In her first novel, award-winning Indian screenwriter Arundhati Roy conjures a whoosh of wordplay that rises from the pages like a brilliant jazz improvisation. The God of Small Things is nominally the story of young twins Rahel and Estha and the rest of their family, but the book feels like a million stories spinning out indefinitely; it is the product of a genius child-mind that takes everything in and transforms it in an alchemy of poetry. The God of Small Things is at once exotic and familiar to the Western reader, written in an English that's completely new and invigorated by the Asian Indian influences of culture and language.

Masterpiece! , 21 Oct 2008
The God of Small Things is an excellent book, one of a kind. Vocabulary that Roy has used, though unconventional and sometimes grammatically incorrect, is what makes the story powerful and unique.

In its simplest description it is a story of one family, mostly of Estha and Rahel. In its complex description it is a story that raises many questions that for generations have been unanswerable.

Caste system in India, discrimination against untouchables is only of them. Through sad tale of Velutha and Ammu, we see the price one pays for trying to overcome the barriers that society has placed. Velutha's untouchable body touched Ammu's upper-cast body in the most intimate form. He was a man, she a woman and they made passionate love. But it wasn't how the society saw it. He was an untouchable and she a divorcee woman of upper-cast. She had on right to sleep with any man, least of all with an untouchable. She had no right to open her legs for a man, who was not considered good enough to be invited in the house. As Roy reminds us several times, there are rules about who should be loved and how much. When someone like Ammu dares to break those rules, someone like Velutha pays the price.

Twins broke the rules too, but their oneness of soul protects them from the accusing fingers of society. They are withdrawn; careless about the world. They have a protective shell around them which no one but only the other twin can enter. No one understands their bond, the closeness they share. Estha's silence is interpreted only by Rahel. Estha's invisible presence is seen by Rahel.

It is a story of love and loss, of politics and national changes. But above all it is a story of humanity that somehow manages to touch a soul of a reader.


A mix of everything, 04 Oct 2008
The God of Small Things tells the story of an Indian family that defies the Laws of Love ("that say who should be loved and how much").

It's a wonderful portrayal of Indian society over the past forty years and surprisingly insightful about family relationships. It's got a bit of everything as well: humor, innocence, sorrow, death, love, sex. It hides very little and it happens to give a very clear idea of the world through a child's eyes - something that reminded me of Mark Haddon, I must admit.

I enjoyed it a lot and I recommend whole-heartedly.

Tray Bong, 25 Sep 2008
My first attempt at reading this book took me to page 70, then I gave up. The descriptive language and pointless metaphors annoyed me. I also found the book hard to get into because it kept jumping around between past and present.
Unfortunately, I had to try and read the book again because I was studying it in English. I started, again, from the beginning and persisted with Roy's unique style. Once I had re-reached page 70 I realised that I was enjoying the book much more this time around. The mixed up chronology gives each event more significance and realism, and the jumbled order soon becomes easy enough to follow and understand. Every chapter has its own importance and relevance as in any good book, you just don't know it yet. I think that some knowledge of India and Indian Politics, especially Communism, might help people enjoy the book more because it will make some parts easier to understand.
Overall, it is worth the initial struggle needed to get into this book, because when you do you will be rewarded. It is also ironic that Roy's style is the first thing you hate but the last thing you love.
I would like to finish by urging anyone that gave the book a review of 1 or 2 stars to read it again. Of course, you are entitled to your opinion and if you believe this book to be bad then that is fine. However, you are wrong.


Review of 'The God of Small Things', 24 Sep 2008
At first, I found this book quite inaccessible, due to the many characters thrown at you within the first few pages, and the way the plot gallops off without you. In fact, I did wonder whether my copy had a few pages missing at the start, and it took me several attempts at reading chapter 1 before I finally started to get into the book. But when I did, it was well worth it.

Roy displays emotions in an equally sensitive and delicate way as nature. Working hard to follow the sections of plot revealed at different points, I think I learnt something of the confusion Rahel and Estha felt, and the efforts they had to make growing up in the midst of a broken family, and a troubled culture. I found the juxtaposition between the un-conventionally structured novel, and the ever present metaphorical boundaries very appropriate.

A mix of the stories of individuals, and those that affect all of us, this book finishes with a concept we can all relate to: tommorow.

Worth it!, 24 Sep 2008
The fact that `The God of Small Things' has won the Booker Prize would initially make anyone think that the book was probably worth a read.

However Roy's individual writing style can make getting into this book and understanding the concepts and plot challenging. Other reviewers have commented on the difficulty in getting to know the characters and associating with them in the plot that frequently switches between past and present. Initially, after the first few chapters, I would have agreed with them; however if you want to fully appreciate this book it is necessary to look further into the book than merely the words on the page. The childish language and descriptive narrative that many readers have expressed dislike with, I think is entirely necessary in creating the right ambiance in the chapters where Rahel and Estha are children. Additionally, the way in which the plot is told is entirely in keeping with how any real life story is discovered, through snippets of information, and not in a chronological list.

The negative reviews of this book I can sympathise with, but unfortunately I have to say that they will be from reviewers who do not want to delve deeper into the Indian meanings, customs and cultures that Roy includes; and instead want everything laid out for them on a plate... Persevere with this book and you will be rewarded!

Masterpiece! , 21 Oct 2008
The God of Small Things is an excellent book, one of a kind. Vocabulary that Roy has used, though unconventional and sometimes grammatically incorrect, is what makes the story powerful and unique.

In its simplest description it is a story of one family, mostly of Estha and Rahel. In its complex description it is a story that raises many questions that for generations have been unanswerable.

Caste system in India, discrimination against untouchables is only of them. Through sad tale of Velutha and Ammu, we see the price one pays for trying to overcome the barriers that society has placed. Velutha's untouchable body touched Ammu's upper-cast body in the most intimate form. He was a man, she a woman and they made passionate love. But it wasn't how the society saw it. He was an untouchable and she a divorcee woman of upper-cast. She had on right to sleep with any man, least of all with an untouchable. She had no right to open her legs for a man, who was not considered good enough to be invited in the house. As Roy reminds us several times, there are rules about who should be loved and how much. When someone like Ammu dares to break those rules, someone like Velutha pays the price.

Twins broke the rules too, but their oneness of soul protects them from the accusing fingers of society. They are withdrawn; careless about the world. They have a protective shell around them which no one but only the other twin can enter. No one understands their bond, the closeness they share. Estha's silence is interpreted only by Rahel. Estha's invisible presence is seen by Rahel.

It is a story of love and loss, of politics and national changes. But above all it is a story of humanity that somehow manages to touch a soul of a reader.


A mix of everything, 04 Oct 2008
The God of Small Things tells the story of an Indian family that defies the Laws of Love ("that say who should be loved and how much").

It's a wonderful portrayal of Indian society over the past forty years and surprisingly insightful about family relationships. It's got a bit of everything as well: humor, innocence, sorrow, death, love, sex. It hides very little and it happens to give a very clear idea of the world through a child's eyes - something that reminded me of Mark Haddon, I must admit.

I enjoyed it a lot and I recommend whole-heartedly.

Tray Bong, 25 Sep 2008
My first attempt at reading this book took me to page 70, then I gave up. The descriptive language and pointless metaphors annoyed me. I also found the book hard to get into because it kept jumping around between past and present.
Unfortunately, I had to try and read the book again because I was studying it in English. I started, again, from the beginning and persisted with Roy's unique style. Once I had re-reached page 70 I realised that I was enjoying the book much more this time around. The mixed up chronology gives each event more significance and realism, and the jumbled order soon becomes easy enough to follow and understand. Every chapter has its own importance and relevance as in any good book, you just don't know it yet. I think that some knowledge of India and Indian Politics, especially Communism, might help people enjoy the book more because it will make some parts easier to understand.
Overall, it is worth the initial struggle needed to get into this book, because when you do you will be rewarded. It is also ironic that Roy's style is the first thing you hate but the last thing you love.
I would like to finish by urging anyone that gave the book a review of 1 or 2 stars to read it again. Of course, you are entitled to your opinion and if you believe this book to be bad then that is fine. However, you are wrong.


Review of 'The God of Small Things', 24 Sep 2008
At first, I found this book quite inaccessible, due to the many characters thrown at you within the first few pages, and the way the plot gallops off without you. In fact, I did wonder whether my copy had a few pages missing at the start, and it took me several attempts at reading chapter 1 before I finally started to get into the book. But when I did, it was well worth it.

Roy displays emotions in an equally sensitive and delicate way as nature. Working hard to follow the sections of plot revealed at different points, I think I learnt something of the confusion Rahel and Estha felt, and the efforts they had to make growing up in the midst of a broken family, and a troubled culture. I found the juxtaposition between the un-conventionally structured novel, and the ever present metaphorical boundaries very appropriate.

A mix of the stories of individuals, and those that affect all of us, this book finishes with a concept we can all relate to: tommorow.

Worth it!, 24 Sep 2008
The fact that `The God of Small Things' has won the Booker Prize would initially make anyone think that the book was probably worth a read.

