The God of Small Things by Arundathi Roy

A semi autobiographical that treads a fine line between fiction and non-fiction. Arundhati Roy captures a greater reality while narrating her own sad story.

"First-time novelist Arundhati Roy twists and reshapes language to create an arresting, startling sort of precision. The average reader of mainstream fiction may have a tough time working through Roy's prose, but those with a more literary bent to their usual fiction inclinations should find the initial struggle through the dense prose a worthy price for this lushly tragic tale."
-Sharon Schulz-Elsing


"The book is certainly well written and some comparison has been made with Rushdie. However, unlike Rushdie's work, this is easy reading and very accessible. There are some nice turns of phrase and very interesting images.
Like most first novels, it is heavily autobiographical and the child character Rahel is so clearly Roy herself that she is a completely plausible character with whom the reader can empathise. In fact, the book's strength lies in its portrayal of the family, its weakness is the story."
-Manorama Mathai