Different, 09 Aug 2008
With a mixture of Indian mythology, Bollywood storylines and an odd-job man with a difference; this novel was bound to be something different. The Bombay apartment block that is the setting for this novel has excellent characters living on every floor. There is a mix of religions and mix of cultural beliefs, with Vishnu lay dying on the landing. Through Vishnu we find out all about the lives of the families around him. On the first floor are two couples, warring over the shared kitchen and looking after Vishnu. The next floor has two families with teenagers from each in love with each other and finally on the third floor is a widower, still very much in love with his wife.

It is unusual to read and one I struggled to get into but once hooked you are soon that involved in their lives that you wouldn't dream of closing the covers unfinished. The ending proves that all cultures and religions will unite when danger, or perceived danger, occurs and it is amazing to see how close nit they will become in a dreadful deceitful way. There are laughs and sorrows throughout the novel and I loved the mixture of Shakespearean references and the blurring of boundaries between his plays and Indian equivalents.

If you don't like the mythological aspect (which was my least favourite) some of Vishnu's chapters reflecting back on his life will prove testing, yet the rest of the novel is great. Whilst I don't think it is wonderfully written, it will suck you in. This is a debut novel inspired by a real Vishnu that lived on the landing of the author's apartment block as he was growing up. The opening line is one I particularly loved, "not wanting to arouse Vishnu in case he hadn't died yet" and lets you know you are going to be reading something very different from the norm. Worth a read and perhaps other novels by the author may be more assured in style. Although not entirely my cup of tea, it is a novel I would happily recommend.

Different, 09 Aug 2008
With a mixture of Indian mythology, Bollywood storylines and an odd-job man with a difference; this novel was bound to be something different. The Bombay apartment block that is the setting for this novel has excellent characters living on every floor. There is a mix of religions and mix of cultural beliefs, with Vishnu lay dying on the landing. Through Vishnu we find out all about the lives of the families around him. On the first floor are two couples, warring over the shared kitchen and looking after Vishnu. The next floor has two families with teenagers from each in love with each other and finally on the third floor is a widower, still very much in love with his wife.

It is unusual to read and one I struggled to get into but once hooked you are soon that involved in their lives that you wouldn't dream of closing the covers unfinished. The ending proves that all cultures and religions will unite when danger, or perceived danger, occurs and it is amazing to see how close nit they will become in a dreadful deceitful way. There are laughs and sorrows throughout the novel and I loved the mixture of Shakespearean references and the blurring of boundaries between his plays and Indian equivalents.

If you don't like the mythological aspect (which was my least favourite) some of Vishnu's chapters reflecting back on his life will prove testing, yet the rest of the novel is great. Whilst I don't think it is wonderfully written, it will suck you in. This is a debut novel inspired by a real Vishnu that lived on the landing of the author's apartment block as he was growing up. The opening line is one I particularly loved, "not wanting to arouse Vishnu in case he hadn't died yet" and lets you know you are going to be reading something very different from the norm. Worth a read and perhaps other novels by the author may be more assured in style. Although not entirely my cup of tea, it is a novel I would happily recommend.


possessive selfish character, 19 Mar 2008
i am very dissapointed with this book. i found a lot of scenes between meera and her son, the way author described meera's love for her son disgustingly sexual. i felt contempt towards meera for obeying everyone, not being strong enough to stick to her own decisions and then blaming everyone else for her ruined life. her possessive obsessive love for her son made me feel sick. no mother who truly loves her child wound want to tie him down to herself for as long as she possibly can and deny the chance for him to have his own life, his own experiences. and she most definately won't tell her small child that his father killed his sibling when she was pregnant. she was so selfish trying to get her son love her more than his dad that it ended in tradgedy and hurt her son so very much. she is also ungrateful for her father's help: bringing her up as an equal to men, encouriging her to shape her life the way she wanted to, trying to give her good education and then giving her son a chance to have a good education too. and she was furious with her father for that. this book enraged me big time. i wasted my whole week reading it and it was not worth it

Different, 09 Aug 2008
With a mixture of Indian mythology, Bollywood storylines and an odd-job man with a difference; this novel was bound to be something different. The Bombay apartment block that is the setting for this novel has excellent characters living on every floor. There is a mix of religions and mix of cultural beliefs, with Vishnu lay dying on the landing. Through Vishnu we find out all about the lives of the families around him. On the first floor are two couples, warring over the shared kitchen and looking after Vishnu. The next floor has two families with teenagers from each in love with each other and finally on the third floor is a widower, still very much in love with his wife.