However Roy's individual writing style can make getting into this book and understanding the concepts and plot challenging. Other reviewers have commented on the difficulty in getting to know the characters and associating with them in the plot that frequently switches between past and present. Initially, after the first few chapters, I would have agreed with them; however if you want to fully appreciate this book it is necessary to look further into the book than merely the words on the page. The childish language and descriptive narrative that many readers have expressed dislike with, I think is entirely necessary in creating the right ambiance in the chapters where Rahel and Estha are children. Additionally, the way in which the plot is told is entirely in keeping with how any real life story is discovered, through snippets of information, and not in a chronological list.

The negative reviews of this book I can sympathise with, but unfortunately I have to say that they will be from reviewers who do not want to delve deeper into the Indian meanings, customs and cultures that Roy includes; and instead want everything laid out for them on a plate... Persevere with this book and you will be rewarded!


eye opening, 11 Jul 2008
I decided to pick up this book for a couple of reasons. Firstly, because I loved The God of Small Things and I was thirsty for more of Arundhati Roy's writing. Secondly, because I was about to go to India, and I wanted to educate myself on the issues it currently faces.

On the first count, my thirst was satisfied only to a degree. This is a collection of essays that were originally written and published at different points in time, so there is a degree of repetition. I found this a bit frustrating.

Arundhati Roy feels so passionately about the issues she writes about, that sometimes the emotional component overshadows the issues themselves. In addition, it was quite heavy going in places, and I sometimes found her thread of thoughts and logic difficult to follow.

On the second count, I learnt a lot about India, and it certainly added perspective to what I saw, heard and experienced during my time there.



The Algebra of Infinite Justice by Arundhati Roy, 10 May 2003
A selection of eloquent and poetic essays by Booker Prize winner, Arundhati Roy. Her impassioned polemic questions the status quo and urges us to do the same. This is not simply a series of relevant political commentaries on our times but a work of literary beauty that grabs your spirit and incites you to act. Reading this book caused me to run through a gamut of emotions - fear, outrage, compassion, hope, and gratitude for this inspirational voice. Read this book. Buy copies for your friends and share enlightenment!

A Sharp Critique, 26 Jan 2003
Some people may be shocked, should be disturbed, by Roy's descriptions of the modern world. These are subjects which everybody should have an opinion on, from the Indian/Pakistani nuclear bomb to the confusion of 'the war against terror'.
The despair of Roy at the direction of the current Indian government is particular moving.
Roy writes eloquently, using strong imagery and always to the point.
Perhaps for the those who bought 'Stupid White Men', and found it a little 'flabby'.

Masterpiece! , 21 Oct 2008
The God of Small Things is an excellent book, one of a kind. Vocabulary that Roy has used, though unconventional and sometimes grammatically incorrect, is what makes the story powerful and unique.

In its simplest description it is a story of one family, mostly of Estha and Rahel. In its complex description it is a story that raises many questions that for generations have been unanswerable.

Caste system in India, discrimination against untouchables is only of them. Through sad tale of Velutha and Ammu, we see the price one pays for trying to overcome the barriers that society has placed. Velutha's untouchable body touched Ammu's upper-cast body in the most intimate form. He was a man, she a woman and they made passionate love. But it wasn't how the society saw it. He was an untouchable and she a divorcee woman of upper-cast. She had on right to sleep with any man, least of all with an untouchable. She had no right to open her legs for a man, who was not considered good enough to be invited in the house. As Roy reminds us several times, there are rules about who should be loved and how much. When someone like Ammu dares to break those rules, someone like Velutha pays the price.

Twins broke the rules too, but their oneness of soul protects them from the accusing fingers of society. They are withdrawn; careless about the world. They have a protective shell around them which no one but only the other twin can enter. No one understands their bond, the closeness they share. Estha's silence is interpreted only by Rahel. Estha's invisible presence is seen by Rahel.

It is a story of love and loss, of politics and national changes. But above all it is a story of humanity that somehow manages to touch a soul of a reader.


A mix of everything, 04 Oct 2008
The God of Small Things tells the story of an Indian family that defies the Laws of Love ("that say who should be loved and how much").

It's a wonderful portrayal of Indian society over the past forty years and surprisingly insightful about family relationships. It's got a bit of everything as well: humor, innocence, sorrow, death, love, sex. It hides very little and it happens to give a very clear idea of the world through a child's eyes - something that reminded me of Mark Haddon, I must admit.

I enjoyed it a lot and I recommend whole-heartedly.

Tray Bong, 25 Sep 2008
My first attempt at reading this book took me to page 70, then I gave up. The descriptive language and pointless metaphors annoyed me. I also found the book hard to get into because it kept jumping around between past and present.
Unfortunately, I had to try and read the book again because I was studying it in English. I started, again, from the beginning and persisted with Roy's unique style. Once I had re-reached page 70 I realised that I was enjoying the book much more this time around. The mixed up chronology gives each event more significance and realism, and the jumbled order soon becomes easy enough to follow and understand. Every chapter has its own importance and relevance as in any good book, you just don't know it yet. I think that some knowledge of India and Indian Politics, especially Communism, might help people enjoy the book more because it will make some parts easier to understand.
Overall, it is worth the initial struggle needed to get into this book, because when you do you will be rewarded. It is also ironic that Roy's style is the first thing you hate but the last thing you love.
I would like to finish by urging anyone that gave the book a review of 1 or 2 stars to read it again. Of course, you are entitled to your opinion and if you believe this book to be bad then that is fine. However, you are wrong.


Review of 'The God of Small Things', 24 Sep 2008
At first, I found this book quite inaccessible, due to the many characters thrown at you within the first few pages, and the way the plot gallops off without you. In fact, I did wonder whether my copy had a few pages missing at the start, and it took me several attempts at reading chapter 1 before I finally started to get into the book. But when I did, it was well worth it.

Roy displays emotions in an equally sensitive and delicate way as nature. Working hard to follow the sections of plot revealed at different points, I think I learnt something of the confusion Rahel and Estha felt, and the efforts they had to make growing up in the midst of a broken family, and a troubled culture. I found the juxtaposition between the un-conventionally structured novel, and the ever present metaphorical boundaries very appropriate.

A mix of the stories of individuals, and those that affect all of us, this book finishes with a concept we can all relate to: tommorow.

Worth it!, 24 Sep 2008
The fact that `The God of Small Things' has won the Booker Prize would initially make anyone think that the book was probably worth a read.

However Roy's individual writing style can make getting into this book and understanding the concepts and plot challenging. Other reviewers have commented on the difficulty in getting to know the characters and associating with them in the plot that frequently switches between past and present. Initially, after the first few chapters, I would have agreed with them; however if you want to fully appreciate this book it is necessary to look further into the book than merely the words on the page. The childish language and descriptive narrative that many readers have expressed dislike with, I think is entirely necessary in creating the right ambiance in the chapters where Rahel and Estha are children. Additionally, the way in which the plot is told is entirely in keeping with how any real life story is discovered, through snippets of information, and not in a chronological list.

The negative reviews of this book I can sympathise with, but unfortunately I have to say that they will be from reviewers who do not want to delve deeper into the Indian meanings, customs and cultures that Roy includes; and instead want everything laid out for them on a plate... Persevere with this book and you will be rewarded!


eye opening, 11 Jul 2008
I decided to pick up this book for a couple of reasons. Firstly, because I loved The God of Small Things and I was thirsty for more of Arundhati Roy's writing. Secondly, because I was about to go to India, and I wanted to educate myself on the issues it currently faces.

On the first count, my thirst was satisfied only to a degree. This is a collection of essays that were originally written and published at different points in time, so there is a degree of repetition. I found this a bit frustrating.

Arundhati Roy feels so passionately about the issues she writes about, that sometimes the emotional component overshadows the issues themselves. In addition, it was quite heavy going in places, and I sometimes found her thread of thoughts and logic difficult to follow.

On the second count, I learnt a lot about India, and it certainly added perspective to what I saw, heard and experienced during my time there.



The Algebra of Infinite Justice by Arundhati Roy, 10 May 2003
A selection of eloquent and poetic essays by Booker Prize winner, Arundhati Roy. Her impassioned polemic questions the status quo and urges us to do the same. This is not simply a series of relevant political commentaries on our times but a work of literary beauty that grabs your spirit and incites you to act. Reading this book caused me to run through a gamut of emotions - fear, outrage, compassion, hope, and gratitude for this inspirational voice. Read this book. Buy copies for your friends and share enlightenment!

A Sharp Critique, 26 Jan 2003
Some people may be shocked, should be disturbed, by Roy's descriptions of the modern world. These are subjects which everybody should have an opinion on, from the Indian/Pakistani nuclear bomb to the confusion of 'the war against terror'.
The despair of Roy at the direction of the current Indian government is particular moving.
Roy writes eloquently, using strong imagery and always to the point.
Perhaps for the those who bought 'Stupid White Men', and found it a little 'flabby'.

