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romcheese's review against another edition
5.0
I just finished [book:The Association of Small Bombs|25810398 on the plane home from NCTE 2018 in Houston. It took me so long to read this novel as I toggled between three other books, grading, and planning, and I know I should reread the first half to fully enjoy and understand this novel. I bent down several pages that I should return to and copy passages from, but I just handed it off to one of my students. I will look forward to our conversation when he is finished!
The structure of this novel fascinates me--in 1996 a bomb explodes in Lajpat Nagar in Delhi and the novel begins with its devastation: "A good bombing begins everywhere at once," Mahajan writes and then chronicles the bomb's immediate aftermath as "A blue fiberglass rooftop came uncorked from a shop and clattered down on a bus a few meters away; the bus braked, the rooftop slid forward, leaked a gorgeous stream of sand, and fell to the ground; the bus proceeded to crack it under its tires and kept going, its passengers dazed, even amused. (In a great city, what happens in one part never perplexes the other parts.) Back in the market people collapsed, then got up, their hands pressed to their wounds, as they had smashed eggs against their bodies in hypnotic agreement and were unsure what to do about the runny, bloody yolk..." That first page bleeds into the second.
That small bomb in Lajpat Nagar has reverberations into the next decades and is directly linked to another bomb in October of 2003 in Sarojini Nagar. I was hip to where Mahajan was headed in the end, but the it still didn't fail to surprise me -- the way shrapnel flies through time and space to wound those of the fringes of these tragedies. And, although Mahajan does not offer excuses for the violence--in fact, the physical and mental wounds he explores through his characters are a result of exposure even to "small bombs" and he makes clear at the end that the 2003 bomb will splash outward and forward through the years--but he also delves into the lives of someone like Ayub Azimi, who begins as a Muslim activist who is later radicalized through an emasculation by his religion and the ultimate rejection of his Hindu lover, Tara. He is by no means innocent, yet almost hapless in his role at the end.
The worst reality is the plight of Mansoor Ahmed, a Muslim friend of Tushar and Nakul Khurana who are killed in the 1996 blast, and who lives his life with both the physical and mental scars of that moment. This unfortunate man is ultimately punished multiple times for his good nature. Mahajan skewers all sides--religion, oppression, government, racism, fear -- and although I enjoyed the novel, I can't shake the feeling that human folly dooms our existence.
The structure of this novel fascinates me--in 1996 a bomb explodes in Lajpat Nagar in Delhi and the novel begins with its devastation: "A good bombing begins everywhere at once," Mahajan writes and then chronicles the bomb's immediate aftermath as "A blue fiberglass rooftop came uncorked from a shop and clattered down on a bus a few meters away; the bus braked, the rooftop slid forward, leaked a gorgeous stream of sand, and fell to the ground; the bus proceeded to crack it under its tires and kept going, its passengers dazed, even amused. (In a great city, what happens in one part never perplexes the other parts.) Back in the market people collapsed, then got up, their hands pressed to their wounds, as they had smashed eggs against their bodies in hypnotic agreement and were unsure what to do about the runny, bloody yolk..." That first page bleeds into the second.
That small bomb in Lajpat Nagar has reverberations into the next decades and is directly linked to another bomb in October of 2003 in Sarojini Nagar. I was hip to where Mahajan was headed in the end, but the it still didn't fail to surprise me -- the way shrapnel flies through time and space to wound those of the fringes of these tragedies. And, although Mahajan does not offer excuses for the violence--in fact, the physical and mental wounds he explores through his characters are a result of exposure even to "small bombs" and he makes clear at the end that the 2003 bomb will splash outward and forward through the years--but he also delves into the lives of someone like Ayub Azimi, who begins as a Muslim activist who is later radicalized through an emasculation by his religion and the ultimate rejection of his Hindu lover, Tara. He is by no means innocent, yet almost hapless in his role at the end.
The worst reality is the plight of Mansoor Ahmed, a Muslim friend of Tushar and Nakul Khurana who are killed in the 1996 blast, and who lives his life with both the physical and mental scars of that moment. This unfortunate man is ultimately punished multiple times for his good nature. Mahajan skewers all sides--religion, oppression, government, racism, fear -- and although I enjoyed the novel, I can't shake the feeling that human folly dooms our existence.
8little_paws's review against another edition
5.0
I initially gave this four stars, but I've been wanting to just start it over again since I finished Wednesday night, so I think that qualifies it as a five star book for me. This book about the after effects of a small bomb that kills two boys is personal, political, global, local all at once. I thought the author really illustrated how someone's beliefs can change over time and what events in life cause your beliefs to shift. He really gets into the mindset of terrorism.
marc_c's review against another edition
2.0
Tried to like this book but just couldn't get into it. Didn't know a lot of the Indian words the author used so I found myself having to stop a lot to Google so I did t get lost. Ended up losing my momentum and lost interest in the book overall.
Besides not getting into it I felt like the book was written well and it moved at a fairly swift pace. Just couldn't hold my attention.
Besides not getting into it I felt like the book was written well and it moved at a fairly swift pace. Just couldn't hold my attention.
danikass's review against another edition
4.0
This is one of the most powerful books I've ever read. A full-circle look into loss, anger, love and hate that provides empathy and disgust for terrorists and their victims alike. It's an important story in a world where we're constantly trying to understand what makes people become terrorists and in understanding the role (and often lack thereof) of religion in such decisions. Mahajan never tries to fool you into thinking the terrorists are the good guys, but he shows why people end up at such extremes. There's so much to be learned if the world is ever going to change, and this book highlights that so poignantly.
As for the writing, certain lines would strike me and I'd reread them several times before I was even able to move on. I have lines memorized that I haven't been able to stop thinking about for days. But then there was a disconnect I couldn't quite place that made me feel distant from the story. Maybe it was because it jumped so often between characters, or maybe it was the writing style, but something was off. Otherwise, it'd be an easy five stars.
As for the writing, certain lines would strike me and I'd reread them several times before I was even able to move on. I have lines memorized that I haven't been able to stop thinking about for days. But then there was a disconnect I couldn't quite place that made me feel distant from the story. Maybe it was because it jumped so often between characters, or maybe it was the writing style, but something was off. Otherwise, it'd be an easy five stars.
prairiegirl75's review against another edition
3.0
Set primarily in India, this novel describes the aftermath of a "small bombing" in a busy Delhi market from multiple perspectives affected by the bombing--families of victims, survivors, the bombers themselves. Glad I read it, the first 2/3 or so was really strong, but the ending felt rushed and a bit on the nose.
caroline88's review against another edition
challenging
dark
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
cariashley's review against another edition
3.0
I had really high expectations for this book - usually The NY Times best of the year are winners for me. I'm glad I read it for the cultural perspective and the exploration of grief and recovery (or lack thereof) from horrible tragedy. And damn, it's relevant subject matter. But I felt like full character development was sacrificed for the sake of speeding the plot to a very specific, tidy resolution. Nevertheless I'd be interested to see what Mahajan does next, especially since we're so close in age (and it seems to me there are so few in my age range).