It is unusual to read and one I struggled to get into but once hooked you are soon that involved in their lives that you wouldn't dream of closing the covers unfinished. The ending proves that all cultures and religions will unite when danger, or perceived danger, occurs and it is amazing to see how close nit they will become in a dreadful deceitful way. There are laughs and sorrows throughout the novel and I loved the mixture of Shakespearean references and the blurring of boundaries between his plays and Indian equivalents.

If you don't like the mythological aspect (which was my least favourite) some of Vishnu's chapters reflecting back on his life will prove testing, yet the rest of the novel is great. Whilst I don't think it is wonderfully written, it will suck you in. This is a debut novel inspired by a real Vishnu that lived on the landing of the author's apartment block as he was growing up. The opening line is one I particularly loved, "not wanting to arouse Vishnu in case he hadn't died yet" and lets you know you are going to be reading something very different from the norm. Worth a read and perhaps other novels by the author may be more assured in style. Although not entirely my cup of tea, it is a novel I would happily recommend.


possessive selfish character, 19 Mar 2008
i am very dissapointed with this book. i found a lot of scenes between meera and her son, the way author described meera's love for her son disgustingly sexual. i felt contempt towards meera for obeying everyone, not being strong enough to stick to her own decisions and then blaming everyone else for her ruined life. her possessive obsessive love for her son made me feel sick. no mother who truly loves her child wound want to tie him down to herself for as long as she possibly can and deny the chance for him to have his own life, his own experiences. and she most definately won't tell her small child that his father killed his sibling when she was pregnant. she was so selfish trying to get her son love her more than his dad that it ended in tradgedy and hurt her son so very much. she is also ungrateful for her father's help: bringing her up as an equal to men, encouriging her to shape her life the way she wanted to, trying to give her good education and then giving her son a chance to have a good education too. and she was furious with her father for that. this book enraged me big time. i wasted my whole week reading it and it was not worth it

possessive selfish character, 19 Mar 2008
i am very dissapointed with this book. i found a lot of scenes between meera and her son, the way author described meera's love for her son disgustingly sexual. i felt contempt towards meera for obeying everyone, not being strong enough to stick to her own decisions and then blaming everyone else for her ruined life. her possessive obsessive love for her son made me feel sick. no mother who truly loves her child wound want to tie him down to herself for as long as she possibly can and deny the chance for him to have his own life, his own experiences. and she most definately won't tell her small child that his father killed his sibling when she was pregnant. she was so selfish trying to get her son love her more than his dad that it ended in tradgedy and hurt her son so very much. she is also ungrateful for her father's help: bringing her up as an equal to men, encouriging her to shape her life the way she wanted to, trying to give her good education and then giving her son a chance to have a good education too. and she was furious with her father for that. this book enraged me big time. i wasted my whole week reading it and it was not worth it

Different, 09 Aug 2008
With a mixture of Indian mythology, Bollywood storylines and an odd-job man with a difference; this novel was bound to be something different. The Bombay apartment block that is the setting for this novel has excellent characters living on every floor. There is a mix of religions and mix of cultural beliefs, with Vishnu lay dying on the landing. Through Vishnu we find out all about the lives of the families around him. On the first floor are two couples, warring over the shared kitchen and looking after Vishnu. The next floor has two families with teenagers from each in love with each other and finally on the third floor is a widower, still very much in love with his wife.

It is unusual to read and one I struggled to get into but once hooked you are soon that involved in their lives that you wouldn't dream of closing the covers unfinished. The ending proves that all cultures and religions will unite when danger, or perceived danger, occurs and it is amazing to see how close nit they will become in a dreadful deceitful way. There are laughs and sorrows throughout the novel and I loved the mixture of Shakespearean references and the blurring of boundaries between his plays and Indian equivalents.