ONLY 145 PAGES, 31 Jan 2008
Excellent collection of thought-provoking essays
But please don't be misled, this edition is flimsy length-wise only 145 pages and large typeface at that, NOT the 240 pages that Amazon advertises


Insightful and intriguing, 26 Jan 2006
For many years I've heard much about Arundhati Roy but I've never picked up one of her books until recently. The Ordinary Person's Guide to Empire was being featured on the shelves of the Oxford Book Store, Park Street in Kolkata - India when I picked it up and started browsing through it. The book captured me immediately. As an Indian born and brought up outside India, over the last few years I have started taking a greater interest in my mother country. This book at first glance seemed to be a bit of an eye opener about some of the pre-conceptions I have about India and the what I believe to be trouble because of what I’ve read or been told by the mass media. This book proved to be an antidote to what mass media had been feeding me about "India Shining". Roy does not mince her words and highlights the many injustices of governments around the world upon their people, though in this book her zeal is concentrated upon the injustices of the USA and India. From plight of those living in flood zones caused by massive river dam projects, to farmer committing suicide because of financial dept to the way western governments, notably the USA, is controlling power, resources and trade around the world, The Ordinary Person's Guide to Empire starts to give the lay man an inside track on apparent “truths” which today’s people who been lead to believe is the absolute truth by our governments.

This book is composed of a series of essays and speeches given by Roy between 2002 and 2004. Detailed references in an appendix at the back of the book offer the reader extensive avenues of further reading and each essay is contextualized and it's date and location catalogues in a second appendix.

I feel this book is required reading for anyone who's blinded by mass media about India's current feel good factor. It's a real eye opener. The book leads the reader on to a wealth of extra reading material, though at times a number of the essays do overlap and the book starts to get a little repetitive. But that's the nature of public speaking. You don't always come up with different things for each individual speech you give to the public. Indeed, you probably would want to spread the same messages the world over and this is apparent in the book.

Chance buy..., 27 Mar 2005
I picked this book up in a cheap bookshop in Chatham as something to read on the train... it turns out that what I bought was one of the most thought-provoking and intelligent books I have ever read. Not only that, but Roy has the rare quality of an emotive writing style. Both beautiful and profoundly insightful- a must read!

The Ordinary Person's Review of Arundhati Roy., 07 Feb 2004
Roy separates the political FACTS, MYTHS and TRUTH about the world we live in post Sept 11. Her words tug at the hearts of all those that still believe in the principles of "satya" Truth and "Ahimsa"- non-violence. She remind us that that we are "standing on the shoulders of giants"[think about Gandhi,MLK Jnr,and Mandela next time you vote].

And lest we forget it - there's so much more yet to do to safeguard the freedoms and civil rights of people across the world. Roy is without a doubt, passionate, poetic and powerful.

In her first novel, award-winning Indian screenwriter Arundhati Roy conjures a whoosh of wordplay that rises from the pages like a brilliant jazz improvisation. The God of Small Things is nominally the story of young twins Rahel and Estha and the rest of their family, but the book feels like a million stories spinning out indefinitely; it is the product of a genius child-mind that takes everything in and transforms it in an alchemy of poetry. The God of Small Things is at once exotic and familiar to the Western reader, written in an English that's completely new and invigorated by the Asian Indian influences of culture and language.

Masterpiece! , 21 Oct 2008
The God of Small Things is an excellent book, one of a kind. Vocabulary that Roy has used, though unconventional and sometimes grammatically incorrect, is what makes the story powerful and unique.

In its simplest description it is a story of one family, mostly of Estha and Rahel. In its complex description it is a story that raises many questions that for generations have been unanswerable.

Caste system in India, discrimination against untouchables is only of them. Through sad tale of Velutha and Ammu, we see the price one pays for trying to overcome the barriers that society has placed. Velutha's untouchable body touched Ammu's upper-cast body in the most intimate form. He was a man, she a woman and they made passionate love. But it wasn't how the society saw it. He was an untouchable and she a divorcee woman of upper-cast. She had on right to sleep with any man, least of all with an untouchable. She had no right to open her legs for a man, who was not considered good enough to be invited in the house. As Roy reminds us several times, there are rules about who should be loved and how much. When someone like Ammu dares to break those rules, someone like Velutha pays the price.

Twins broke the rules too, but their oneness of soul protects them from the accusing fingers of society. They are withdrawn; careless about the world. They have a protective shell around them which no one but only the other twin can enter. No one understands their bond, the closeness they share. Estha's silence is interpreted only by Rahel. Estha's invisible presence is seen by Rahel.

It is a story of love and loss, of politics and national changes. But above all it is a story of humanity that somehow manages to touch a soul of a reader.


A mix of everything, 04 Oct 2008
The God of Small Things tells the story of an Indian family that defies the Laws of Love ("that say who should be loved and how much").

It's a wonderful portrayal of Indian society over the past forty years and surprisingly insightful about family relationships. It's got a bit of everything as well: humor, innocence, sorrow, death, love, sex. It hides very little and it happens to give a very clear idea of the world through a child's eyes - something that reminded me of Mark Haddon, I must admit.

I enjoyed it a lot and I recommend whole-heartedly.

Tray Bong, 25 Sep 2008
My first attempt at reading this book took me to page 70, then I gave up. The descriptive language and pointless metaphors annoyed me. I also found the book hard to get into because it kept jumping around between past and present.
Unfortunately, I had to try and read the book again because I was studying it in English. I started, again, from the beginning and persisted with Roy's unique style. Once I had re-reached page 70 I realised that I was enjoying the book much more this time around. The mixed up chronology gives each event more significance and realism, and the jumbled order soon becomes easy enough to follow and understand. Every chapter has its own importance and relevance as in any good book, you just don't know it yet. I think that some knowledge of India and Indian Politics, especially Communism, might help people enjoy the book more because it will make some parts easier to understand.
Overall, it is worth the initial struggle needed to get into this book, because when you do you will be rewarded. It is also ironic that Roy's style is the first thing you hate but the last thing you love.
I would like to finish by urging anyone that gave the book a review of 1 or 2 stars to read it again. Of course, you are entitled to your opinion and if you believe this book to be bad then that is fine. However, you are wrong.


Review of 'The God of Small Things', 24 Sep 2008
At first, I found this book quite inaccessible, due to the many characters thrown at you within the first few pages, and the way the plot gallops off without you. In fact, I did wonder whether my copy had a few pages missing at the start, and it took me several attempts at reading chapter 1 before I finally started to get into the book. But when I did, it was well worth it.

Roy displays emotions in an equally sensitive and delicate way as nature. Working hard to follow the sections of plot revealed at different points, I think I learnt something of the confusion Rahel and Estha felt, and the efforts they had to make growing up in the midst of a broken family, and a troubled culture. I found the juxtaposition between the un-conventionally structured novel, and the ever present metaphorical boundaries very appropriate.

A mix of the stories of individuals, and those that affect all of us, this book finishes with a concept we can all relate to: tommorow.

Worth it!, 24 Sep 2008
The fact that `The God of Small Things' has won the Booker Prize would initially make anyone think that the book was probably worth a read.

However Roy's individual writing style can make getting into this book and understanding the concepts and plot challenging. Other reviewers have commented on the difficulty in getting to know the characters and associating with them in the plot that frequently switches between past and present. Initially, after the first few chapters, I would have agreed with them; however if you want to fully appreciate this book it is necessary to look further into the book than merely the words on the page. The childish language and descriptive narrative that many readers have expressed dislike with, I think is entirely necessary in creating the right ambiance in the chapters where Rahel and Estha are children. Additionally, the way in which the plot is told is entirely in keeping with how any real life story is discovered, through snippets of information, and not in a chronological list.

The negative reviews of this book I can sympathise with, but unfortunately I have to say that they will be from reviewers who do not want to delve deeper into the Indian meanings, customs and cultures that Roy includes; and instead want everything laid out for them on a plate... Persevere with this book and you will be rewarded!


eye opening, 11 Jul 2008
I decided to pick up this book for a couple of reasons. Firstly, because I loved The God of Small Things and I was thirsty for more of Arundhati Roy's writing. Secondly, because I was about to go to India, and I wanted to educate myself on the issues it currently faces.

On the first count, my thirst was satisfied only to a degree. This is a collection of essays that were originally written and published at different points in time, so there is a degree of repetition. I found this a bit frustrating.

Arundhati Roy feels so passionately about the issues she writes about, that sometimes the emotional component overshadows the issues themselves. In addition, it was quite heavy going in places, and I sometimes found her thread of thoughts and logic difficult to follow.

On the second count, I learnt a lot about India, and it certainly added perspective to what I saw, heard and experienced during my time there.



The Algebra of Infinite Justice by Arundhati Roy, 10 May 2003
A selection of eloquent and poetic essays by Booker Prize winner, Arundhati Roy. Her impassioned polemic questions the status quo and urges us to do the same. This is not simply a series of relevant political commentaries on our times but a work of literary beauty that grabs your spirit and incites you to act. Reading this book caused me to run through a gamut of emotions - fear, outrage, compassion, hope, and gratitude for this inspirational voice. Read this book. Buy copies for your friends and share enlightenment!

A Sharp Critique, 26 Jan 2003
Some people may be shocked, should be disturbed, by Roy's descriptions of the modern world. These are subjects which everybody should have an opinion on, from the Indian/Pakistani nuclear bomb to the confusion of 'the war against terror'.
The despair of Roy at the direction of the current Indian government is particular moving.
Roy writes eloquently, using strong imagery and always to the point.
Perhaps for the those who bought 'Stupid White Men', and found it a little 'flabby'.

