I once read in Newsweek where someone commented that this was one of the books that looked good on the bookshelf but that no one really read. I wanted to write about it because I disagree with that and think it has a lot to offer. The language uses a lot of imagery that might not be to the liking of everyone who reads it. Yet it was awarded the Booker Prize in 1997 which means something.
This story is about seven-year-old twins named Estha and Rahel as well as the mother and family that raised them in Ayemenem, India. It goes between this time period and a disastrous event that took place then, and when the twins are reunited at age 31. This book primarily focuses on the children and is written from their perspective. An example of the writing is when the author describes how the children are dressed when they go to meet their cousin from America at the airport. “In her stiff lace dress and her fountain in a Love-in-Tokyo, Rahel looked like an Airport Fairy with appalling taste.”
This book looks at more than the life of children. It addresses the caste system in India and how it effects the lives of those in the story. It also looks at the culture of family and of politics. Baby Kochamma, a sort of respected aunt in the family, plays a key role in the lessons learned and the events that take place. I don’t want to give anything away because I was not expecting many of the events that took place and I don’t want to take that away from the reader.
One of the most interesting parts of the book is the relationship between Estha and Rahel at age 31 after not seeing each other since they were seven. Estha is not speaking…he spends his days in silence. Yet Rahel still understands him and is able to connect with him.
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