If you don't like the mythological aspect (which was my least favourite) some of Vishnu's chapters reflecting back on his life will prove testing, yet the rest of the novel is great. Whilst I don't think it is wonderfully written, it will suck you in. This is a debut novel inspired by a real Vishnu that lived on the landing of the author's apartment block as he was growing up. The opening line is one I particularly loved, "not wanting to arouse Vishnu in case he hadn't died yet" and lets you know you are going to be reading something very different from the norm. Worth a read and perhaps other novels by the author may be more assured in style. Although not entirely my cup of tea, it is a novel I would happily recommend.


possessive selfish character, 19 Mar 2008
i am very dissapointed with this book. i found a lot of scenes between meera and her son, the way author described meera's love for her son disgustingly sexual. i felt contempt towards meera for obeying everyone, not being strong enough to stick to her own decisions and then blaming everyone else for her ruined life. her possessive obsessive love for her son made me feel sick. no mother who truly loves her child wound want to tie him down to herself for as long as she possibly can and deny the chance for him to have his own life, his own experiences. and she most definately won't tell her small child that his father killed his sibling when she was pregnant. she was so selfish trying to get her son love her more than his dad that it ended in tradgedy and hurt her son so very much. she is also ungrateful for her father's help: bringing her up as an equal to men, encouriging her to shape her life the way she wanted to, trying to give her good education and then giving her son a chance to have a good education too. and she was furious with her father for that. this book enraged me big time. i wasted my whole week reading it and it was not worth it

possessive selfish character, 19 Mar 2008
i am very dissapointed with this book. i found a lot of scenes between meera and her son, the way author described meera's love for her son disgustingly sexual. i felt contempt towards meera for obeying everyone, not being strong enough to stick to her own decisions and then blaming everyone else for her ruined life. her possessive obsessive love for her son made me feel sick. no mother who truly loves her child wound want to tie him down to herself for as long as she possibly can and deny the chance for him to have his own life, his own experiences. and she most definately won't tell her small child that his father killed his sibling when she was pregnant. she was so selfish trying to get her son love her more than his dad that it ended in tradgedy and hurt her son so very much. she is also ungrateful for her father's help: bringing her up as an equal to men, encouriging her to shape her life the way she wanted to, trying to give her good education and then giving her son a chance to have a good education too. and she was furious with her father for that. this book enraged me big time. i wasted my whole week reading it and it was not worth it

possessive selfish character, 19 Mar 2008
i am very dissapointed with this book. i found a lot of scenes between meera and her son, the way author described meera's love for her son disgustingly sexual. i felt contempt towards meera for obeying everyone, not being strong enough to stick to her own decisions and then blaming everyone else for her ruined life. her possessive obsessive love for her son made me feel sick. no mother who truly loves her child wound want to tie him down to herself for as long as she possibly can and deny the chance for him to have his own life, his own experiences. and she most definately won't tell her small child that his father killed his sibling when she was pregnant. she was so selfish trying to get her son love her more than his dad that it ended in tradgedy and hurt her son so very much. she is also ungrateful for her father's help: bringing her up as an equal to men, encouriging her to shape her life the way she wanted to, trying to give her good education and then giving her son a chance to have a good education too. and she was furious with her father for that. this book enraged me big time. i wasted my whole week reading it and it was not worth it

Not wanting to arouse Vishnu, in case he hadn't died yet, Mrs. Ashrani tiptoed down to the third step above the landing on which he lived, teakettle in hand.

So begins Manil Suri's The Death of Vishnu, a comically trenchant depiction of the inhabitants of a slum building in Bombay. This is a world of small things, of truculent housewives engaged in a war of mutual suspicion, of selfishness and ignorance and of the poverty of existence, both spiritual and material. With dexterity and acuity, Suri plunges the reader into the bounded world that his characters inhabit, with each story existing as a separate unit, occasionally interacting with another, reflecting the invidiously withdrawn way they share the house.