ONLY 145 PAGES, 31 Jan 2008
Excellent collection of thought-provoking essays
But please don't be misled, this edition is flimsy length-wise only 145 pages and large typeface at that, NOT the 240 pages that Amazon advertises


Insightful and intriguing, 26 Jan 2006
For many years I've heard much about Arundhati Roy but I've never picked up one of her books until recently. The Ordinary Person's Guide to Empire was being featured on the shelves of the Oxford Book Store, Park Street in Kolkata - India when I picked it up and started browsing through it. The book captured me immediately. As an Indian born and brought up outside India, over the last few years I have started taking a greater interest in my mother country. This book at first glance seemed to be a bit of an eye opener about some of the pre-conceptions I have about India and the what I believe to be trouble because of what I’ve read or been told by the mass media. This book proved to be an antidote to what mass media had been feeding me about "India Shining". Roy does not mince her words and highlights the many injustices of governments around the world upon their people, though in this book her zeal is concentrated upon the injustices of the USA and India. From plight of those living in flood zones caused by massive river dam projects, to farmer committing suicide because of financial dept to the way western governments, notably the USA, is controlling power, resources and trade around the world, The Ordinary Person's Guide to Empire starts to give the lay man an inside track on apparent “truths” which today’s people who been lead to believe is the absolute truth by our governments.

This book is composed of a series of essays and speeches given by Roy between 2002 and 2004. Detailed references in an appendix at the back of the book offer the reader extensive avenues of further reading and each essay is contextualized and it's date and location catalogues in a second appendix.

I feel this book is required reading for anyone who's blinded by mass media about India's current feel good factor. It's a real eye opener. The book leads the reader on to a wealth of extra reading material, though at times a number of the essays do overlap and the book starts to get a little repetitive. But that's the nature of public speaking. You don't always come up with different things for each individual speech you give to the public. Indeed, you probably would want to spread the same messages the world over and this is apparent in the book.

Chance buy..., 27 Mar 2005
I picked this book up in a cheap bookshop in Chatham as something to read on the train... it turns out that what I bought was one of the most thought-provoking and intelligent books I have ever read. Not only that, but Roy has the rare quality of an emotive writing style. Both beautiful and profoundly insightful- a must read!

The Ordinary Person's Review of Arundhati Roy., 07 Feb 2004
Roy separates the political FACTS, MYTHS and TRUTH about the world we live in post Sept 11. Her words tug at the hearts of all those that still believe in the principles of "satya" Truth and "Ahimsa"- non-violence. She remind us that that we are "standing on the shoulders of giants"[think about Gandhi,MLK Jnr,and Mandela next time you vote].

And lest we forget it - there's so much more yet to do to safeguard the freedoms and civil rights of people across the world. Roy is without a doubt, passionate, poetic and powerful.

Masterpiece! , 21 Oct 2008
The God of Small Things is an excellent book, one of a kind. Vocabulary that Roy has used, though unconventional and sometimes grammatically incorrect, is what makes the story powerful and unique.

In its simplest description it is a story of one family, mostly of Estha and Rahel. In its complex description it is a story that raises many questions that for generations have been unanswerable.

Caste system in India, discrimination against untouchables is only of them. Through sad tale of Velutha and Ammu, we see the price one pays for trying to overcome the barriers that society has placed. Velutha's untouchable body touched Ammu's upper-cast body in the most intimate form. He was a man, she a woman and they made passionate love. But it wasn't how the society saw it. He was an untouchable and she a divorcee woman of upper-cast. She had on right to sleep with any man, least of all with an untouchable. She had no right to open her legs for a man, who was not considered good enough to be invited in the house. As Roy reminds us several times, there are rules about who should be loved and how much. When someone like Ammu dares to break those rules, someone like Velutha pays the price.

Twins broke the rules too, but their oneness of soul protects them from the accusing fingers of society. They are withdrawn; careless about the world. They have a protective shell around them which no one but only the other twin can enter. No one understands their bond, the closeness they share. Estha's silence is interpreted only by Rahel. Estha's invisible presence is seen by Rahel.

It is a story of love and loss, of politics and national changes. But above all it is a story of humanity that somehow manages to touch a soul of a reader.


A mix of everything, 04 Oct 2008
The God of Small Things tells the story of an Indian family that defies the Laws of Love ("that say who should be loved and how much").

It's a wonderful portrayal of Indian society over the past forty years and surprisingly insightful about family relationships. It's got a bit of everything as well: humor, innocence, sorrow, death, love, sex. It hides very little and it happens to give a very clear idea of the world through a child's eyes - something that reminded me of Mark Haddon, I must admit.

I enjoyed it a lot and I recommend whole-heartedly.

Tray Bong, 25 Sep 2008
My first attempt at reading this book took me to page 70, then I gave up. The descriptive language and pointless metaphors annoyed me. I also found the book hard to get into because it kept jumping around between past and present.
Unfortunately, I had to try and read the book again because I was studying it in English. I started, again, from the beginning and persisted with Roy's unique style. Once I had re-reached page 70 I realised that I was enjoying the book much more this time around. The mixed up chronology gives each event more significance and realism, and the jumbled order soon becomes easy enough to follow and understand. Every chapter has its own importance and relevance as in any good book, you just don't know it yet. I think that some knowledge of India and Indian Politics, especially Communism, might help people enjoy the book more because it will make some parts easier to understand.
Overall, it is worth the initial struggle needed to get into this book, because when you do you will be rewarded. It is also ironic that Roy's style is the first thing you hate but the last thing you love.
I would like to finish by urging anyone that gave the book a review of 1 or 2 stars to read it again. Of course, you are entitled to your opinion and if you believe this book to be bad then that is fine. However, you are wrong.


Review of 'The God of Small Things', 24 Sep 2008
At first, I found this book quite inaccessible, due to the many characters thrown at you within the first few pages, and the way the plot gallops off without you. In fact, I did wonder whether my copy had a few pages missing at the start, and it took me several attempts at reading chapter 1 before I finally started to get into the book. But when I did, it was well worth it.

Roy displays emotions in an equally sensitive and delicate way as nature. Working hard to follow the sections of plot revealed at different points, I think I learnt something of the confusion Rahel and Estha felt, and the efforts they had to make growing up in the midst of a broken family, and a troubled culture. I found the juxtaposition between the un-conventionally structured novel, and the ever present metaphorical boundaries very appropriate.

A mix of the stories of individuals, and those that affect all of us, this book finishes with a concept we can all relate to: tommorow.

Worth it!, 24 Sep 2008
The fact that `The God of Small Things' has won the Booker Prize would initially make anyone think that the book was probably worth a read.

However Roy's individual writing style can make getting into this book and understanding the concepts and plot challenging. Other reviewers have commented on the difficulty in getting to know the characters and associating with them in the plot that frequently switches between past and present. Initially, after the first few chapters, I would have agreed with them; however if you want to fully appreciate this book it is necessary to look further into the book than merely the words on the page. The childish language and descriptive narrative that many readers have expressed dislike with, I think is entirely necessary in creating the right ambiance in the chapters where Rahel and Estha are children. Additionally, the way in which the plot is told is entirely in keeping with how any real life story is discovered, through snippets of information, and not in a chronological list.

The negative reviews of this book I can sympathise with, but unfortunately I have to say that they will be from reviewers who do not want to delve deeper into the Indian meanings, customs and cultures that Roy includes; and instead want everything laid out for them on a plate... Persevere with this book and you will be rewarded!

Masterpiece! , 21 Oct 2008
The God of Small Things is an excellent book, one of a kind. Vocabulary that Roy has used, though unconventional and sometimes grammatically incorrect, is what makes the story powerful and unique.

In its simplest description it is a story of one family, mostly of Estha and Rahel. In its complex description it is a story that raises many questions that for generations have been unanswerable.

Caste system in India, discrimination against untouchables is only of them. Through sad tale of Velutha and Ammu, we see the price one pays for trying to overcome the barriers that society has placed. Velutha's untouchable body touched Ammu's upper-cast body in the most intimate form. He was a man, she a woman and they made passionate love. But it wasn't how the society saw it. He was an untouchable and she a divorcee woman of upper-cast. She had on right to sleep with any man, least of all with an untouchable. She had no right to open her legs for a man, who was not considered good enough to be invited in the house. As Roy reminds us several times, there are rules about who should be loved and how much. When someone like Ammu dares to break those rules, someone like Velutha pays the price.

Twins broke the rules too, but their oneness of soul protects them from the accusing fingers of society. They are withdrawn; careless about the world. They have a protective shell around them which no one but only the other twin can enter. No one understands their bond, the closeness they share. Estha's silence is interpreted only by Rahel. Estha's invisible presence is seen by Rahel.

It is a story of love and loss, of politics and national changes. But above all it is a story of humanity that somehow manages to touch a soul of a reader.


A mix of everything, 04 Oct 2008
The God of Small Things tells the story of an Indian family that defies the Laws of Love ("that say who should be loved and how much").

It's a wonderful portrayal of Indian society over the past forty years and surprisingly insightful about family relationships. It's got a bit of everything as well: humor, innocence, sorrow, death, love, sex. It hides very little and it happens to give a very clear idea of the world through a child's eyes - something that reminded me of Mark Haddon, I must admit.

I enjoyed it a lot and I recommend whole-heartedly.

