Sunday, August 15, 2010

The Inheritance of Loss by Kiran Desai

Well, I've broken my slump. I came to realize that the kids returning to school is going to be something that will be making me wacky anxious for a while, so it's best to just read-read-read and push through it.  So today I finished The Inheritance of Loss by Kiran Desai. I chose this book because it won the Man Booker Prize, and I tend to really like any book that wins that particular award.  It's also about India....need I say more on that?  As I read the book I was very drawn into the story, interested in another look at the history, and attached to the characters.  I didn't honestly like many of the characters, but I wanted to see where their stories were going.  This is not a book that will make you feel good because there is so much misery in each person's life, and some of their actions make it hard to feel for them.  I was rooting for a few hopeful endings, but it wasn't to be.  In a way I really liked the book for the sake of the history. It was another look at India through the eyes of a variety of social classes.  That always interests me, and so in a way I would like to give it a high rating.  It's well written and had an impact on me.  However, it was a pretty hopeless look at life in India and in America.  I'm glad that I read it, but I am not sure if I'd suggest it to a friend.

5 comments:

Literary Feline said...

Yay! I'm glad you've broken that slump of yours.

I've heard so many mixed reviews of Desai's book and so have been hesitant to read it myself. I most likely will eventually, if only to feed my own curiosity. The historical aspect especially intrigues me.

Christine said...

It's good, Wendy, it just makes you miserable. I do really like her writing, and I'd suggest it to people who don't need a positive spin on what they read. I'm sure I'm not making sense.

Jeannette said...

I am glad you pushed through your slump! But, you need to read something cheerful! :)

TheBookGirl said...

Good review...really gave me a sense of the book and how I might react to it...Glad to see that you have pushed through the slump...hope you have a more upbeat read next :)

Lee said...

Hmmm, this has been on my list for a while now. Not sure I feel like misery at the moment but I'm often glad after I read these types of books that I picked them up.