The inhabitants include dreamer Mr Jalal and his frustrated wife; Mrs Ashrani and her political intrigues; teenagers Kavrita and Sumil's sexual attraction and elopement: and Vinod's solitary existence, mourning the loss of his one love. Existing in displacement, outside these residents' lives, is the eponymous Vishnu, who, as the novel opens, lies dying on the landing of the stairs. He has lived there for many years, earning his leftover stale chapattis, tea and place to sleep through running errands (badly). The residents argue over who is responsible for calling an ambulance, for saving his life, and manoeuvre to absolve themselves from responsibility. As Vishnu slides closer to death, the reader travel's with him along the road to death, and the actions and thoughts of those who live in the house are revealed to Vishnu and the reader with a god-like omniscience. As his spirit journeys further and further away from his body, Vishnu begins to believe he is transcending to godhead. Fellow resident Mr Jalal believes so too; an implacable searcher for a meaning, a reason for life, he believes that he has finally found truth when he dreams of Vishnu's transformation. His despairing wife, however, tries with increasing desperation to hide her husband's apparent slide into madness from the neighbours.

Gradually, the intensity and heat of their emotions becomes magnified and the turmoil and conflict within the house heats up and boils over, turning stifled neighbourly relations into outright aggression, intolerance and abuse. Suri keeps this remarkable novel moving with alacrity, conveying the smallness of their lives through his often hilarious characterisations, which illuminate the absurdities of human nature divided by prejudice, moral hypocrisy and greed. --Alison Jardine

Different, 09 Aug 2008
With a mixture of Indian mythology, Bollywood storylines and an odd-job man with a difference; this novel was bound to be something different. The Bombay apartment block that is the setting for this novel has excellent characters living on every floor. There is a mix of religions and mix of cultural beliefs, with Vishnu lay dying on the landing. Through Vishnu we find out all about the lives of the families around him. On the first floor are two couples, warring over the shared kitchen and looking after Vishnu. The next floor has two families with teenagers from each in love with each other and finally on the third floor is a widower, still very much in love with his wife.

It is unusual to read and one I struggled to get into but once hooked you are soon that involved in their lives that you wouldn't dream of closing the covers unfinished. The ending proves that all cultures and religions will unite when danger, or perceived danger, occurs and it is amazing to see how close nit they will become in a dreadful deceitful way. There are laughs and sorrows throughout the novel and I loved the mixture of Shakespearean references and the blurring of boundaries between his plays and Indian equivalents.

If you don't like the mythological aspect (which was my least favourite) some of Vishnu's chapters reflecting back on his life will prove testing, yet the rest of the novel is great. Whilst I don't think it is wonderfully written, it will suck you in. This is a debut novel inspired by a real Vishnu that lived on the landing of the author's apartment block as he was growing up. The opening line is one I particularly loved, "not wanting to arouse Vishnu in case he hadn't died yet" and lets you know you are going to be reading something very different from the norm. Worth a read and perhaps other novels by the author may be more assured in style. Although not entirely my cup of tea, it is a novel I would happily recommend.


possessive selfish character, 19 Mar 2008
i am very dissapointed with this book. i found a lot of scenes between meera and her son, the way author described meera's love for her son disgustingly sexual. i felt contempt towards meera for obeying everyone, not being strong enough to stick to her own decisions and then blaming everyone else for her ruined life. her possessive obsessive love for her son made me feel sick. no mother who truly loves her child wound want to tie him down to herself for as long as she possibly can and deny the chance for him to have his own life, his own experiences. and she most definately won't tell her small child that his father killed his sibling when she was pregnant. she was so selfish trying to get her son love her more than his dad that it ended in tradgedy and hurt her son so very much. she is also ungrateful for her father's help: bringing her up as an equal to men, encouriging her to shape her life the way she wanted to, trying to give her good education and then giving her son a chance to have a good education too. and she was furious with her father for that. this book enraged me big time. i wasted my whole week reading it and it was not worth it

