Picked up this book just for the sake of reading something new. To change a chain of thoughts, to explore newer grounds. The book turned out to be a delight for an explorer. An entirely new dish of unknown ingredients- marinated and cooked in a way, one would not have preferred otherwise, but delicious to the extreme, tantalizing the taste buds.
 |
| Image credit: Google |
A sad story told by Rahel, di-zygotic twin of Esthan, about her family in Ayehenem, South India.The book portrays efficiently the caste system, effect of Christianity (Aftermath?), love, betrayal, hatred - revealing all its nooks and corners. Whether it be the strange affection between Rahel and Esthan (Incest); forbidden relationship between Ammu and Velutha; Baby Kocchama and Father Mulligan; Chacko and Margaret or even Pappachi and Mammachi; everything was described with simplicity, daring and wit (Almost in a child like way).
The story was simple with all the sadness that is usually hidden by a society (Male chauvinistic society). The story didn't impress me much (to be frank) but yet I was hooked - truly , madly, deeply- and bewitched by the unique style of writing of the creator herself. She dared to be different, listened to her heart and wrote something exquisite . Rather then the story I was sincerely praising (with all my heart) the amazing style of her writing, her words, the language, almost with the child like innocence and imagination, crying out loud to be read, to be appreciated and demanded attention.
There were moments when I felt sick - almost- with the sweetness of the banana jam, the sourness of the bus-rails, the cartwheels, the "different" shaped holes in the universe, but yet i had to go on and secretly demanded more of her thoughts, trying to explore more... the innocence of her writing style and couldn't get enough in the end.
Hats off to Arundhati Roy and her writing with panache. Booker's prize well deserved without a doubt.
One Word- Mesmerized!!!
