Famed Indian screenwriter Arundhati Roy thrills audiences with her booker prize winning novel, The God Of Small Things. The novel is a complex tale centred on two fraternal twins, Rahel and Estha, and their eccentric family in Kerala, India. At its heart, this is a story based around “the terror” that rocked the foundations of the family and shaped a new course for the naive twins, eventually ending with them being alienated from one another.
The novel deals with the ripple effect that a single event has had on a family throughout the rest of their lives. The story is told through the naive understanding of the twins; who observe the complexities of the adult world with an innocence that makes a compelling read. The plot is based around social and political themes heavily entrenched in Indian society that aid the ultimate demise of the characters. This book deals overtly with race issues but manages to do so without preaching equality, tackling the subtler impact that the Indian caste system has on the characters.
The language used is inventive, creative and original; there were times when I found myself pausing to read back over a particular metaphor or simile because it was just that beautiful or thought-provoking. You become invested in the welfare of the characters after being exposed to their personal motivations. The interactions between the characters and storyline make The God of Small Things a must read. Warning: do not read this book if you want the classic happily ever after over a frank appraisal of the reality of the human condition.