possessive selfish character, 19 Mar 2008
i am very dissapointed with this book. i found a lot of scenes between meera and her son, the way author described meera's love for her son disgustingly sexual. i felt contempt towards meera for obeying everyone, not being strong enough to stick to her own decisions and then blaming everyone else for her ruined life. her possessive obsessive love for her son made me feel sick. no mother who truly loves her child wound want to tie him down to herself for as long as she possibly can and deny the chance for him to have his own life, his own experiences. and she most definately won't tell her small child that his father killed his sibling when she was pregnant. she was so selfish trying to get her son love her more than his dad that it ended in tradgedy and hurt her son so very much. she is also ungrateful for her father's help: bringing her up as an equal to men, encouriging her to shape her life the way she wanted to, trying to give her good education and then giving her son a chance to have a good education too. and she was furious with her father for that. this book enraged me big time. i wasted my whole week reading it and it was not worth it

possessive selfish character, 19 Mar 2008
i am very dissapointed with this book. i found a lot of scenes between meera and her son, the way author described meera's love for her son disgustingly sexual. i felt contempt towards meera for obeying everyone, not being strong enough to stick to her own decisions and then blaming everyone else for her ruined life. her possessive obsessive love for her son made me feel sick. no mother who truly loves her child wound want to tie him down to herself for as long as she possibly can and deny the chance for him to have his own life, his own experiences. and she most definately won't tell her small child that his father killed his sibling when she was pregnant. she was so selfish trying to get her son love her more than his dad that it ended in tradgedy and hurt her son so very much. she is also ungrateful for her father's help: bringing her up as an equal to men, encouriging her to shape her life the way she wanted to, trying to give her good education and then giving her son a chance to have a good education too. and she was furious with her father for that. this book enraged me big time. i wasted my whole week reading it and it was not worth it

Different!, 09 Aug 2008
With a mixture of Indian mythology, Bollywood storylines and an odd-job man with a difference; this novel was bound to be something different. The Bombay apartment block that is the setting for this novel has excellent characters living on every floor. There is a mix of religions and mix of cultural beliefs, with Vishnu lay dying on the landing. Through Vishnu we find out all about the lives of the families around him. On the first floor are two couples, warring over the shared kitchen and looking after Vishnu. The next floor has two families with teenagers from each in love with each other and finally on the third floor is a widower, still very much in love with his wife.

It is unusual to read and one I struggled to get into but once hooked you are soon that involved in their lives that you wouldn't dream of closing the covers unfinished. The ending proves that all cultures and religions will unite when danger, or perceived danger, occurs and it is amazing to see how close nit they will become in a dreadful deceitful way. There are laughs and sorrows throughout the novel and I loved the mixture of Shakespearean references and the blurring of boundaries between his plays and Indian equivalents.

If you don't like the mythological aspect (which was my least favourite) some of Vishnu's chapters reflecting back on his life will prove testing, yet the rest of the novel is great. Whilst I don't think it is wonderfully written, it will suck you in. This is a debut novel inspired by a real Vishnu that lived on the landing of the author's apartment block as he was growing up. The opening line is one I particularly loved, "not wanting to arouse Vishnu in case he hadn't died yet" and lets you know you are going to be reading something very different from the norm. Worth a read and perhaps other novels by the author may be more assured in style. Although not entirely my cup of tea, it is a novel I would happily recommend.


A warm, funny, and manageable novel of India., 11 Sep 2003
If you, like me, find yourself needing to gear up emotionally before reading an Indian novel, due to the stupendous scale of the misery you may find, you are in for a huge--and very wonderful--surprise here. Despite the off-putting title, this is a very funny novel. It is also very thoughtful, thought-provoking, and beautifully constructed. A Mumbai apartment building serves as the setting, a true microcosm of life in Mumbai at large, but a limited enough context for the reader to be able to see the problems as soluble and to appreciate the day-to-day lives of its inhabitants.

Vishnu, an alcoholic who inhabits the stairwell on the ground floor, dreams of his mother, his love for Padmini, a prostitute, and the Hindi myths which have given color and meaning to his life, as he lies dying. But he is a colossal problem for his petty and contentious neighbors--Mrs. Pathak tries to figure out how he can be cleaned up or hidden before her gossipy friends come for a card party, Mrs. Asrani hates waste and wonders whether she really needs to leave tea for him after all, Mr. Asrani and Mr. Pathak argue about who will pay for the ambulance to take Vishnu away. While life among these residents of the first floor is centered on the most basic aspects of life, the residents of the upper floors have the financial resources to be able to worry about "higher" concerns. The Jalal family, on the second floor, are Muslims at odds with the Hindi society in which they live, Mrs. Jalal devout, while Mr. Jalal is still searching for answers. On the top floor is Mr. Taneja, whose ascetic life takes on new meaning when he does good works, finds a swami, and discovers the peace of meditation. The symbolism of the floors takes on additional meaning through Vishnu's visions.

