DiscussWorldIssues - Socio-Economic Religion and Political Uncensored Debate - View Single Post - The House of Blue Mangoes

**Sdinozes** · 10-16-2005, 08:25 AM

Hi!
First a correction. Nagercoil is not Kerala. I am a Keralite and loved God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy. Her success was able to describe the Kerala milieu near perfect in English, a warp where most Indian English authors fall prey to and make a mockery of everything. The ending of Arundhati Roy's book though was trifle abrupt.. as if she suddenly ran out of idea. (Recently John Grisham's visitation in to non legal terrain "Painted House" also had the same malady, ending was sort of enforced).
I worked for close to eight years in Nagercoil (KK dist in Tamilnadu) and had travelled a lot in the interiors and met and made friends with quite a few. When I read the book, I was surprised by the parallels in historical, geographical and life there in the book. Later only I realized that David Davidar has roots in Nagercoil.
It's a book which covers a vast spanse of time and it is definitely not a quick read. But it does echo the rise in fall amongst the families in Nagercoil especially in Nadar community there.
It was not geographical reason alone that I liked the book!!
I am not saying it's a classic by any stretch of imagination, but not bad either!!

10-16-2005, 08:25 AM	#1
Sdinozes Join Date Oct 2005 Posts 408 Senior Member	Hi! First a correction. Nagercoil is not Kerala. I am a Keralite and loved God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy. Her success was able to describe the Kerala milieu near perfect in English, a warp where most Indian English authors fall prey to and make a mockery of everything. The ending of Arundhati Roy's book though was trifle abrupt.. as if she suddenly ran out of idea. (Recently John Grisham's visitation in to non legal terrain "Painted House" also had the same malady, ending was sort of enforced). I worked for close to eight years in Nagercoil (KK dist in Tamilnadu) and had travelled a lot in the interiors and met and made friends with quite a few. When I read the book, I was surprised by the parallels in historical, geographical and life there in the book. Later only I realized that David Davidar has roots in Nagercoil. It's a book which covers a vast spanse of time and it is definitely not a quick read. But it does echo the rise in fall amongst the families in Nagercoil especially in Nadar community there. It was not geographical reason alone that I liked the book!! I am not saying it's a classic by any stretch of imagination, but not bad either!!
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