I never thought I would ever come across another novel as wonderful and rich as A Fine Balance…but I have and The Toss of a Lemon has completely surpassed my expectations. How someone can write a debut novel of this length and breadth is beyond me. The writing, the story lines, the characters, the history and societal norms of India in the late 19th and early 20th century all come together flawlessly! I am totally in awe of the raw talent that this young writer possesses and was totally thrilled to see her name chosen for the Giller 2014 long list! Ron and I read this book out loud to each other - he was better at pronouncing the names of everyone and everything than I was but it was still a great read-aloud book. He came over last night specifically so we could finish the last 30 pages - sweet. We both enjoyed reading this - learning about the times and dilemmas, trying to keep track of all the characters, thinking about progress and the caste system and everything else that was going on in India at the time... hard to believe it was like that and yet it is was. There were parts (Sivakami) that reminded me a little of Nana, "what will the neighbors think?" but I also think that's partly a sign of the times.
What do You think about Een Huis Zonder Spiegels (2009)?
Started with a promise but turned into the most boring book I have ever read
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