In many ways this resembles a grand chorus from a huge and wonderful comic opera, with all the inhabitants of the building singing at once. And underneath all the voices wailing about their personal concerns is the insistent bass of Vishnu as he prepares to die. Dealing with the most basic aspects of religion, love, and human kindness in a city setting which challenges its inhabitants to the limit, Suri creates a warm, funny, and very human drama of a every man?s search for meaning in life. Mary Whipple

Who nicked all the gee?, 10 Mar 2003
Could somebody please explain to me why Indian and Pakistani writer are so good and their films are so not? There is such a disparity between Bollywood and these cracking good reads from the land formally known as part of The British Empire. Annoyingly this is one of the best books I have read in a very long time. It’s so good you can almost smell the dung, death and decay. You feel the wind pass your ears as you too fall off the balcony and taste the mildness of the blue bloke in the garden. This is a classic among Indian classics, in which there are far too many and I’m jealous.

The Memories of India flood back...., 09 Jul 2002
I have just completed this gem of a book. The echoes of Arudhati Roy and even the insightful social commentry of Rushdie were evident.
I must say that much of the Hindu sybolism would be lost if the reader has not come across nor understands the basic concepts of the Hindu faith. Also some of the names of Hindi amenities, foods and things would are confussing. As a second generation Indian who has visited India, these things were apparent to me, but may not be to many other people.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and would reccomend it to anyone. I ended up reading this book in only a few days...pardon the cliche but I could not put it down.

is it over yet??, 02 Jul 2002
started off ok - you get an insight into the world inside the building. You learn a little about the strained relationships, you start to know the characters. Then as soon as it starts to get interesting, it goes off on some tangent, losing the plot completely.

I found it frustrating, jumpy and very hard to read. The parts that are good are great, the rest is mediocre.

In all - very disappointed.

Different, 09 Aug 2008
With a mixture of Indian mythology, Bollywood storylines and an odd-job man with a difference; this novel was bound to be something different. The Bombay apartment block that is the setting for this novel has excellent characters living on every floor. There is a mix of religions and mix of cultural beliefs, with Vishnu lay dying on the landing. Through Vishnu we find out all about the lives of the families around him. On the first floor are two couples, warring over the shared kitchen and looking after Vishnu. The next floor has two families with teenagers from each in love with each other and finally on the third floor is a widower, still very much in love with his wife.

It is unusual to read and one I struggled to get into but once hooked you are soon that involved in their lives that you wouldn't dream of closing the covers unfinished. The ending proves that all cultures and religions will unite when danger, or perceived danger, occurs and it is amazing to see how close nit they will become in a dreadful deceitful way. There are laughs and sorrows throughout the novel and I loved the mixture of Shakespearean references and the blurring of boundaries between his plays and Indian equivalents.

If you don't like the mythological aspect (which was my least favourite) some of Vishnu's chapters reflecting back on his life will prove testing, yet the rest of the novel is great. Whilst I don't think it is wonderfully written, it will suck you in. This is a debut novel inspired by a real Vishnu that lived on the landing of the author's apartment block as he was growing up. The opening line is one I particularly loved, "not wanting to arouse Vishnu in case he hadn't died yet" and lets you know you are going to be reading something very different from the norm. Worth a read and perhaps other novels by the author may be more assured in style. Although not entirely my cup of tea, it is a novel I would happily recommend.


