欧宝娱乐

I've only read the first two chapters and I feel the same way. A bunch of mumble jumble metaphors and random jibberish that pop up out of no where. Hopefully it will get better?

Jennie wrote: "I've only read the first two chapters and I feel the same way. A bunch of mumble jumble metaphors and random jibberish that pop up out of no where. Hopefully it will get better?"

Jennie.......well said ....but patience and perseverance ....that鈥檚 what u need to read this book...and perhaps u really don鈥檛 understand the setting of this story line from a small village in Kerala, India. Me being from India was able to relate to every events / sequence that Arundhati was portraying in this novel picture by picture ..........yes its tough to digest especially with her literary skills in the choice of words used.....perhaps that is why she got Man Booker Prize (1997) .........

We had this for our library book club and not one of us finished it - except the leader, who of course had to. When she summarized the story it sounded pretty good - just a pity Roy didn't write it that way!

Vicki wrote: "We had this for our library book club and not one of us finished it - except the leader, who of course had to. When she summarized the story it sounded pretty good - just a pity Roy didn't write i..."


First of all this book is not a quick bite.
But the narratory style impressed me even though verbal virtuosity, is not any easy digest for people like us.
Roy definitely has a special skill in taking through your depth of imagination to boundaries beyound the story line, perhaps we need the persistence to see that.

Actually I loved this book and thought the writing was phenomenal. I don't claim to understand the point or "deep meaning" of it but "worst book ever written" is a bit extreme...

This was a beautifully written book that contains some of the most evocative figurative language I've ever encountered. If you didn't understand that language or the time jumps (which are both widely employed in other works of fiction) I think you just need something written in a more straightforward manner. This book, however, is beautiful.

that's probably because you din't give a heed to history or human emotions. One would probably like Rushdie's straining and impending language, you could have enjoyed the book if the child in you was never lost. Anyways, read ahead!

Probably the most ignorant review I've encountered. Not once does the narration ever change tense. Learn to read.

You're probably one of those people who read Stephanie Meyer and call that literature. This review shows how doomed the world is. Talk about washing one's dirty laundry in public.

It's her opinion, she's entitled.

I've only read the first two chapters and I feel pathetically bored. The last book I read was "the girl with the dragon tattoo"...hope you know my taste by now.. so are the good pages are yet to come at this Roy's book of tragic lives?

This probably isn't the worse book I've ever read, but I'm not enjoying it either. It's not my taste.

@Tommylammert and @Lucky - condescending much?

@Scott - I completely agree with your comments. The writing in every book I have read since I first read The God of Small Things twelve years ago is measured to Roy's. Far too many fall short. If it is poorly-written or the language does not stir some emotion I cannot continue reading. This book is IS beautiful, even if tragic.

The book makes absolute sense, its about massive massive issues such as the caste laws in India taken from the perspective of mainly 7 year olds, which can sometimes mean that people like you that don't give it time don't understand it. The reason for the time leaps from rahels 7 to her 31 is to play out the before and after of the terror. If you notice, past and present are in alternate chapters. The 'filthy sexual things' that you refer to I assume mean Estha and the orangedrink-lemondrink man. The reason I believe it is so overtly visual is to juxtapose with her subtle description of the true love in the the book, velutha and ammu and tragically through grief estha and rahel. This book does deserve to make it onto every good book list. Why? 1. because its structured so fantastically, it counteracts its melancholy with the fact we know someone will die right from the very first chapter. 2. It raises such massive issues like the caste laws in India which i felt compelled to read into if i was ever going to understand this book properly. 3. The way it is written in English, by an Indian author and her use of the language - blending, play on words relates to the effects of post-colonialism, only enforces the theme even more strongly. You should read this book again, and then read some material on it and educate yourself.

The reviewer's understanding is verb simplistic. The book has been written in a special style with many flash backs and starting in the future with some outcomes of the story already known. An intelligent reader would enjoy both the beautiful style and challenge of putting together the pieces of this wonderful story. Social issues that are addressed here are very important and in different ways still affect millions of people around the world.

Cannot agree to the fact that its worst..The author expects the reader to follow and like the subtlety of village life and attain niravana

You are, of course, entitled to your opinion. But a reader ought first to consider whether she is even capable of appreciating a work in the first place before judging it so harshly. To state that this is the "worst book ever" does little more than suggest you are incapable of understanding complex and rich texts. I'm not saying that this is true of you, only that you come off that way in your extreme commentary. Your review makes you seem as though you think it's the BOOK'S fault for being over your head. A more appropriate comment would be to say that it's not your preferred style or that you would rather cozy up with a good linear plot-line instead. There's no shame in saying you dislike non-linear plots or that you prefer not to read books that delve into dark and tragic realities. But to say that it "makes no sense" merely broadcasts your ignorance.

You don't know how to spell "gibberish"
You don't know anybody with any sense of literature.
I'm amazed you didn't have to hire somebody to type out this review for you.

Read E.L. James, Paulo Coelho, assorted Mills and Boon.
Even Stephenie Meyer is an aspiration for you.

thumbs up lydia and rijula :D

so can you can a better book?????

You just don't see the beauty in her writing. It's not the worst book ever written, quite the contrary, it's one of the best. You just don't understand it.

I get that you didn't get the point of a book. That happens. But what I don't get is that you write a pointless review...