Tray Bong, 25 Sep 2008
My first attempt at reading this book took me to page 70, then I gave up. The descriptive language and pointless metaphors annoyed me. I also found the book hard to get into because it kept jumping around between past and present.
Unfortunately, I had to try and read the book again because I was studying it in English. I started, again, from the beginning and persisted with Roy's unique style. Once I had re-reached page 70 I realised that I was enjoying the book much more this time around. The mixed up chronology gives each event more significance and realism, and the jumbled order soon becomes easy enough to follow and understand. Every chapter has its own importance and relevance as in any good book, you just don't know it yet. I think that some knowledge of India and Indian Politics, especially Communism, might help people enjoy the book more because it will make some parts easier to understand.
Overall, it is worth the initial struggle needed to get into this book, because when you do you will be rewarded. It is also ironic that Roy's style is the first thing you hate but the last thing you love.
I would like to finish by urging anyone that gave the book a review of 1 or 2 stars to read it again. Of course, you are entitled to your opinion and if you believe this book to be bad then that is fine. However, you are wrong.


Review of 'The God of Small Things', 24 Sep 2008
At first, I found this book quite inaccessible, due to the many characters thrown at you within the first few pages, and the way the plot gallops off without you. In fact, I did wonder whether my copy had a few pages missing at the start, and it took me several attempts at reading chapter 1 before I finally started to get into the book. But when I did, it was well worth it.

Roy displays emotions in an equally sensitive and delicate way as nature. Working hard to follow the sections of plot revealed at different points, I think I learnt something of the confusion Rahel and Estha felt, and the efforts they had to make growing up in the midst of a broken family, and a troubled culture. I found the juxtaposition between the un-conventionally structured novel, and the ever present metaphorical boundaries very appropriate.

A mix of the stories of individuals, and those that affect all of us, this book finishes with a concept we can all relate to: tommorow.

Worth it!, 24 Sep 2008
The fact that `The God of Small Things' has won the Booker Prize would initially make anyone think that the book was probably worth a read.

However Roy's individual writing style can make getting into this book and understanding the concepts and plot challenging. Other reviewers have commented on the difficulty in getting to know the characters and associating with them in the plot that frequently switches between past and present. Initially, after the first few chapters, I would have agreed with them; however if you want to fully appreciate this book it is necessary to look further into the book than merely the words on the page. The childish language and descriptive narrative that many readers have expressed dislike with, I think is entirely necessary in creating the right ambiance in the chapters where Rahel and Estha are children. Additionally, the way in which the plot is told is entirely in keeping with how any real life story is discovered, through snippets of information, and not in a chronological list.

The negative reviews of this book I can sympathise with, but unfortunately I have to say that they will be from reviewers who do not want to delve deeper into the Indian meanings, customs and cultures that Roy includes; and instead want everything laid out for them on a plate... Persevere with this book and you will be rewarded!


eye opening, 11 Jul 2008
I decided to pick up this book for a couple of reasons. Firstly, because I loved The God of Small Things and I was thirsty for more of Arundhati Roy's writing. Secondly, because I was about to go to India, and I wanted to educate myself on the issues it currently faces.

On the first count, my thirst was satisfied only to a degree. This is a collection of essays that were originally written and published at different points in time, so there is a degree of repetition. I found this a bit frustrating.

Arundhati Roy feels so passionately about the issues she writes about, that sometimes the emotional component overshadows the issues themselves. In addition, it was quite heavy going in places, and I sometimes found her thread of thoughts and logic difficult to follow.

On the second count, I learnt a lot about India, and it certainly added perspective to what I saw, heard and experienced during my time there.



The Algebra of Infinite Justice by Arundhati Roy, 10 May 2003
A selection of eloquent and poetic essays by Booker Prize winner, Arundhati Roy. Her impassioned polemic questions the status quo and urges us to do the same. This is not simply a series of relevant political commentaries on our times but a work of literary beauty that grabs your spirit and incites you to act. Reading this book caused me to run through a gamut of emotions - fear, outrage, compassion, hope, and gratitude for this inspirational voice. Read this book. Buy copies for your friends and share enlightenment!

A Sharp Critique, 26 Jan 2003
Some people may be shocked, should be disturbed, by Roy's descriptions of the modern world. These are subjects which everybody should have an opinion on, from the Indian/Pakistani nuclear bomb to the confusion of 'the war against terror'.
The despair of Roy at the direction of the current Indian government is particular moving.
Roy writes eloquently, using strong imagery and always to the point.
Perhaps for the those who bought 'Stupid White Men', and found it a little 'flabby'.

ONLY 145 PAGES, 31 Jan 2008
Excellent collection of thought-provoking essays
But please don't be misled, this edition is flimsy length-wise only 145 pages and large typeface at that, NOT the 240 pages that Amazon advertises


Insightful and intriguing, 26 Jan 2006
For many years I've heard much about Arundhati Roy but I've never picked up one of her books until recently. The Ordinary Person's Guide to Empire was being featured on the shelves of the Oxford Book Store, Park Street in Kolkata - India when I picked it up and started browsing through it. The book captured me immediately. As an Indian born and brought up outside India, over the last few years I have started taking a greater interest in my mother country. This book at first glance seemed to be a bit of an eye opener about some of the pre-conceptions I have about India and the what I believe to be trouble because of what I’ve read or been told by the mass media. This book proved to be an antidote to what mass media had been feeding me about "India Shining". Roy does not mince her words and highlights the many injustices of governments around the world upon their people, though in this book her zeal is concentrated upon the injustices of the USA and India. From plight of those living in flood zones caused by massive river dam projects, to farmer committing suicide because of financial dept to the way western governments, notably the USA, is controlling power, resources and trade around the world, The Ordinary Person's Guide to Empire starts to give the lay man an inside track on apparent “truths” which today’s people who been lead to believe is the absolute truth by our governments.

This book is composed of a series of essays and speeches given by Roy between 2002 and 2004. Detailed references in an appendix at the back of the book offer the reader extensive avenues of further reading and each essay is contextualized and it's date and location catalogues in a second appendix.

I feel this book is required reading for anyone who's blinded by mass media about India's current feel good factor. It's a real eye opener. The book leads the reader on to a wealth of extra reading material, though at times a number of the essays do overlap and the book starts to get a little repetitive. But that's the nature of public speaking. You don't always come up with different things for each individual speech you give to the public. Indeed, you probably would want to spread the same messages the world over and this is apparent in the book.

Chance buy..., 27 Mar 2005
I picked this book up in a cheap bookshop in Chatham as something to read on the train... it turns out that what I bought was one of the most thought-provoking and intelligent books I have ever read. Not only that, but Roy has the rare quality of an emotive writing style. Both beautiful and profoundly insightful- a must read!

The Ordinary Person's Review of Arundhati Roy., 07 Feb 2004
Roy separates the political FACTS, MYTHS and TRUTH about the world we live in post Sept 11. Her words tug at the hearts of all those that still believe in the principles of "satya" Truth and "Ahimsa"- non-violence. She remind us that that we are "standing on the shoulders of giants"[think about Gandhi,MLK Jnr,and Mandela next time you vote].

And lest we forget it - there's so much more yet to do to safeguard the freedoms and civil rights of people across the world. Roy is without a doubt, passionate, poetic and powerful.

Masterpiece! , 21 Oct 2008
The God of Small Things is an excellent book, one of a kind. Vocabulary that Roy has used, though unconventional and sometimes grammatically incorrect, is what makes the story powerful and unique.

In its simplest description it is a story of one family, mostly of Estha and Rahel. In its complex description it is a story that raises many questions that for generations have been unanswerable.

Caste system in India, discrimination against untouchables is only of them. Through sad tale of Velutha and Ammu, we see the price one pays for trying to overcome the barriers that society has placed. Velutha's untouchable body touched Ammu's upper-cast body in the most intimate form. He was a man, she a woman and they made passionate love. But it wasn't how the society saw it. He was an untouchable and she a divorcee woman of upper-cast. She had on right to sleep with any man, least of all with an untouchable. She had no right to open her legs for a man, who was not considered good enough to be invited in the house. As Roy reminds us several times, there are rules about who should be loved and how much. When someone like Ammu dares to break those rules, someone like Velutha pays the price.

Twins broke the rules too, but their oneness of soul protects them from the accusing fingers of society. They are withdrawn; careless about the world. They have a protective shell around them which no one but only the other twin can enter. No one understands their bond, the closeness they share. Estha's silence is interpreted only by Rahel. Estha's invisible presence is seen by Rahel.

It is a story of love and loss, of politics and national changes. But above all it is a story of humanity that somehow manages to touch a soul of a reader.


A mix of everything, 04 Oct 2008
The God of Small Things tells the story of an Indian family that defies the Laws of Love ("that say who should be loved and how much").

It's a wonderful portrayal of Indian society over the past forty years and surprisingly insightful about family relationships. It's got a bit of everything as well: humor, innocence, sorrow, death, love, sex. It hides very little and it happens to give a very clear idea of the world through a child's eyes - something that reminded me of Mark Haddon, I must admit.

I enjoyed it a lot and I recommend whole-heartedly.

