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emily_galloway's review against another edition
challenging
dark
informative
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
It was an interesting book, but quite hard to get through. I didn't really understand the ending and I assumed the 5 characters would all come together at the end and each have some significance în each others lives, but I didn't get that satifactory 'tie it in a bow' ending I wanted.
The writing and content were both really interesting and of quality however. I don't think I'd reccomend to everyone, but definitely some people who are into a more challenging read!
The writing and content were both really interesting and of quality however. I don't think I'd reccomend to everyone, but definitely some people who are into a more challenging read!
debirainbow's review against another edition
emotional
informative
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
The author really gets into the skin of the poorer people in India, wonderful descriptions, we see and learn about their struggles for freedom and finding a way to exist.
maiarmash's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
the last chapter really brought this together for me better and revealed so much more and made me want to reread just to grasp it better. the 4th story broke me. lots of unlikeable people though which made this a hard read
maketeaa's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
fast-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? It's complicated
4.0
alexisrt's review against another edition
3.0
The five stories interconnect in various ways--some more obvious than others--but overall, it didn't quite hang together.
kingarooski's review against another edition
4.0
This was, at times, a very difficult book to read. Possibly the most difficult was the story of Lakshman, who trains a bear to "dance", as the hope is slowly squeezed out by the actions he undertakes to make money for his family by travelling around with the bear. Milly, who is sent away as an eight-year old to be a servant, is perhaps the book's success story, even though she lives in a slum and never sees her family. The book portrays modern India with all its imperfections and the divide between those who have and those who have not seems enormous and impossible to cross. The focus on food: the abundance of it or lack thereof is a theme running through all five stories. A thought-provoking read.
margaret21's review against another edition
4.0
This book will be hard to forget. Five loosely linked tales. A bit-part-player in one tale is the subject of another. Everyone here has left the familiar in quest of something different, something better. The raw poverty and scraping by existence of many of the characters is quite hard to bear. I'll remember most I think Lakshman, who comes upon a beer cub, and with astonishing ignorance, cruelty and lack of empathy teaches the creature to 'dance', to provide him with an income. He lurches from crisis to crisis, and we know it won't end well. Village girl Milly is sent away aged eight to become a maid to provide an income for her family. She rarely sees her family again, but this is a success story of sorts.
It's about brutal social divisions, grinding poverty and inequality, but this compassionate book is a rewarding read.
It's about brutal social divisions, grinding poverty and inequality, but this compassionate book is a rewarding read.
shinie's review against another edition
5.0
This book is amazing. It grabbed me on the very first page and I couldn't stop reading it.