whoisarpit's review against another edition
3.0
The fluidity of the story is something that I grew to love, how the narrative melts between the characters, not clearly pointing out which is which.
I also liked the writing style, although I particularly hated the inconsistency in the writing, some parts written beautifully, but the others could very well be reframed to fit a newspaper article.
The story also got very monotonous during its length, the climax not satisfying enough to compensate for the monotony, which leads to my rating of 3 stars out of 5.
Also, drowsiness seems to have a surprising effect on the reading experience. The drowsier I was, the more interesting it seemed. Perhaps, this isn't a book to be read fully awake.
A suggestion : if you feel like you won't like this book, you probably wouldn't.
thanzeela's review against another edition
- 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
3.0
fatamo's review against another edition
4.0
The structure of the book is like this:
- The events leading up to the nasha ('high'): We learn a bit about the characters, they are still optimistic and relatively innocent. They talk about books, poetry, life in general.
- The first buzz of the nasha: In the early days it was opium dens that ruled Bombay, although their decline was apparent from the very beginning. Nevertheless, most of the story takes place in one particular den, where Dimple tends to the pipe, and customers are plenty.
- The build up to the highest point, where the mind gets lost and wanders into the recesses of memory: Parts of the past lives of the main characters resurface. This part is where it starts to get interesting.
- The comedown: They scrabble to get back to their previous elated states. This is where new drugs enter Bombay, and things get more complicated.
- The 'recovery': The characters are no longer in their altered state of being. They are just themselves, realizing their escape was only fleeting. Disappointment as the world appears even more grim and ugly than when they first took that trip into the opium den.
I'm not sure if this is what the author intended, but that's how I saw it. I think this is a book to be devoured in a very short time, otherwise you won't be able to visualise the themes (or at least I wouldn't have). This is not a plot-driven story. It's more like one crazy-ass dream.
nadiafleur's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
jnfpayne's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
shellinancy's review against another edition
3.0
gracetreesa's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
thedoozyreader's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Graphic: Murder, Addiction, Drug abuse, Drug use, Grief, and Alcohol
barbarabarbara's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.75
zaliha's review against another edition
- 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
5.0
Graphic: Violence, Physical abuse, Animal death, Animal cruelty, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Drug abuse, Drug use, and Sexual violence
Moderate: Grief, Drug use, Drug abuse, Hate crime, Animal death, Homophobia, Emotional abuse, Domestic abuse, Toxic relationship, Sexual violence, Islamophobia, Violence, Dysphoria, Death, Addiction, Sexism, Self harm, Infidelity, Chronic illness, Classism, Suicidal thoughts, Physical abuse, Murder, Misogyny, Mental illness, Eating disorder, Alcohol, and Alcoholism