Tray Bong, 25 Sep 2008
My first attempt at reading this book took me to page 70, then I gave up. The descriptive language and pointless metaphors annoyed me. I also found the book hard to get into because it kept jumping around between past and present.
Unfortunately, I had to try and read the book again because I was studying it in English. I started, again, from the beginning and persisted with Roy's unique style. Once I had re-reached page 70 I realised that I was enjoying the book much more this time around. The mixed up chronology gives each event more significance and realism, and the jumbled order soon becomes easy enough to follow and understand. Every chapter has its own importance and relevance as in any good book, you just don't know it yet. I think that some knowledge of India and Indian Politics, especially Communism, might help people enjoy the book more because it will make some parts easier to understand.
Overall, it is worth the initial struggle needed to get into this book, because when you do you will be rewarded. It is also ironic that Roy's style is the first thing you hate but the last thing you love.
I would like to finish by urging anyone that gave the book a review of 1 or 2 stars to read it again. Of course, you are entitled to your opinion and if you believe this book to be bad then that is fine. However, you are wrong.


Review of 'The God of Small Things', 24 Sep 2008
At first, I found this book quite inaccessible, due to the many characters thrown at you within the first few pages, and the way the plot gallops off without you. In fact, I did wonder whether my copy had a few pages missing at the start, and it took me several attempts at reading chapter 1 before I finally started to get into the book. But when I did, it was well worth it.

Roy displays emotions in an equally sensitive and delicate way as nature. Working hard to follow the sections of plot revealed at different points, I think I learnt something of the confusion Rahel and Estha felt, and the efforts they had to make growing up in the midst of a broken family, and a troubled culture. I found the juxtaposition between the un-conventionally structured novel, and the ever present metaphorical boundaries very appropriate.

A mix of the stories of individuals, and those that affect all of us, this book finishes with a concept we can all relate to: tommorow.

Worth it!, 24 Sep 2008
The fact that `The God of Small Things' has won the Booker Prize would initially make anyone think that the book was probably worth a read.

However Roy's individual writing style can make getting into this book and understanding the concepts and plot challenging. Other reviewers have commented on the difficulty in getting to know the characters and associating with them in the plot that frequently switches between past and present. Initially, after the first few chapters, I would have agreed with them; however if you want to fully appreciate this book it is necessary to look further into the book than merely the words on the page. The childish language and descriptive narrative that many readers have expressed dislike with, I think is entirely necessary in creating the right ambiance in the chapters where Rahel and Estha are children. Additionally, the way in which the plot is told is entirely in keeping with how any real life story is discovered, through snippets of information, and not in a chronological list.

The negative reviews of this book I can sympathise with, but unfortunately I have to say that they will be from reviewers who do not want to delve deeper into the Indian meanings, customs and cultures that Roy includes; and instead want everything laid out for them on a plate... Persevere with this book and you will be rewarded!


We need peace, justice, equality adn civil liberties, 19 Nov 2008
This book contains 9 texts by 9 different authors and one excellent anti-war strip by Joe Sacco. All the texts treat different aspects of power (war) relations in our modern world.

Power, free markets, democracy
For A. Roy, power is the crucial political, economic and social factor in human affairs.
Private corporations use their power through the Free Market doctrine to undermine democracy: `Today Corporate Globalization needs an international Confederation of corrupt and authoritarian governments in poor countries. It needs a press that only pretends to be free. It needs courts that pretend to dispense justice. It needs nuclear bombs, standing armies, sterner immigration laws to make sure that it is only money, goods, patents and services that are globalized.'

War
N. Klein lambastes the war and disaster profiteers.

War on Terror
For J. LeBlanc and P. Bennis, the War on Terror is a smokescreen for US military aggression in order to gain full spectrum world dominance. The weapons of mass destruction are in the US, not elsewhere.
For T. Nguyen, the American Council of Trustees and Alumni goes after colleges and universities which are described as working against the interests of Western civilization because they are weak in the War on Terror.

War in Iraq
H. Zangara unveils the resistance of the majority of the Iraqi people against the US occupation and its puppet regime. They see control of Iraqi oil as the only reason for this occupation. She draws our attention to the systematic (!) murder of academics, journalists and clerics, the gagging of the media and the lack of freedom of speech in Iraq. But the Iraqi people, of whom 650,000 died (the equivalent of 7 million US citizens), continues to resist through the cultural sector.
L. German remembers the fact that the war created 4 million Iraqi refugees.
The `September 11th Families' stress rightly that the brutality of Saddam Hussein's regime does not justify the brutality, death and destruction visited upon Iraq and its citizens.

The Palestine question
For A. Soueif, as long as `ordinary citizens are not allowed to live their daily life in a human way, the influence of the world's only superpower will be proved to be irredeemably malign.'

This book with its sometimes belligerent attacks on current international policies, is a must read for all those interested in the world we live in.


Useful collection from the anti-war movement, 11 Dec 2007
This useful anthology gives some idea of the vast range and depth of the US and British anti-war movements. It explores the impact of the `war on terror' from Palestine to Iraq, and looks at the US and British states' attacks on civil liberties and on public opinion.

In her excellent contribution, Arundhati Roy claims that capitalism undermines not national sovereignty, but democracy: in fact it undermines both. She rightly links the `war on terror' to the economic system that drives it, and points out that capitalism's international bodies, the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank and the World Trade Organisation are all undemocratic, anti-national and secretive.

The best-researched piece is by Naomi Klein, author of No Logo and The Shock Doctrine. She calls our current system `disaster capitalism'. She observes that after 9/11, Israel increased its military spending by 10%, financed by social services cuts. This increase funded 350 new hi-tec firms specialising in security, surveillance and weapons: one firm is revealingly called `Instinctive Shooting International'. Israel now holds six counter-terrorism conferences a year, and Forbes Magazine calls it `the go-to country for anti-terrorism technologies'.

Similarly, in the USA the Spade Defense Index, for defence, security and aerospace stocks, has risen by 15% every year since 9/11. Firms profit from the destruction caused by the wars that their states begin, then they profit again from contracts for rebuilding, then profit again by not actually rebuilding anything. Klein has rediscovered Lenin's insight that "war is terrible - and terribly profitable."

In her first novel, award-winning Indian screenwriter Arundhati Roy conjures a whoosh of wordplay that rises from the pages like a brilliant jazz improvisation. The God of Small Things is nominally the story of young twins Rahel and Estha and the rest of their family, but the book feels like a million stories spinning out indefinitely; it is the product of a genius child-mind that takes everything in and transforms it in an alchemy of poetry. The God of Small Things is at once exotic and familiar to the Western reader, written in an English that's completely new and invigorated by the Asian Indian influences of culture and language.

Masterpiece! , 21 Oct 2008
The God of Small Things is an excellent book, one of a kind. Vocabulary that Roy has used, though unconventional and sometimes grammatically incorrect, is what makes the story powerful and unique.

In its simplest description it is a story of one family, mostly of Estha and Rahel. In its complex description it is a story that raises many questions that for generations have been unanswerable.

Caste system in India, discrimination against untouchables is only of them. Through sad tale of Velutha and Ammu, we see the price one pays for trying to overcome the barriers that society has placed. Velutha's untouchable body touched Ammu's upper-cast body in the most intimate form. He was a man, she a woman and they made passionate love. But it wasn't how the society saw it. He was an untouchable and she a divorcee woman of upper-cast. She had on right to sleep with any man, least of all with an untouchable. She had no right to open her legs for a man, who was not considered good enough to be invited in the house. As Roy reminds us several times, there are rules about who should be loved and how much. When someone like Ammu dares to break those rules, someone like Velutha pays the price.

Twins broke the rules too, but their oneness of soul protects them from the accusing fingers of society. They are withdrawn; careless about the world. They have a protective shell around them which no one but only the other twin can enter. No one understands their bond, the closeness they share. Estha's silence is interpreted only by Rahel. Estha's invisible presence is seen by Rahel.

It is a story of love and loss, of politics and national changes. But above all it is a story of humanity that somehow manages to touch a soul of a reader.


A mix of everything, 04 Oct 2008
The God of Small Things tells the story of an Indian family that defies the Laws of Love ("that say who should be loved and how much").

It's a wonderful portrayal of Indian society over the past forty years and surprisingly insightful about family relationships. It's got a bit of everything as well: humor, innocence, sorrow, death, love, sex. It hides very little and it happens to give a very clear idea of the world through a child's eyes - something that reminded me of Mark Haddon, I must admit.

I enjoyed it a lot and I recommend whole-heartedly.

Tray Bong, 25 Sep 2008
My first attempt at reading this book took me to page 70, then I gave up. The descriptive language and pointless metaphors annoyed me. I also found the book hard to get into because it kept jumping around between past and present.
Unfortunately, I had to try and read the book again because I was studying it in English. I started, again, from the beginning and persisted with Roy's unique style. Once I had re-reached page 70 I realised that I was enjoying the book much more this time around. The mixed up chronology gives each event more significance and realism, and the jumbled order soon becomes easy enough to follow and understand. Every chapter has its own importance and relevance as in any good book, you just don't know it yet. I think that some knowledge of India and Indian Politics, especially Communism, might help people enjoy the book more because it will make some parts easier to understand.
Overall, it is worth the initial struggle needed to get into this book, because when you do you will be rewarded. It is also ironic that Roy's style is the first thing you hate but the last thing you love.
I would like to finish by urging anyone that gave the book a review of 1 or 2 stars to read it again. Of course, you are entitled to your opinion and if you believe this book to be bad then that is fine. However, you are wrong.


