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ayeshaa9998's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
heathssm's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
rhalfie29's review against another edition
4.0
An unusual story about India, told from the viewpoint of an Anglicised son visiting his feudal / local politician father, who hopes he will inherit. His boredom and awkward outsider sensation are viscerally portrayed, and the simmering tension with the local boy assigned to help him is tangible. For all this, I found the first section almost claustrophobic (testament to the effective writing!) and was relieved and refreshed with the final section of the book which leaped into the future, as I was pleased to find the son had lived his own authentic life, despite his troubled memories of this summer in India and the impact these have on the present - without this I think the plot would have felt depressing and perhaps a bit cliched from an LGBTQ POV. It took me a while to get into this novel but by the end I found it a worthwhile story and a unique insight into Indian family hierarchies, dynasties and local class tensions, with a sensitive LGBTQ thread.
soswiin's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
a 200 page book complaining about managing farmland. not even the promise of romance made this not boring
bookishpip's review against another edition
It’s really rare that I don’t manage to finish a book, and I’m sad to have eventually put this down for the foreseeable. Perhaps I will come back to it one day.
The premise of this is amazing - the exploration of a turbulent and complex father-son relationship in rural Pakistan - and I had such high hopes for this. However, I found the execution of this book really frustrating. Perhaps it’s because I was reading it on kindle, but the abrupt changes between perspectives of father and son were jarring and did not feel smoothly executed. I felt like I was struggling to follow the narrative thread and dialogue as it was, without these abrupt changes in perspective.
In the second half of the book, when the time suddenly jumped forward by several years, I tried to persist but eventually had to call it a day. I just don’t think this one was for me!
The premise of this is amazing - the exploration of a turbulent and complex father-son relationship in rural Pakistan - and I had such high hopes for this. However, I found the execution of this book really frustrating. Perhaps it’s because I was reading it on kindle, but the abrupt changes between perspectives of father and son were jarring and did not feel smoothly executed. I felt like I was struggling to follow the narrative thread and dialogue as it was, without these abrupt changes in perspective.
In the second half of the book, when the time suddenly jumped forward by several years, I tried to persist but eventually had to call it a day. I just don’t think this one was for me!
magnuscumlaude's review against another edition
2.0
Really wanted to love this but it didn't work for me. It whipped past parts I found the most interesting and dwelled on the least. There were some gems of writing, and the setting of northern Pakistan was promising but unfortunately I just didn't click with it.
bobthebookerer's review against another edition
4.0
This story slowly unveils as we watch what happens when sexuality is hidden behind layers of secrets. Without giving much anyway in the story, the gentle innocence of childhood is slowly replaced by the knowingness of adulthood, where family secrets are gently and slowly revealed.
I read through this book very quickly, getting caught up in the story and its gentle rhythms.
I received an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I read through this book very quickly, getting caught up in the story and its gentle rhythms.
I received an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
mattressy's review
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes