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ludon5681's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
The Parcel is a deeply reflective, compassionate novel about prostitution, trafficking, gender, and deprivation set in Kamathipura, a destitute red-light district of Bombay. The story is told from the point of view of Madhu, a 40-year-old Hijra (person of the third gender - akin to a transgender woman who has been castrated) who had been a sex worker and is now a beggar. Mahdu has a very distinct voice dripping with dry, dark humour and understandable bitterness for the way her life had turned out. Her deeply and carefully rendered character - along with the characters around her who make up the rich landscape of the novel - is a highlight of the book, and the character development and depth of the characters was by far my favorite part of the novel. The writing was more matter-of-fact than I would have liked; there were fewer passages which took my breath away than I was expecting there to be, though there were still some beautiful ones. I also found the ending to be a bit abrupt - it's possible it was foreshadowed in ways that I didn't immediately pick up on, but it didn't seem to follow from a clear arc of character development in the way I would have hoped. Lastly, of course, it is best to go into this book informed - it is very much "dead dove: do not eat" territory, and while it is a gorgeous, resonant novel, it is also a lot to take in.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Sexual harassment, and Dysphoria
Moderate: Drug abuse, Drug use, and Medical content