possessive selfish character, 19 Mar 2008
i am very dissapointed with this book. i found a lot of scenes between meera and her son, the way author described meera's love for her son disgustingly sexual. i felt contempt towards meera for obeying everyone, not being strong enough to stick to her own decisions and then blaming everyone else for her ruined life. her possessive obsessive love for her son made me feel sick. no mother who truly loves her child wound want to tie him down to herself for as long as she possibly can and deny the chance for him to have his own life, his own experiences. and she most definately won't tell her small child that his father killed his sibling when she was pregnant. she was so selfish trying to get her son love her more than his dad that it ended in tradgedy and hurt her son so very much. she is also ungrateful for her father's help: bringing her up as an equal to men, encouriging her to shape her life the way she wanted to, trying to give her good education and then giving her son a chance to have a good education too. and she was furious with her father for that. this book enraged me big time. i wasted my whole week reading it and it was not worth it

possessive selfish character, 19 Mar 2008
i am very dissapointed with this book. i found a lot of scenes between meera and her son, the way author described meera's love for her son disgustingly sexual. i felt contempt towards meera for obeying everyone, not being strong enough to stick to her own decisions and then blaming everyone else for her ruined life. her possessive obsessive love for her son made me feel sick. no mother who truly loves her child wound want to tie him down to herself for as long as she possibly can and deny the chance for him to have his own life, his own experiences. and she most definately won't tell her small child that his father killed his sibling when she was pregnant. she was so selfish trying to get her son love her more than his dad that it ended in tradgedy and hurt her son so very much. she is also ungrateful for her father's help: bringing her up as an equal to men, encouriging her to shape her life the way she wanted to, trying to give her good education and then giving her son a chance to have a good education too. and she was furious with her father for that. this book enraged me big time. i wasted my whole week reading it and it was not worth it

possessive selfish character, 19 Mar 2008
i am very dissapointed with this book. i found a lot of scenes between meera and her son, the way author described meera's love for her son disgustingly sexual. i felt contempt towards meera for obeying everyone, not being strong enough to stick to her own decisions and then blaming everyone else for her ruined life. her possessive obsessive love for her son made me feel sick. no mother who truly loves her child wound want to tie him down to herself for as long as she possibly can and deny the chance for him to have his own life, his own experiences. and she most definately won't tell her small child that his father killed his sibling when she was pregnant. she was so selfish trying to get her son love her more than his dad that it ended in tradgedy and hurt her son so very much. she is also ungrateful for her father's help: bringing her up as an equal to men, encouriging her to shape her life the way she wanted to, trying to give her good education and then giving her son a chance to have a good education too. and she was furious with her father for that. this book enraged me big time. i wasted my whole week reading it and it was not worth it

Different!, 09 Aug 2008
With a mixture of Indian mythology, Bollywood storylines and an odd-job man with a difference; this novel was bound to be something different. The Bombay apartment block that is the setting for this novel has excellent characters living on every floor. There is a mix of religions and mix of cultural beliefs, with Vishnu lay dying on the landing. Through Vishnu we find out all about the lives of the families around him. On the first floor are two couples, warring over the shared kitchen and looking after Vishnu. The next floor has two families with teenagers from each in love with each other and finally on the third floor is a widower, still very much in love with his wife.

It is unusual to read and one I struggled to get into but once hooked you are soon that involved in their lives that you wouldn't dream of closing the covers unfinished. The ending proves that all cultures and religions will unite when danger, or perceived danger, occurs and it is amazing to see how close nit they will become in a dreadful deceitful way. There are laughs and sorrows throughout the novel and I loved the mixture of Shakespearean references and the blurring of boundaries between his plays and Indian equivalents.

If you don't like the mythological aspect (which was my least favourite) some of Vishnu's chapters reflecting back on his life will prove testing, yet the rest of the novel is great. Whilst I don't think it is wonderfully written, it will suck you in. This is a debut novel inspired by a real Vishnu that lived on the landing of the author's apartment block as he was growing up. The opening line is one I particularly loved, "not wanting to arouse Vishnu in case he hadn't died yet" and lets you know you are going to be reading something very different from the norm. Worth a read and perhaps other novels by the author may be more assured in style. Although not entirely my cup of tea, it is a novel I would happily recommend.


