Reviews

Ghachar Ghochar by Vivek Shanbhag

namakurhea's review against another edition

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5.0

"Sir, you may want to wash your hand. There's blood on it."
A #micdrop should totally be added after that sentence and I won't even be mad...because THIS BOOK IS EVERYTHING.

"Ghachar Ghochar" by Vivek Shanbhag. It is about a family in Bangalore that climbed up the social ladder in a twist of fate. From an ants-infested dwelling to comfy house, the family is about to experience not just a change in fortunes but also a change in morals. As the New Yorker so eloquently described: "This tragicomic novella is a classic tale of wealth and moral ruin."

The pacing. The writing. The characters. The length. The punchlines. This is easily one of my favorite books this year. Truly a great example of a well crafted book.

reading_jam's review against another edition

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emotional funny reflective medium-paced
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

gracemessi's review against another edition

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4.0

I thought that this was such an interesting setup for a book! The descriptions of the family and the plot pulled me in and I think it that having this be such a short novel was a great choice from the author because I love that it was concise!

cecibird's review against another edition

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mysterious reflective tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

mika_reads's review against another edition

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3.0

i think if i read this in kannada it would’ve been more meaningful because there were a lot of instances where i missed out on the true meaning of what the author was trying to say simply because it was translated. as a bangalorean kannadiga, it felt nice to read a book and imagine everything being described to the T. but overall, the plot was pretty drab, was expecting smth more

newsh's review against another edition

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challenging dark informative fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

I hate open endings.

the_moody_marshmallow's review against another edition

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dark emotional funny lighthearted reflective tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? N/A
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

maggiefrankhsu's review against another edition

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5.0

This is an exquisite book. It's one of those books I rarely read that's a litmus test: I know that if you liked it, we are going to be friends. It's so rooted in a particular place and culture, yet felt absolutely relevant to a universal experience of family. Off to re-read it!

thegloomth's review against another edition

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dark reflective slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

roseyu's review against another edition

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fast-paced
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.75