1997, 321 pp.

Booker Prize

Rating: 3.5

I finished this book two days ago, and I still don’t know how I feel about it. Loved some of it, hated some of it, and was confused by the ending (particularly the second to last chapter; did they ?). I am reading this [...]]]> The God of Small Things
by Arundhati Roy

1997, 321 pp.

Booker Prize

Rating: 3.5

I finished this book two days ago, and I still don’t know how I feel about it. Loved some of it, hated some of it, and was confused by the ending (particularly the second to last chapter; did they ?). I am reading this with my Book Awards group in September, and I have many things I’d like to talk about and discuss with them first before I write any kind of formal review.

I guess I will write one later. Lay Ter. (If you’ve read this book, you know what this means!)

2006, 352 pp.

Rating: 3.5 (Edit: I changed it from a 4)

Caveat! I didn’t like the book much. I’m giving it a ’4′ because of the brilliant writing.

Subtitled One Woman’s Search for Everything Across Italy, India and Indonesia, Elizabeth Gilbert’s book about “finding herself” after a divorce is, well, [...]]]> Eat, Pray, Love
by Elizabeth Gilbert

2006, 352 pp.

Rating: 3.5 (Edit: I changed it from a 4)

Caveat! I didn’t like the book much. I’m giving it a ’4′ because of the brilliant writing.

Subtitled One Woman’s Search for Everything Across Italy, India and Indonesia, Elizabeth Gilbert’s book about “finding herself” after a divorce is, well, interesting to say the least. She is frank, candid, brutally honest, and bares all in this travel memoir. I do give her this: she is a brilliant writer and narrator (I listened to the audio CD). The problem was, though, that after finishing the book, I found I really didn’t like it much. It is an easy read/listen, with a little ‘too much information’ sometimes, if you know what I mean. I also didn’t agree with almost any of her decisions or with her conclusions about God and spirituality, though I’m sure she’s not asking me to, either! Still, I rated it a ’4′ because I want to recognize her writing talents.

She goes through a messy divorce and travels through the three “I” countries listed above. She learns Italian and eats a lot of pasta in Italy (the Eat in the title), she “finds God” in India (the Pray), and she finds love (the Love in the title) in Indonesia. She makes it all very interesting, that’s for sure. I do recommend this book because it is always fascinating to take a peak at other women’s lives and their viewpoints, and as I said, the writing is excellent. In some ways, though, books like these always reinforce my own beliefs and viewspoints as well.

Lisa – May 5, 2007

I am sad that you didn’t like this! I loved it so much. It was so easy to read and just flowed for me. I am dying to go to Italy, so that may be part of my love.

Bybee – May 30, 2007

I’m going to try this book because I really enjoyed her first one, The Last American Man.

2005, 318 pp.

Winner: Booker Prize, NBCC

Rating: 3.5 3

While this book has garnered much critical acclaim, I found it very difficult to complete. It took me over two months to get through it. Once I put it down, I just wasn’t compelled to pick it up again. It [...]]]> The Inheritance of Loss
by
Kiran Desai

2005, 318 pp.

Winner: Booker Prize, NBCC

Rating: 3.5 3

While this book has garnered much critical acclaim, I found it very difficult to complete. It took me over two months to get through it. Once I put it down, I just wasn’t compelled to pick it up again. It sort of felt like a school assignment. Luckily, the last 1/3 of the book went by much faster than the first 2/3. Before reading, I would highly recommend doing a little research if you are ignorant (like I was) of Indian culture or history. One link that shed a little light on the subject for me was here.

There are two settings for the book–America and Kalimpong. Sai lives with her grandfather, a former judge, at the foothills of the Himalayas. She falls in love with Gyan, her tutor, who is sympathetic to the Gorkha National Liberation Front (GNLF). The clash of ideals between the Indians who want change and those who wish to retain aspects of British colonialism is one of the two main conflicts in the novel.

The other conflict is that of the Indians who emigrate to the United States and the conditions of their lives once they live there. Biju, who is the son of the Judge’s cook, is one of the lucky few who get a visa to go to America. But once he is there, is he really better off? The novel asks the question — how much does each person care about their individual culture, nationality, and family. What does our “inheritance” mean to us?

While I appreciate these themes and do think the writing was brilliant at times, I wouldn’t recommend this book for most readers.

Carl V. – April 26, 2007

Beautiful title, beautiful cover art, but just not something that sounds appealing to me for some reason. Maybe because it looks like too much work. That doesn’t sound very literary of me, but most of the times I don’t want to have to slog through a book.Lisa – April 26, 2007I am really really struggling to finish this. I can’t make myself pick it up again. When I’m actually reading it I enjoy it, but it does not inspire me to return to it. Some recent discussion has made me curious about what happens with the Judge, but not so much as to keep reading.

I do think it’s a beautiful book, and I even like the writing.

3M – April 26, 2007

Carl–I almost always finish books I don’t like all the way to the end. I wouldn’t have finished this one, though, if it wasnn’t our April read for BookAwards.Lisa–I really struggled, too. I felt exactly the same way. I’m glad I finished it, but it took me about 2 months! The last 1/3 goes by a lot faster if you’re that far. I think it is about page 200 or so.

Framed – April 29, 2007

I have read similar comments about this book. It’s always nice to find a book I simply don’t “have to” read. There’s so many that I do.

Stephanie – May 3, 2007

I had the same problem as you – just had such a hard time getting through it!
Stephanie
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