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thekohanacritique's review against another edition
2.0
Well, I get all the academic mind-blowing change this book & its writing has brought to the country's English Language and reading at large, but in my opinion, this two-hundred or so pages book could have been done and dusted in a hundred pages or less. I liked the traditional folk-tale-like narrative in the book until it felt overdone to the point of constant annoying repetition; I was mildly entertained by our pseudo-Gandhi protagonist Moorthappa (Moorthi) until he did a complete 360 and became a Nehruvian fanboy - just go with the flow I guess. Considering how he never, not even once, questioned the Gandhian notions and principles really irked me to the point of annoyance. The main story is just very problematic in my perspective and that is why I have nothing good to say about it. I'm sure there are people who've loved it apart from the universal goodness and importance it has, but for me specifically, it just kept turning my annoyance bolt. The entirety of Kanthapura felt like a stage-play of freedom and Satyagraha that was scripted to fail (Rao might as well have been critiquing the Gandhian teachings) and it was just pathetic to read about people dying and crying for nothing (considering how Kanthapura is a depiction of the many small villages that got involved into the pre-independence movement in real life) and made me just angry that our "enlightening" main character, performing all his city props and tricks, couldn't understand the basic problem that prevents him from untying the knot of 'equality'.
Anyway, I've spent a little over 2 weeks to finish this book (part of my uni reading, had to go through the pain) I am disappointed and totally in opposites with what this book has to offer in context.
Anyway, I've spent a little over 2 weeks to finish this book (part of my uni reading, had to go through the pain) I am disappointed and totally in opposites with what this book has to offer in context.
sayantandas's review against another edition
5.0
A great work by Raja Rao. He showcases the situation of India during our freedom struggle and how Kanthapura was so much inspired by Mahatma Gandhi.
charliereadsalot's review against another edition
1.5
1.5 STARS
CW: death (including of loved ones), violence, blood, rape, mention of prostitution
This book was a chore to read. Purely enjoyment-wise I could not find one good thing to say about this book... I read this for my Postcolonial Studies course and naturally, I can appreciate this for the time it was written in and there is plenty to think about and analyze. The most fascinating aspect for me was definitely the narrative choices and the role of women in the story which I hadn't expected when I started reading.
But, as Goodreads is not the place for me to dive deeper into analyzing texts and I usually rate books based on a combination of a book's legacy and how much I liked it overall, I cannot give this more than 1.5 stars. It took me so long to get through this because the narrative voice is all over the place. Yes I can appreciate the author mentioning that this is a deliberate choice and meant to echo oral storytelling customs in India, but it made this a labor to read because sentences went on and on and the syntax kept repeating.
Nevertheless, as always, I know I'll be able to discuss about this a lot in class. But still, nothing about this book and story endeared it to me. I definitely would have stopped reading this, had it not been for uni. But maybe you'll enjoy it more?!
CW: death (including of loved ones), violence, blood, rape, mention of prostitution
This book was a chore to read. Purely enjoyment-wise I could not find one good thing to say about this book... I read this for my Postcolonial Studies course and naturally, I can appreciate this for the time it was written in and there is plenty to think about and analyze. The most fascinating aspect for me was definitely the narrative choices and the role of women in the story which I hadn't expected when I started reading.
But, as Goodreads is not the place for me to dive deeper into analyzing texts and I usually rate books based on a combination of a book's legacy and how much I liked it overall, I cannot give this more than 1.5 stars. It took me so long to get through this because the narrative voice is all over the place. Yes I can appreciate the author mentioning that this is a deliberate choice and meant to echo oral storytelling customs in India, but it made this a labor to read because sentences went on and on and the syntax kept repeating.
Nevertheless, as always, I know I'll be able to discuss about this a lot in class. But still, nothing about this book and story endeared it to me. I definitely would have stopped reading this, had it not been for uni. But maybe you'll enjoy it more?!
lsparrow's review against another edition
3.0
I found the writing style rather dense - but I enjoyed the perspective of a small village in India pre partition and see the effects of Gandhi and his movement.
The changes that can be made in individual lives and hearts and society through a movement.
"Brothers and sisters remember we are not out to fight the white man or the white man's slaves, the police and the revenue officials, but against the demonic corruption that has entered their hearts, and the purer we are the greater will be our victory, for the victory we seek is the victory of the heart. Send out love where there is hatred."
The changes that can be made in individual lives and hearts and society through a movement.
"Brothers and sisters remember we are not out to fight the white man or the white man's slaves, the police and the revenue officials, but against the demonic corruption that has entered their hearts, and the purer we are the greater will be our victory, for the victory we seek is the victory of the heart. Send out love where there is hatred."
lindseyzank's review against another edition
4.0
I enjoyed this novel more a decade after I read it the first time as an undergraduate in a postcolonial literature class. It is a beautiful articulation of the nonviolent movement inspired by Gandhi in a small town in India. Rangamma, the lead female character in the novel, is animated and feisty, willing to sacrifice herself for the movement. The landscape descriptions are captivating and the section where Moorthy (the town's "little Gandhi") meditates and fasts for days is really moving.
hetauuu's review against another edition
2.0
The story at the heart of Kanthapura is an extremely eye-opening and emotional one. Set in a small Indian village during the Gandhian movement for independence, the narrator of the story recounts the trials and the unfortunate lack of triumphs of the villagers as they try to fight for independence. As much as the story moved me, the narrative structure was quite a struggle for me and made the reading experience overall a bit tiring. This story will stick with me for a good while and it has given me a lot of food for thought, but I can't say I will read this one again or be recommending it to many.
madritb's review against another edition
5.0
This book was difficult to read due to the language used. But still I made through, and it turned out to be amazing.
** Spoliers below **
It made me live through that time and feel the sadness of people of Kanthapura. But the beauty of the story lies in that sadness. And I want to read it again someday.
** Spoliers below **
It made me live through that time and feel the sadness of people of Kanthapura. But the beauty of the story lies in that sadness. And I want to read it again someday.
dhanushgopinath's review against another edition
4.0
Terrific story of how independence struggle caught up in a sleepy Karnataka Village.
nargis's review against another edition
challenging
dark
informative
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.75