'They all broke the rules. They all crossed into forbidden territory. They all tampered with the laws that lay down who should be loved, and how. And how much.' This is the story of Rahel and Estha, twins growing up among the banana vats and peppercorns of their blind grandmother's factory, and amid scenes of political turbulence in Kerala. Armed only with the innocence of youth, they fashion a childhood in the shade of the wreck that is their family: their lonely, lovely mother, their beloved Uncle Chacko (pickle baron, radical Marxist, bottom-pincher) and their sworn enemy, Baby Kochamma (ex-nun, incumbent grand-aunt). Arundhati Roy's Booker Prize-winning novel was the literary sensation of the 1990s: a story anchored to anguish but fuelled by wit and magic.
'Richly deserving the rapturous praise it has received on both sides of the Atlantic... The God of Small Things achieves a genuine tragic resonance. It is, indeed, a masterpiece.' Observer
'A masterpiece, utterly exceptional in every way.' William Dalrymple, Harpers and Queen
. 'Roy is truly gifted, not just in her ability to make words playful and meaning mischievous, but to use this to create a language texture that bowls you along, gathering momentum like the narrative itself...Witty and vivid, full of rich, memorable images...a verbal stream of steady beauty. Ali Smith
'A compelling story which somehow marries the deepest, smallest personal emotions with an epic narrative.' Meera Syal, Daily Express
'It is rare to find a book that so effectively cuts through the clothes of nationality, caste and religion to reveal the bare bones of humanity. A sensational novel.' Daily Telegraph
'Makes the remarkable Arundhati Roy a fitting standard-bearer for the immensely rich literature of India today.' Boyd Tonkin, Independent
'A quite astonishing novel by any standards - broad in its historical sweep, emotionally profound and marvellously acute and delicate.' Economist
'Quite brilliant...One can only strongly recommend this extremely funny and enchanting and pretty much genius piece of debut fiction.' Spectator
Booker Prize Winner 1997. The story of Esta and Rahel, male and female dizygotic twins, who recall how their feared aunt forced the English language upon them; how, when the twins were seven they, were visited by nine-year-old Sophie Mol for a Christmas vacation; and how these events lead to taboo sex and appalling violence. Roy's love story owes something to Joyce, something to Faulkner and a great deal to Rushdie. Her prose is rich and effervescent, bursting with imagery and ideas. (Kirkus UK)
Author
About Arundhati Roy
Arundhati Roy is an award-winning filmmaker and a trained architect. In 1997 she won the Booker Prize for 'The God of Small Things'. She lives in New Delhi.
