The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy
This novel is a poignant tale of fraternal twins, a boy and a girl, who navigate through their childhood in Kerala, India, amidst a backdrop of political unrest and societal norms. The story, set in 1969, explores the complexities of their family's history and the tragic events that shape their lives. Their mother's transgression of caste and societal norms by having an affair with an untouchable leads to disastrous consequences, revealing the oppressive nature of the caste system and the destructive power of forbidden love. The novel also delves into themes of postcolonial identity, gender roles, and the lingering effects of trauma.
The 271st greatest book of all time
- Published
- 1997
- Nationality
- Indian
- Type
- Fiction
- Pages
- 320
- Words
- 134,000
- Original Language
- English
If you're interested in seeing the ranking details on this book go here
This book is on the following lists:
- 18th on The 50 best books of the past 100 years (The Times)
- 19th on The Indian Fiction Top 25 (Jerry Pinto, Indian poet and novelist)
- 35th on My Favourite Book - Australian Big Read (Australian Big Read)
- 49th on 100 Best Books to Read by Women Authors (Good Housekeeping)
- 52nd on Top 100 World Literature Titles (Perfection Learning)
- 85th on The Big Read (BBC)
- 458th on Our Users' Favorite Books of All Time (The Greatest Books Users)
- 489th on The Complete 500: OCLC (OCLC)
- Books by Women That Every Man Should Read (The Guardian)
- Latitude Festival's Top 20 Books by Women (Latitude Festival goers)
- 87 Books Written by Women That Are So Good, You Won't Be Able to Put Them Down (Pop Sugar)
- 1000 Novels Everyone Must Read (The Guardian)
- Best Foreign Work of Fiction Chosen by Francophone Writers (French literary magazine Transfuge)
- 48 Good Books (University of Buffalo)
- 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die (The Book)
- 100 Novels That Shaped Our World (BBC)
- 222 Best Books of All Time That Deserve a Spot on Your Bookshelf, With Picks from Bestselling Authors and Indie Booksellers (Parade)
- As if You Don't Have Enough to Read, Fiction Edition (New York Times)
- Man Booker Prize (Man Booker Prize)
- 100 Great 20th Century English-language Works of Fiction by Women (Feminista!)