Arundhati Roy has written two novels. Her debut novel is The God of Small Things, which won the Man Booker Prize for Fiction in 1997.
Her second novel is The Ministry of Utmost Happiness, published in 2017.
One of my friends couldn't finished reading The Ministry of Utmost Happiness because he found it "dull".
I will not contest that claim because I can understand why he said that: the book is written in a way that it might have been a voice actor narrating a documentary rather than reading a novel. Yet, I found it interesting enough to struggle and finish reading it because of the rich insights she gives on the issues facing the Indian Subcontinent.
The Indian Subcontinent is a region in South Asia that includes the following countries: India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, and the Maldives. It is characterized by its diverse cultures, languages, religions, and geographical features. The term "subcontinent" is used to describe the large landmass that is distinct from the rest of Asia, often defined by the Himalayan mountain range to the north and the Indian Ocean to the south.
Roy is from India. She was born on November 24, 1961, in Shillong, Meghalaya, which was then part of Assam, India.
If you are wondering what she did between those 20 years it took for her to write her two novels, don't worry, she published many books of her collection of essays during those two decades.
Most famed authors have just one or two seminal works and don't be surprised if they took more than five years sometimes to finish a single book. If you want a local example, you don't need to go further than stop right at Kashima Shakir who says it took ten years for him to write a book on the life of Maldives' first president Mohamed Amin.
On top of that, Roy has been fighting for her causes she is passionate about. She is known for her activism on various social and political issues. She has been an advocate for environmental justice, indigenous rights, anti-globalization movements, and has spoken out against corporate power.
Additionally, she has been involved in issues related to social inequality, anti-war movements, and human rights. Roy's activism extends beyond her writing, as she often participates in protests and engages in public discourse on these issues.
The narrative in The Ministry of Utmost Happiness is intricate and spans multiple characters and storylines. At its core, the novel explores the complexity of contemporary Indian society, addressing themes such as social and political unrest, religious diversity, and the struggles of marginalized communities.
The story weaves together the lives of various characters, including Anjum, a transgender woman, and Tilo, a woman with a mysterious past. Against the backdrop of India's socio-political landscape, the novel delves into issues of identity, love, and the search for meaning in a tumultuous world. Roy's narrative style is rich and evocative, drawing readers into a tapestry of human experiences.
The God of Small Things revolves around the lives of two twins, Rahel and Estha, who grow up in the southern Indian state of Kerala. The story is set against the backdrop of the social and political changes occurring in post-colonial India.
The novel explores themes of caste discrimination, forbidden love, family secrets, and the impact of societal norms on individuals. The narrative is non-linear, shifting between the twins' childhood experiences in the 1960s and their adult lives in the 1990s. The title refers to the small, unnoticed moments that have significant consequences in shaping the characters' lives.
The God of Small Things received widespread acclaim and won the Man Booker Prize for Fiction in 1997, making Roy the first Indian woman to win this prestigious literary award from the UK.
Though I’m pretty sure I cannot tolerate a second reading of The Ministry of Utmost Happiness however great people say it is, I think over the next couple of years I could read The God of Small Things a couple times more. This is the second time I read it, mostly owing to the fact that it’s my fault I didn’t keep track of who I lent my book to and the borrower was sincere enough not to return it to me on his or her own!
The second reading provided new perspectives on this tragic love story which is actually also a scathing attack on the abhorrent caste system which is preventing India's so-called "Untouchables" from enjoying basic civil and human rights. As usual, religion is the culprit again: the caste system is deeply rooted in the Hinduism belief in karma and reincarnation.
Roy's skillful social commentary presents the story through the viewpoints of the different characters, including Ammu's twins, one of whom unwittingly becomes the target of a pedophile at a most unexpected public space.
Even from my first reading of the book when it had just won the Booker, I had started wondering what these "small things" are. Since the Untouchable Velutha has no future in his love relationship with the Touchable Ammu, is their romance one of those “small things” I wondered. Does such passionate love-making amount to forbidden love between them, and therefore, are they able to enjoy only the present moment and not the future - no further than "tomorrow"?
Beautifully written with arresting descriptions and smooth flowing prose, The God of Small Things is a hopeless sorrowful love story of epic proportions that must not be missed by any lovers of contemporary English literature, and together with The Ministry of Utmost Happiness, Roy’s two books provide a deep probe into what life in South Asia is all about.
No comments:
Post a Comment