The Goddess of Large Ideas

Where Arundhati Roy is concerned, I would be lying if I suggested I wasn't already favorably biased towards her before picking up her novel, The God of Small Things. She is a well known voice of political and social change, an advocate of peace and harmony, and a friend to a good deal of very influential and intellectual individuals. Roy's renown aside, I delved into this novel with great delight, having heard only good commentary surrounding it.

The tale begins innocently enough, relating the tale of two siblings, twins, Rahel and Estha. The pair share a deep bond, deeper than most brothers and sisters can fathom. As the story unfolds, the narrator moves gracefully between Rahel and Estha's easygoing, childhood past, to their complicated future. With a theme revolving around how the small things in life are often the most complicated and difficult to get over, the plot keeps a steady but strange pace, enthralling the reader and continually turning the story in upon itself. Set in Kerela in 1969, it portrays an India, a southern India on the verge of communism, where the exchange between cultural identity and industrial complexe is brought into question. The imagery is beautiful; the people, dynamic and complex; and the story itself, masterfully woven.

The God of Small Things was a book I was unable to put down. The relaxed pace only serves to highlight the action in the story, bringing twists from out of the ether and keeping the reader awake and thoughtful. The contrasting elements are fashioned into a cognisant and artistic whole, making for one of the best, and most fulfilling, reads this young man has had in a long time. So to any and all that happen to see it on our shelves, The God of Small Things, by Arundhati Roy, is a definite must read. It's unapologetic, unreserved, unforgettable, and unbelievable.