Review of 'The God of Small Things', 24 Sep 2008
At first, I found this book quite inaccessible, due to the many characters thrown at you within the first few pages, and the way the plot gallops off without you. In fact, I did wonder whether my copy had a few pages missing at the start, and it took me several attempts at reading chapter 1 before I finally started to get into the book. But when I did, it was well worth it.

Roy displays emotions in an equally sensitive and delicate way as nature. Working hard to follow the sections of plot revealed at different points, I think I learnt something of the confusion Rahel and Estha felt, and the efforts they had to make growing up in the midst of a broken family, and a troubled culture. I found the juxtaposition between the un-conventionally structured novel, and the ever present metaphorical boundaries very appropriate.

A mix of the stories of individuals, and those that affect all of us, this book finishes with a concept we can all relate to: tommorow.

Worth it!, 24 Sep 2008
The fact that `The God of Small Things' has won the Booker Prize would initially make anyone think that the book was probably worth a read.

However Roy's individual writing style can make getting into this book and understanding the concepts and plot challenging. Other reviewers have commented on the difficulty in getting to know the characters and associating with them in the plot that frequently switches between past and present. Initially, after the first few chapters, I would have agreed with them; however if you want to fully appreciate this book it is necessary to look further into the book than merely the words on the page. The childish language and descriptive narrative that many readers have expressed dislike with, I think is entirely necessary in creating the right ambiance in the chapters where Rahel and Estha are children. Additionally, the way in which the plot is told is entirely in keeping with how any real life story is discovered, through snippets of information, and not in a chronological list.

The negative reviews of this book I can sympathise with, but unfortunately I have to say that they will be from reviewers who do not want to delve deeper into the Indian meanings, customs and cultures that Roy includes; and instead want everything laid out for them on a plate... Persevere with this book and you will be rewarded!


eye opening, 11 Jul 2008
I decided to pick up this book for a couple of reasons. Firstly, because I loved The God of Small Things and I was thirsty for more of Arundhati Roy's writing. Secondly, because I was about to go to India, and I wanted to educate myself on the issues it currently faces.

On the first count, my thirst was satisfied only to a degree. This is a collection of essays that were originally written and published at different points in time, so there is a degree of repetition. I found this a bit frustrating.

Arundhati Roy feels so passionately about the issues she writes about, that sometimes the emotional component overshadows the issues themselves. In addition, it was quite heavy going in places, and I sometimes found her thread of thoughts and logic difficult to follow.

On the second count, I learnt a lot about India, and it certainly added perspective to what I saw, heard and experienced during my time there.



The Algebra of Infinite Justice by Arundhati Roy, 10 May 2003
A selection of eloquent and poetic essays by Booker Prize winner, Arundhati Roy. Her impassioned polemic questions the status quo and urges us to do the same. This is not simply a series of relevant political commentaries on our times but a work of literary beauty that grabs your spirit and incites you to act. Reading this book caused me to run through a gamut of emotions - fear, outrage, compassion, hope, and gratitude for this inspirational voice. Read this book. Buy copies for your friends and share enlightenment!

A Sharp Critique, 26 Jan 2003
Some people may be shocked, should be disturbed, by Roy's descriptions of the modern world. These are subjects which everybody should have an opinion on, from the Indian/Pakistani nuclear bomb to the confusion of 'the war against terror'.
The despair of Roy at the direction of the current Indian government is particular moving.
Roy writes eloquently, using strong imagery and always to the point.
Perhaps for the those who bought 'Stupid White Men', and found it a little 'flabby'.

ONLY 145 PAGES, 31 Jan 2008
Excellent collection of thought-provoking essays
But please don't be misled, this edition is flimsy length-wise only 145 pages and large typeface at that, NOT the 240 pages that Amazon advertises


Insightful and intriguing, 26 Jan 2006
For many years I've heard much about Arundhati Roy but I've never picked up one of her books until recently. The Ordinary Person's Guide to Empire was being featured on the shelves of the Oxford Book Store, Park Street in Kolkata - India when I picked it up and started browsing through it. The book captured me immediately. As an Indian born and brought up outside India, over the last few years I have started taking a greater interest in my mother country. This book at first glance seemed to be a bit of an eye opener about some of the pre-conceptions I have about India and the what I believe to be trouble because of what I’ve read or been told by the mass media. This book proved to be an antidote to what mass media had been feeding me about "India Shining". Roy does not mince her words and highlights the many injustices of governments around the world upon their people, though in this book her zeal is concentrated upon the injustices of the USA and India. From plight of those living in flood zones caused by massive river dam projects, to farmer committing suicide because of financial dept to the way western governments, notably the USA, is controlling power, resources and trade around the world, The Ordinary Person's Guide to Empire starts to give the lay man an inside track on apparent “truths” which today’s people who been lead to believe is the absolute truth by our governments.

This book is composed of a series of essays and speeches given by Roy between 2002 and 2004. Detailed references in an appendix at the back of the book offer the reader extensive avenues of further reading and each essay is contextualized and it's date and location catalogues in a second appendix.

I feel this book is required reading for anyone who's blinded by mass media about India's current feel good factor. It's a real eye opener. The book leads the reader on to a wealth of extra reading material, though at times a number of the essays do overlap and the book starts to get a little repetitive. But that's the nature of public speaking. You don't always come up with different things for each individual speech you give to the public. Indeed, you probably would want to spread the same messages the world over and this is apparent in the book.

Chance buy..., 27 Mar 2005
I picked this book up in a cheap bookshop in Chatham as something to read on the train... it turns out that what I bought was one of the most thought-provoking and intelligent books I have ever read. Not only that, but Roy has the rare quality of an emotive writing style. Both beautiful and profoundly insightful- a must read!

The Ordinary Person's Review of Arundhati Roy., 07 Feb 2004
Roy separates the political FACTS, MYTHS and TRUTH about the world we live in post Sept 11. Her words tug at the hearts of all those that still believe in the principles of "satya" Truth and "Ahimsa"- non-violence. She remind us that that we are "standing on the shoulders of giants"[think about Gandhi,MLK Jnr,and Mandela next time you vote].

And lest we forget it - there's so much more yet to do to safeguard the freedoms and civil rights of people across the world. Roy is without a doubt, passionate, poetic and powerful.

Masterpiece! , 21 Oct 2008
The God of Small Things is an excellent book, one of a kind. Vocabulary that Roy has used, though unconventional and sometimes grammatically incorrect, is what makes the story powerful and unique.

In its simplest description it is a story of one family, mostly of Estha and Rahel. In its complex description it is a story that raises many questions that for generations have been unanswerable.

Caste system in India, discrimination against untouchables is only of them. Through sad tale of Velutha and Ammu, we see the price one pays for trying to overcome the barriers that society has placed. Velutha's untouchable body touched Ammu's upper-cast body in the most intimate form. He was a man, she a woman and they made passionate love. But it wasn't how the society saw it. He was an untouchable and she a divorcee woman of upper-cast. She had on right to sleep with any man, least of all with an untouchable. She had no right to open her legs for a man, who was not considered good enough to be invited in the house. As Roy reminds us several times, there are rules about who should be loved and how much. When someone like Ammu dares to break those rules, someone like Velutha pays the price.

Twins broke the rules too, but their oneness of soul protects them from the accusing fingers of society. They are withdrawn; careless about the world. They have a protective shell around them which no one but only the other twin can enter. No one understands their bond, the closeness they share. Estha's silence is interpreted only by Rahel. Estha's invisible presence is seen by Rahel.

It is a story of love and loss, of politics and national changes. But above all it is a story of humanity that somehow manages to touch a soul of a reader.


A mix of everything, 04 Oct 2008
The God of Small Things tells the story of an Indian family that defies the Laws of Love ("that say who should be loved and how much").

It's a wonderful portrayal of Indian society over the past forty years and surprisingly insightful about family relationships. It's got a bit of everything as well: humor, innocence, sorrow, death, love, sex. It hides very little and it happens to give a very clear idea of the world through a child's eyes - something that reminded me of Mark Haddon, I must admit.

I enjoyed it a lot and I recommend whole-heartedly.

Tray Bong, 25 Sep 2008
My first attempt at reading this book took me to page 70, then I gave up. The descriptive language and pointless metaphors annoyed me. I also found the book hard to get into because it kept jumping around between past and present.
Unfortunately, I had to try and read the book again because I was studying it in English. I started, again, from the beginning and persisted with Roy's unique style. Once I had re-reached page 70 I realised that I was enjoying the book much more this time around. The mixed up chronology gives each event more significance and realism, and the jumbled order soon becomes easy enough to follow and understand. Every chapter has its own importance and relevance as in any good book, you just don't know it yet. I think that some knowledge of India and Indian Politics, especially Communism, might help people enjoy the book more because it will make some parts easier to understand.
Overall, it is worth the initial struggle needed to get into this book, because when you do you will be rewarded. It is also ironic that Roy's style is the first thing you hate but the last thing you love.
I would like to finish by urging anyone that gave the book a review of 1 or 2 stars to read it again. Of course, you are entitled to your opinion and if you believe this book to be bad then that is fine. However, you are wrong.


Review of 'The God of Small Things', 24 Sep 2008
At first, I found this book quite inaccessible, due to the many characters thrown at you within the first few pages, and the way the plot gallops off without you. In fact, I did wonder whether my copy had a few pages missing at the start, and it took me several attempts at reading chapter 1 before I finally started to get into the book. But when I did, it was well worth it.

