I fail to understand ( yet) why it won a Booker. It is almost depressing and the despair and longing in each of the characters is so real that it makes you want to cry. Probably that is why it won the Booker. It also has a dose of Britain and more than a dash of New York to give it a world flavour. On one hand it explores girl's acceptance of and by her grandpa, an old Judge of an older school. On the other it is about acceptance or the lack of it in a foreign country. It is about belonging and about not feeling wanted. It is about love and love spurned.
I have noticed a large number of covers for this book.
Here they are and can you guess which of them is mine? And Why?
20 comments:
A crowded national airport- flight to catch, coffee and conversations about fragrance industry...
And never meet again.
Blog is good..
Bye
Have you read "God of small things"?
After reading that, I refrain from reading any Booker prize winning books. God of small things was a very depressing book too.
My guess is the fifth cover.
anon- u must be the one headed for vizag right? tnx for visiting
sounds like a movie plot when u put it that way- anyway can always meet on my blog or yours whenever it is up:-)
sunita- oh yes i agree about God o s things
results will be out trow on whether u were right about the cover
the 4th cover-coz its bright and colorful as opposed to the others.
I read and liked God of Small things.That was before Ananya.
i think u must be having the 6th.. i can see penguin books india logo on the right top corner.. am assuming the others are publications from different countries. :) have a feeling that the 1st is uk edition and the two blue ones are US editions..
This book has been on my list for so long now...procrastination, sigh!
God of small things was quite dismal!
The last one in the deep purple, maybe?
the book won the prize because it portrays agony at its best..and because it is not a fairy tale, no happy endings - perhaps this is as close to reality as it gets. i agree it was depressing and left a void, but i loved it for the above reasons...
4th pinky looking...just tukka mara.
Ya I too had heard the book isn't that great...didn't feel like picking it up...
I think it must be the second one, because i havnt seen the other covers in any of the book shops.Today i was about to pick this book in a fair when my friend stopped me..maybe i ll invest in a better book..any suggestions?
Haven't read the book yet hence can't comment on it.I however didn't like "God of small things" at all.That was one book I always wondered how it won the booker prize!This Kiran Desai book does sound depressing,so I will pick the last one of the covers as my pick.Will wait for the results:)Have a great weekend Art!
good to know. the world aint such a bad place after all :-)
how are you?
the second cover coz that's the one i see in most bookshops :)
yeah...the book ends most abruptly and did NOT deserve the booker. and since i'm from darj...i didn't like the too unflattering comments she makes about nepalis and tibetans in the book.
maybe i should hunt her out and throw a stone at her window :)
I have decided to not read the book. the reason? I am SICK of Indian writers in English making a curry of Indianisms, global locations, highly, highly cliched emotions and circumstances put rather in a banal manner, and then making money out of it. What is the point? If they want to write for the non Indians, they should not use Indianisms. And if they want to write for Indians, they should use a language that at least suits those Indianisms and the stereotypes they feed us on - an Indian language at least!!
I think yours is the blue cover - all blue.. dont know why.. just had a feeling that that one is probably yours..
I had similar thoughts to after reading the book - said the same to hipgran when I met her today!
I actually liked God of small things!!
hi artnavy -
I have the book on my bed's side table for almost a month, without quite feeling the inclination to move on with it - I read the first few pages....I am not in a mood for depressing books and all the crying...I do that very easily and internalize the content for weeks...So, I guess I will take it in slow dozes - I am traveling this week - a good read at the airport where I can't cry publicly..
Thanks for the discussion.. May be we should all do a group book club kind of blog for ourselves - someone suggested it...!
It was interesting to read your thoughts on the book!
well i am getting on with the book in any case- have a few chapters left
howdoweknow-
i am not completely in sync with you though I was sayign just teh same yesterday to Navy!
to be fair, i do love some of the indian writers and where would we be without our readers!! LOL
praba
that sounds like a mighty good idea- maybe we shld try it
Usha-
so that is why hhgmom has gone a little silent- what do u think of the anti-stray dog drive in Blore?difficult to take sides this time
All
and yes for all those who are stil curious- the last one - deep purple-brown is the cover i have
Analog-
I am AMAZED by your observation
ur preview of the book makes it sound good inspite your own inertia in picking it up & reading it.....
Yours is the last one (the dark and gloomy one). You must have found the book depressing starting from the cover itself ;)
- Anupama
tell me about it anupama
itchy- no book is not worth reading- just teh amount of pleausre it provides varies
@art - :) am flattered
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