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nabilaandta's review against another edition
4.0
Anita Desai whips up this rich narrative that takes you on a journey through the lives of two families, all the way from the bustling streets of India to the suburbs of the United States. The writing is lush, like Desai sprinkled words with a bit of magic dust. It’s almost like you can feel the weight of the cultural expectations on Uma's shoulders and the liberation Arun experiences in the States.
ljutavidra's review against another edition
3.0
Pa, ovo je bilo više nego depresivno. Priča sama po sebi nije ništa posebno, ali je tako ispričana da prosto ne znate šta ćete od muke koju osećate za glavne likove (a i za sporedne). Nema sad nešto puno o indijskoj kulturi, izguglala sam par jela koje spominju čisto da znam o čemu se radi, ali hrana i nije toliko u prvom planu koliko sam mislila da će biti. Drugi deo knjige me je u potpunosti razočarao, ne vrti se toliko oko života Indijca u Americi već o porodici kod koje je živeo preko leta, što mi je bilo naporno i nezanimljivo.
atriasbookshelf's review against another edition
4.0
Fasting, Feasting revolves around the two cultures and it is a really simple book which gives you a glimpse of old India.
chrismologos's review against another edition
reflective
slow-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? It's complicated
3.5
I think I would have enjoyed this book more if the description matched what it was about. The two parts (wildly differing in size) felt unbalanced, and unconnected in a way that the blurb suggested they would match. Similarly, tho the theme of food was clear in the second "American" part, it didn't really play out in the first part in any meaningful way (for me, at least).
But: I really enjoy long, slow character portrait, and I think Desai has a really well-developed style, so ultimately I did like it, for the most part.
But: I really enjoy long, slow character portrait, and I think Desai has a really well-developed style, so ultimately I did like it, for the most part.
sailor_marmar's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-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
3.0
the_moody_marshmallow's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-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
3.0
johnhodges's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
rebeccaariss's review against another edition
5.0
How is it that such sparsity in description and narration can produce a book this witty, this hilarious, this disturbing?
When I say disturbing, I don't mean disturbing as in "oh god what horrors have just been described to me in gory detail", but rather, "oh god, how complicit are all of us in accepting the norms of our respective cultures and how much are even the relatively 'powerless' also to blame for the outcomes?" ... Yeah. That kind of disturbing. Shake-you-out-of-your-comfort kind of disturbing.
I've never experienced this particular style of writing or narrative structure before. Or if I have, it certainly wasn't as memorable as this story. Basically nothing happens and everything happens. That's the true beauty of Anita Desai's writing. You would be dead wrong if you understood this novel only to showcase the daily lives of two families– one in India, one in America– because there is so much nuance and significance tied up in their prescribed roles and routines. Not to mention her ability to describe the scenes in absolute sensory detail.
I was so intrigued by her intention regarding the structure of this book. 70% of the book is narrated by Uma, a character entirely subject to her parents whims and expectations with arguably zero autonomy or power in her own life. The experience of reading about her total lack of independence put me in a very specific mindset – I felt suffocated, trapped; it was difficult to read. But Uma's inner world is rich with her understanding and critical thinking. Through her we see the hypocrisies and injustices of this particular kind of family. She can see through it all, but she is powerless to do anything without an education. And we see that even with the highest intelligence and potential for academic accomplishment, things do not always work out for women who are subject to having every decision made for them.
In the last 30% of the book, there is an abrupt shift: an entirely different narrator (of an entirely different gender) in an entirely different setting. I know that a lot of Indian families dream of an American education and American citizenship. If the Americans– with all of their undying and unquestioning patriotism– are to be believed, America really is a perfect place to land. Arun is relatively more privileged than his sister in that he is able to escape his oppressive family and take his own decisions in life. But what he finds is that the family dynamics have been similarly complicated and tainted by the individual members' "roles" in life (primarily based on age and gender) and things are not always as perfect as the expansive green lawns and two car garages would have you believe.
I think this sudden shift in the last 30% of the novel (Arun only gets about 70/230 pages) was intended to illustrate the feeling of moving so abruptly from one culture to another. The true expat experience. Things are taken for granted by the people around you, but to you they feel jarring, surreal, unusual. Many things remind you of your own culture, sometimes to a degree that produces extreme discomfort and anxiety (particularly if you have a desire to separate yourself from that culture, even if you are really missing the food and familiarity).
Does culture begin at home, or do we conduct our home lives based on the cultural expectations we've internalized?
The point of it all? It's complicated. I love a book that takes a series of vignettes, makes a series of scathing observations with just the right amount of subtle humour, and then shrugs its shoulders and says, "yes, it's complicated." I adore this book.
When I say disturbing, I don't mean disturbing as in "oh god what horrors have just been described to me in gory detail", but rather, "oh god, how complicit are all of us in accepting the norms of our respective cultures and how much are even the relatively 'powerless' also to blame for the outcomes?" ... Yeah. That kind of disturbing. Shake-you-out-of-your-comfort kind of disturbing.
I've never experienced this particular style of writing or narrative structure before. Or if I have, it certainly wasn't as memorable as this story. Basically nothing happens and everything happens. That's the true beauty of Anita Desai's writing. You would be dead wrong if you understood this novel only to showcase the daily lives of two families– one in India, one in America– because there is so much nuance and significance tied up in their prescribed roles and routines. Not to mention her ability to describe the scenes in absolute sensory detail.
I was so intrigued by her intention regarding the structure of this book. 70% of the book is narrated by Uma, a character entirely subject to her parents whims and expectations with arguably zero autonomy or power in her own life. The experience of reading about her total lack of independence put me in a very specific mindset – I felt suffocated, trapped; it was difficult to read. But Uma's inner world is rich with her understanding and critical thinking. Through her we see the hypocrisies and injustices of this particular kind of family. She can see through it all, but she is powerless to do anything without an education. And we see that even with the highest intelligence and potential for academic accomplishment, things do not always work out for women who are subject to having every decision made for them.
In the last 30% of the book, there is an abrupt shift: an entirely different narrator (of an entirely different gender) in an entirely different setting. I know that a lot of Indian families dream of an American education and American citizenship. If the Americans– with all of their undying and unquestioning patriotism– are to be believed, America really is a perfect place to land. Arun is relatively more privileged than his sister in that he is able to escape his oppressive family and take his own decisions in life. But what he finds is that the family dynamics have been similarly complicated and tainted by the individual members' "roles" in life (primarily based on age and gender) and things are not always as perfect as the expansive green lawns and two car garages would have you believe.
I think this sudden shift in the last 30% of the novel (Arun only gets about 70/230 pages) was intended to illustrate the feeling of moving so abruptly from one culture to another. The true expat experience. Things are taken for granted by the people around you, but to you they feel jarring, surreal, unusual. Many things remind you of your own culture, sometimes to a degree that produces extreme discomfort and anxiety (particularly if you have a desire to separate yourself from that culture, even if you are really missing the food and familiarity).
Does culture begin at home, or do we conduct our home lives based on the cultural expectations we've internalized?
The point of it all? It's complicated. I love a book that takes a series of vignettes, makes a series of scathing observations with just the right amount of subtle humour, and then shrugs its shoulders and says, "yes, it's complicated." I adore this book.
ungildedlily's review
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
yanulya's review against another edition
emotional
funny
informative
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.0