November 10, 2018 YOU CAN'T JUDGE A BOOK BY ITS COVER

Although I've read MANY books this year, they have--for the MOST part been-- easy--light-- reads.  Nothing I'd put on my 10 greatest books--of ALL times list. THOSE books are far and few between. And I miss them. So I went on a quest. Traveled many miles and traversed many internet sites. YUP--needed  to find a book that had the ability to transport me into another world.  With TOP NOTCH WRITING-- Descriptive without being too cumbersome and characters who come alive--grow and change as the story unfolds. Unforgettable characters like-- Pip, Ms. Havisham, Dr. Darawalla, Garp, Owen Meany, Mr. Darcy, Elizabeth Bennet, Ghosh, Heathcliff, The Count, Scout, Dolores Price, Om and Maneck--to name a few. After searching high and low--I came across a book from 1997 I thought would fit the bill. Couldn't believe this little gem slipped by me. Come to think of it--yes I can. I had a two years old and a VERY COLICKY baby at the time. Surprised that I even survived that year! Sorry--I digressed. Anyways, I just finished a lovely novel that was just what the doctor ordered. This winner of the Man Booker Prize from 1997 is called The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy.

Set in Kerala, India in 1969, Rahel and Esthappen are "two-egg twins" who come to live at Aryemenem House after their mother Amma shames the family by leaving her abusive husband. They share Aryemenem House with their uncle Chacko, grandmother Mammachi, and great-aunt Baby Kochamma. Aryemenem House is a grand home with several acres that also includes the family business Paradise Pickles. As the story unfolds, the family is on their way to the train station to pick up Chacko's ex-wife Margaret and his daughter Sophie Mol for the Christmas holiday. Shortly after they arrive, a tragedy occurs that rips the family apart. The narration flips each chapter from past to present so that in the next chapter Rahel is 31 years old and has returned to Aryemenem House to see Estha for the first time since the tragedy 25 years earlier.  When she returns, the homestead has seen better days. The property is in a state of disrepair and neglect which mirrors the state of her family.  And so the story continues and I don't want to say much more and ruin it for you. This is ultimately a novel that is part family drama, part political commentary, part a denouncement of the caste system in India as Amma becomes involved with an untouchable named Velutha and pays the price for their forbidden love. The writing is so incredible it is almost poetic--metaphors, lovely description--the house is practically a character in the story, repetition, random capital letters and a fluidity like butter--if you're open to it. Give this 331 page book a chance. It's about a 4-5 mile run well worth your time.