Best luck for your book which will be better than 'The god of small things'

You clearly did not put much effort into really understanding the book. The beauty of a book does not lie in decorating everything on a platter and serving it to the reader like a nicholas sparks book. Memories can spring up anytime, anywhere and the catalyst could be anything, a word, a scene, a smell and that is the way the book is framed. And those sexual encounters you called filthy is molestation and molestation is never beautiful, not for the victim at least, which is why is is described in a very crude, raw way giving proper justice to a child's encounter with one of the worst things that can happen to him. In the last chapter she describes the love making scene of a paravan and a touchable in the most beautiful way it could be described. If you have such a problem with sexual encounters, you should not forget that that is how you were conceived and all of us came into being. As per the molestation is concerned it is a very serious issue and needs to be acknowledged more than it is, if we want to really spread awareness and save our kids from the cruelty of pedophiles, rapists and sick humans. Yes, the incest leaves a question mark, but the twisted childhood of two innocent, deeply connected two-egged twins could have led to that which you and I can't judge because thankfully we never had such traumatic childhood. So all I ask you is to give the book another chance, give your brain a little push to understand the intentional haphazard arrangement of events and with an open mind and concern for the real deep-rooted issues in the society, read it again.

you were clearly too stupid to understand the novel, well done for trying

Lol! Nice review.

There's an amazing fact that you may have overlooked so far - none of the Mills and Boon books has ever made it to Man Booker.

I've never read a more dead wrong review. This is the single best book I have ever read in my life.

Complete the book and feel the things that gets unfolded. I too was in the same situatiin when I stqrted reading that.

Ha ha. Have you finished it?

Clearly you have not read Jealousy by Alain Robbe-Grillet - which I believe is the worst book ever written.

You are of course entitled to not like it, but to say that this is the single worst book ever written is to merely show your own lack of humility, taste and ignorance. Unfortunate

To assume a person is unintelligent or lazy because of their dislike of a book strikes me as condescending. I am 1/3 through this book and have mixed feelings. I have read other books that have dealt with equally dark themes that made a stronger impact. I will finish it. Until then, I was curious why this book has so far failed to move me and sought out a few reviews to seek out other perspectives. I'm not feeling involved in the story or the characters in most of the chapters.

Very true jumping between past and present too much

yeah i feel the same.. is it important to finish this book?

Deeksha wrote: "yeah i feel the same.. is it important to finish this book?"

... It's not "important" to finish any book. If you are not enjoying it, then don't read it. If something, however, is making you curious, then go ahead.

I admit that this novel is not an "easy" read by any stretch. It is not the kind of book you can read 20 pages of and then come back to 10 months later to resume because literally in those 20 pages you've been introduced to 20 years of history, places, and people.

I've noticed a correlation between people who enjoyed this book, and people who enjoyed shows like Lost and Game of Thrones -- shows where you MUST keep track of tiny bits of dialogue and vague references in order to get total understanding and meaning.

It's not for everyone and I do not mean that as an insult. I don't agree with the reviewer though simply because a phrase like "filthy disturbing sexual things" tells me this book just isn't for them and that they placed way too much importance on a rare number of scenes.... kind of like the parent who freaks out at their kid because they walked in on them watching the ONE sex scene in an otherwise totally OK movie.

Maybe you need a teacher to help you understand. This book is a masterpiece! Maybe it's not your taste but cmon its not the worst.

You are not a regular reader I suppose :) BTW, the very essense of the book is in the non linearity of the story.

...11 years ago a certain someone slept well

Now you have met someone. I my favourite book I have read in the last 15 years.

Ignorance personified.

This book was beautifully written. I enjoyed every word of it. But I get how some people could get annoyed, it's a bit hard to understand.

The worst book I ever came across! I thought of bringing the book to ashes!

My guess is that it may be better to stick to Ann Pachett & other paint-by-the-numbers authors. Try to imagine a book group where NO one was able to comprehend the Arundhati Roy novel. No book is for everyone & Roy's book is about memory, with bits & pieces coming to consciousness in a non-linear fashion. My thought would be to attempt to read some of the reviews of those who liked the novel, though many of them found the book difficult to digest at 1st glance. There is a reason, if not many reasons why this book is perhaps the most read novel by an Indian author.

Agree. An old story about an emperor and his lack of clothes comes to mind.

Wow, the comments attacking this person for their review on a book are absolutely disgusting and horrifying. It makes me extra glad I鈥檓 not this book鈥檚 intended audience just seeing how they behave.

To be quite honest, there is a difference between suggesting that a reader could not find a point to a book & saying that there is NO point to it. There is a considerable difference between suggesting that a prize-winning, much-heralded novel did not fit a reader's level of interest and claiming that it is the "worst book ever written".

There is a large difference between admitting that a reader could not find the point to Arundhati Roy's novel (or any novel) and claiming that other readers at 欧宝娱乐 who found the book masterful & well worth reading were misguided in listing points in favor of the novel, i.e. their reasons for liking the book.

If in doubt, read some of the reviews by those who gave The God of Small Things 4 or 5*s. It doesn't mean that Amytyr will end up agreeing with the reviews but just perhaps, that reader will no longer allege that they all have somehow "missed the point", this after 1st claiming that there is no point to the novel. Sometimes, when a reader trashes a particular book, it has almost nothing to do with the book itself.

It鈥檚 a wonderful book. I鈥檓 sorry you did not enjoy it.

The way you read says more about you than the book.

It takes more literary skill to see the beauty of the book. I think you dislike it because you don't understand it, and that makes sense really.

There's a difference between reading a book critically and reading it for mere pleasure. This book really highlights the dark realities of a country like India, it's not exactly meant to be a pleasant read. If you're gonna criticize an openly sombre and dark book about its sexual content and lack of depth might as well not give a review. It just means you couldn't understand the book, not that it's garbage :/