A warm, funny, and manageable novel of India., 11 Sep 2003
If you, like me, find yourself needing to gear up emotionally before reading an Indian novel, due to the stupendous scale of the misery you may find, you are in for a huge--and very wonderful--surprise here. Despite the off-putting title, this is a very funny novel. It is also very thoughtful, thought-provoking, and beautifully constructed. A Mumbai apartment building serves as the setting, a true microcosm of life in Mumbai at large, but a limited enough context for the reader to be able to see the problems as soluble and to appreciate the day-to-day lives of its inhabitants.

Vishnu, an alcoholic who inhabits the stairwell on the ground floor, dreams of his mother, his love for Padmini, a prostitute, and the Hindi myths which have given color and meaning to his life, as he lies dying. But he is a colossal problem for his petty and contentious neighbors--Mrs. Pathak tries to figure out how he can be cleaned up or hidden before her gossipy friends come for a card party, Mrs. Asrani hates waste and wonders whether she really needs to leave tea for him after all, Mr. Asrani and Mr. Pathak argue about who will pay for the ambulance to take Vishnu away. While life among these residents of the first floor is centered on the most basic aspects of life, the residents of the upper floors have the financial resources to be able to worry about "higher" concerns. The Jalal family, on the second floor, are Muslims at odds with the Hindi society in which they live, Mrs. Jalal devout, while Mr. Jalal is still searching for answers. On the top floor is Mr. Taneja, whose ascetic life takes on new meaning when he does good works, finds a swami, and discovers the peace of meditation. The symbolism of the floors takes on additional meaning through Vishnu's visions.

In many ways this resembles a grand chorus from a huge and wonderful comic opera, with all the inhabitants of the building singing at once. And underneath all the voices wailing about their personal concerns is the insistent bass of Vishnu as he prepares to die. Dealing with the most basic aspects of religion, love, and human kindness in a city setting which challenges its inhabitants to the limit, Suri creates a warm, funny, and very human drama of a every man?s search for meaning in life. Mary Whipple

Who nicked all the gee?, 10 Mar 2003
Could somebody please explain to me why Indian and Pakistani writer are so good and their films are so not? There is such a disparity between Bollywood and these cracking good reads from the land formally known as part of The British Empire. Annoyingly this is one of the best books I have read in a very long time. It’s so good you can almost smell the dung, death and decay. You feel the wind pass your ears as you too fall off the balcony and taste the mildness of the blue bloke in the garden. This is a classic among Indian classics, in which there are far too many and I’m jealous.

The Memories of India flood back...., 09 Jul 2002
I have just completed this gem of a book. The echoes of Arudhati Roy and even the insightful social commentry of Rushdie were evident.
I must say that much of the Hindu sybolism would be lost if the reader has not come across nor understands the basic concepts of the Hindu faith. Also some of the names of Hindi amenities, foods and things would are confussing. As a second generation Indian who has visited India, these things were apparent to me, but may not be to many other people.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and would reccomend it to anyone. I ended up reading this book in only a few days...pardon the cliche but I could not put it down.

is it over yet??, 02 Jul 2002
started off ok - you get an insight into the world inside the building. You learn a little about the strained relationships, you start to know the characters. Then as soon as it starts to get interesting, it goes off on some tangent, losing the plot completely.

I found it frustrating, jumpy and very hard to read. The parts that are good are great, the rest is mediocre.

In all - very disappointed.

possessive selfish character, 19 Mar 2008
i am very dissapointed with this book. i found a lot of scenes between meera and her son, the way author described meera's love for her son disgustingly sexual. i felt contempt towards meera for obeying everyone, not being strong enough to stick to her own decisions and then blaming everyone else for her ruined life. her possessive obsessive love for her son made me feel sick. no mother who truly loves her child wound want to tie him down to herself for as long as she possibly can and deny the chance for him to have his own life, his own experiences. and she most definately won't tell her small child that his father killed his sibling when she was pregnant. she was so selfish trying to get her son love her more than his dad that it ended in tradgedy and hurt her son so very much. she is also ungrateful for her father's help: bringing her up as an equal to men, encouriging her to shape her life the way she wanted to, trying to give her good education and then giving her son a chance to have a good education too. and she was furious with her father for that. this book enraged me big time. i wasted my whole week reading it and it was not worth it