lives in irreversible ways.

This book was so difficult to read. The writing is fluid, changing from one topic to another in a similar way to how your mind can wander from thought to thought. The vast amount of symbolism and capitalisation of key phrases that appear important to Rahel and Estha in order to mimic a child's mindset, in conjunction to the disjointed narrative, complicates matters further. Half way through I had more questions than answers. The difficulty of the writing made the book less enjoyable to me and slightly boring, however the book still has its merits. Roy explores how childhood experience such as trauma can shape character in the future, and also brings light to India's strict caste system. It also provides a cultural experience by capturing the essence of life in India, Kerala in the 1960's.  Overall this book receives 3 stars.

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