Roy displays emotions in an equally sensitive and delicate way as nature. Working hard to follow the sections of plot revealed at different points, I think I learnt something of the confusion Rahel and Estha felt, and the efforts they had to make growing up in the midst of a broken family, and a troubled culture. I found the juxtaposition between the un-conventionally structured novel, and the ever present metaphorical boundaries very appropriate.

A mix of the stories of individuals, and those that affect all of us, this book finishes with a concept we can all relate to: tommorow.

Worth it!, 24 Sep 2008
The fact that `The God of Small Things' has won the Booker Prize would initially make anyone think that the book was probably worth a read.

However Roy's individual writing style can make getting into this book and understanding the concepts and plot challenging. Other reviewers have commented on the difficulty in getting to know the characters and associating with them in the plot that frequently switches between past and present. Initially, after the first few chapters, I would have agreed with them; however if you want to fully appreciate this book it is necessary to look further into the book than merely the words on the page. The childish language and descriptive narrative that many readers have expressed dislike with, I think is entirely necessary in creating the right ambiance in the chapters where Rahel and Estha are children. Additionally, the way in which the plot is told is entirely in keeping with how any real life story is discovered, through snippets of information, and not in a chronological list.

The negative reviews of this book I can sympathise with, but unfortunately I have to say that they will be from reviewers who do not want to delve deeper into the Indian meanings, customs and cultures that Roy includes; and instead want everything laid out for them on a plate... Persevere with this book and you will be rewarded!


We need peace, justice, equality adn civil liberties, 19 Nov 2008
This book contains 9 texts by 9 different authors and one excellent anti-war strip by Joe Sacco. All the texts treat different aspects of power (war) relations in our modern world.

Power, free markets, democracy
For A. Roy, power is the crucial political, economic and social factor in human affairs.
Private corporations use their power through the Free Market doctrine to undermine democracy: `Today Corporate Globalization needs an international Confederation of corrupt and authoritarian governments in poor countries. It needs a press that only pretends to be free. It needs courts that pretend to dispense justice. It needs nuclear bombs, standing armies, sterner immigration laws to make sure that it is only money, goods, patents and services that are globalized.'

War
N. Klein lambastes the war and disaster profiteers.

War on Terror
For J. LeBlanc and P. Bennis, the War on Terror is a smokescreen for US military aggression in order to gain full spectrum world dominance. The weapons of mass destruction are in the US, not elsewhere.
For T. Nguyen, the American Council of Trustees and Alumni goes after colleges and universities which are described as working against the interests of Western civilization because they are weak in the War on Terror.

War in Iraq
H. Zangara unveils the resistance of the majority of the Iraqi people against the US occupation and its puppet regime. They see control of Iraqi oil as the only reason for this occupation. She draws our attention to the systematic (!) murder of academics, journalists and clerics, the gagging of the media and the lack of freedom of speech in Iraq. But the Iraqi people, of whom 650,000 died (the equivalent of 7 million US citizens), continues to resist through the cultural sector.
L. German remembers the fact that the war created 4 million Iraqi refugees.
The `September 11th Families' stress rightly that the brutality of Saddam Hussein's regime does not justify the brutality, death and destruction visited upon Iraq and its citizens.

The Palestine question
For A. Soueif, as long as `ordinary citizens are not allowed to live their daily life in a human way, the influence of the world's only superpower will be proved to be irredeemably malign.'

This book with its sometimes belligerent attacks on current international policies, is a must read for all those interested in the world we live in.


Useful collection from the anti-war movement, 11 Dec 2007
This useful anthology gives some idea of the vast range and depth of the US and British anti-war movements. It explores the impact of the `war on terror' from Palestine to Iraq, and looks at the US and British states' attacks on civil liberties and on public opinion.

In her excellent contribution, Arundhati Roy claims that capitalism undermines not national sovereignty, but democracy: in fact it undermines both. She rightly links the `war on terror' to the economic system that drives it, and points out that capitalism's international bodies, the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank and the World Trade Organisation are all undemocratic, anti-national and secretive.

The best-researched piece is by Naomi Klein, author of No Logo and The Shock Doctrine. She calls our current system `disaster capitalism'. She observes that after 9/11, Israel increased its military spending by 10%, financed by social services cuts. This increase funded 350 new hi-tec firms specialising in security, surveillance and weapons: one firm is revealingly called `Instinctive Shooting International'. Israel now holds six counter-terrorism conferences a year, and Forbes Magazine calls it `the go-to country for anti-terrorism technologies'.

Similarly, in the USA the Spade Defense Index, for defence, security and aerospace stocks, has risen by 15% every year since 9/11. Firms profit from the destruction caused by the wars that their states begin, then they profit again from contracts for rebuilding, then profit again by not actually rebuilding anything. Klein has rediscovered Lenin's insight that "war is terrible - and terribly profitable."



Masterpiece! , 21 Oct 2008
The God of Small Things is an excellent book, one of a kind. Vocabulary that Roy has used, though unconventional and sometimes grammatically incorrect, is what makes the story powerful and unique.

In its simplest description it is a story of one family, mostly of Estha and Rahel. In its complex description it is a story that raises many questions that for generations have been unanswerable.

Caste system in India, discrimination against untouchables is only of them. Through sad tale of Velutha and Ammu, we see the price one pays for trying to overcome the barriers that society has placed. Velutha's untouchable body touched Ammu's upper-cast body in the most intimate form. He was a man, she a woman and they made passionate love. But it wasn't how the society saw it. He was an untouchable and she a divorcee woman of upper-cast. She had on right to sleep with any man, least of all with an untouchable. She had no right to open her legs for a man, who was not considered good enough to be invited in the house. As Roy reminds us several times, there are rules about who should be loved and how much. When someone like Ammu dares to break those rules, someone like Velutha pays the price.

Twins broke the rules too, but their oneness of soul protects them from the accusing fingers of society. They are withdrawn; careless about the world. They have a protective shell around them which no one but only the other twin can enter. No one understands their bond, the closeness they share. Estha's silence is interpreted only by Rahel. Estha's invisible presence is seen by Rahel.

It is a story of love and loss, of politics and national changes. But above all it is a story of humanity that somehow manages to touch a soul of a reader.


A mix of everything, 04 Oct 2008
The God of Small Things tells the story of an Indian family that defies the Laws of Love ("that say who should be loved and how much").

It's a wonderful portrayal of Indian society over the past forty years and surprisingly insightful about family relationships. It's got a bit of everything as well: humor, innocence, sorrow, death, love, sex. It hides very little and it happens to give a very clear idea of the world through a child's eyes - something that reminded me of Mark Haddon, I must admit.

I enjoyed it a lot and I recommend whole-heartedly.

Tray Bong, 25 Sep 2008
My first attempt at reading this book took me to page 70, then I gave up. The descriptive language and pointless metaphors annoyed me. I also found the book hard to get into because it kept jumping around between past and present.
Unfortunately, I had to try and read the book again because I was studying it in English. I started, again, from the beginning and persisted with Roy's unique style. Once I had re-reached page 70 I realised that I was enjoying the book much more this time around. The mixed up chronology gives each event more significance and realism, and the jumbled order soon becomes easy enough to follow and understand. Every chapter has its own importance and relevance as in any good book, you just don't know it yet. I think that some knowledge of India and Indian Politics, especially Communism, might help people enjoy the book more because it will make some parts easier to understand.
Overall, it is worth the initial struggle needed to get into this book, because when you do you will be rewarded. It is also ironic that Roy's style is the first thing you hate but the last thing you love.
I would like to finish by urging anyone that gave the book a review of 1 or 2 stars to read it again. Of course, you are entitled to your opinion and if you believe this book to be bad then that is fine. However, you are wrong.


Review of 'The God of Small Things', 24 Sep 2008
At first, I found this book quite inaccessible, due to the many characters thrown at you within the first few pages, and the way the plot gallops off without you. In fact, I did wonder whether my copy had a few pages missing at the start, and it took me several attempts at reading chapter 1 before I finally started to get into the book. But when I did, it was well worth it.

Roy displays emotions in an equally sensitive and delicate way as nature. Working hard to follow the sections of plot revealed at different points, I think I learnt something of the confusion Rahel and Estha felt, and the efforts they had to make growing up in the midst of a broken family, and a troubled culture. I found the juxtaposition between the un-conventionally structured novel, and the ever present metaphorical boundaries very appropriate.

A mix of the stories of individuals, and those that affect all of us, this book finishes with a concept we can all relate to: tommorow.

Worth it!, 24 Sep 2008
The fact that `The God of Small Things' has won the Booker Prize would initially make anyone think that the book was probably worth a read.

However Roy's individual writing style can make getting into this book and understanding the concepts and plot challenging. Other reviewers have commented on the difficulty in getting to know the characters and associating with them in the plot that frequently switches between past and present. Initially, after the first few chapters, I would have agreed with them; however if you want to fully appreciate this book it is necessary to look further into the book than merely the words on the page. The childish language and descriptive narrative that many readers have expressed dislike with, I think is entirely necessary in creating the right ambiance in the chapters where Rahel and Estha are children. Additionally, the way in which the plot is told is entirely in keeping with how any real life story is discovered, through snippets of information, and not in a chronological list.

The negative reviews of this book I