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A review by readwithmeemz
The Parcel by Anosh Irani
3.0
I received an ARC of this book from Indigo Head Office.
Honestly, as excited as I was about this book (a novel about a Hijra in India), it fell a little flat. First things first, I was a little disappointed to learn that Anosh Irani did not interview a Hijra until after he had written his first draft of the book. That seems presumptive to me, and if [you] want to write about a population that is so often shafted, and not talked about, it is important to lend them an authentic voice.
As obvious as Anosh Irani's talent as a writer it, it felt a little like he was trying too hard to be gritty. It often seemed disjointed, and I felt like he was just trying to 'shock'. For example, there would be a few sentences that were powerful, and beautifully written, and then all of a sudden, there would be a jarring word or metaphor thrown in - it seemed random and unnecessary, like the author was just trying to go for shock-factor.
I get that Madhu, and many of the other individuals in the book have a really tough go of things, and that their lives are miserable and that it's not going to necessarily be an optimistic novel, it was frustratingly gritty and dark and frustrating. There wasn't a single character I really liked (which I didn't actually mind in this case). However, this book was a bit difficult to get through. It was a little confusing at times, I still don't think I completely understand what happened at the end - it sort of felt like the whole plot built up incredibly slowly, but then the end was rushed and confused and I think that made it lose some of its poignancy.
Honestly, as excited as I was about this book (a novel about a Hijra in India), it fell a little flat. First things first, I was a little disappointed to learn that Anosh Irani did not interview a Hijra until after he had written his first draft of the book. That seems presumptive to me, and if [you] want to write about a population that is so often shafted, and not talked about, it is important to lend them an authentic voice.
As obvious as Anosh Irani's talent as a writer it, it felt a little like he was trying too hard to be gritty. It often seemed disjointed, and I felt like he was just trying to 'shock'. For example, there would be a few sentences that were powerful, and beautifully written, and then all of a sudden, there would be a jarring word or metaphor thrown in - it seemed random and unnecessary, like the author was just trying to go for shock-factor.
I get that Madhu, and many of the other individuals in the book have a really tough go of things, and that their lives are miserable and that it's not going to necessarily be an optimistic novel, it was frustratingly gritty and dark and frustrating. There wasn't a single character I really liked (which I didn't actually mind in this case). However, this book was a bit difficult to get through. It was a little confusing at times, I still don't think I completely understand what happened at the end - it sort of felt like the whole plot built up incredibly slowly, but then the end was rushed and confused and I think that made it lose some of its poignancy.