I really didn't enjoy this book - but I can't rate it too low; it is very well written. The novel is well-paced, the characters are engaging, human (sometimes they do what you hope and many times not). It explores some huge issues - cyclical violence and colonialism in India, the impact and sources of emigration - through the eyes of the human beings involved, and does so in a compelling way.

I think that the reason I was so disappointed in it is that, often, on a human scale, there is both happiness and sadness, gain and loss - and plenty of surprises. Desai's novel (perhaps I should have been forewarned by the title?) sees only one half of the equation. Any good that is noticed in the book is destroyed or taken away by the end - relationships are all damaged or destroyed, security and safety are gone, savings stolen, wordly goods, pets, lovers - all these are torn apart and stomped to bits by the last page. Living during the Gurkha uprising would have been damaging on a huge scale - no denying this. Fear would be rampant, security nonexistent, and the worst of human behavior would come forth. And yet - life is rarely unmitigated bad acts and loss. Even in the worst of times, for some people, some good things happen. I'm no Pollyanna - and I've read other books about these topics (Gosh, Mukherjee, Mistry - even Naipaul, though he's not really part of this crowd) that show plenty of loss, strain and damage. But in these, there is also some good in life. I put this book down and could feel nothing other than depressed.

Still, it's very well wrought and easy to read. I'd be hard pressed to say, "don't read it." Just - read it when you have the wherewithal to deal with unmitigated cynicism. ( )

Beautiful, lush prose. Very atmospheric. This novel is a joy to read. ( )

This postcolonial read really drags you into the conflict between what one's nationality and sense of culture was before the colonizer, and after. Who are you when you enter another country, especially if you hold no status in that country. Nothing I say here could really do it justice, so I have to say that in terms of a cultural discussion on what happens to one's identity after being colonized, this is one of the best. (See my blog--One Literature Nut--for a full review.) ( )

Disturbingly realistic, a dire commentary on colonialism, immigration and the search for a better life. ( )

Kira Desai has written a novel in which immigration, national identity, colonialism and the cast system in India are thoughtfully explored. The lives of several characters, belonging to different casts, generations and with different backgrounds, but all linked to the town of kallimpong and somehow related among themselves, are unfolded in this story. A retired judge (who was educated in Britain but who belonged to a poor family) and his neglected grandaughter; their cook and his son (who has emigrated to the USA); a local young male who tutors the granddaughter (who also comes from a poor background); their neighbors and acquaintances; some European immigrants; they all bring different perspectives on the life on the small community and their relations with the wider world. Although there is some humour in the novel, most of the narration focuses on the negative effects of the cast system, the class system, colonialism, nationalism and immigration on the characters. It is a very pessimistic novel. With the exception of the cook, most of the characters are unsympathetically characterized and they are not very engaging. Although the topics explored are interesting, the plot does not hold well together and the characters feel like tokens to illustrate particular positions within the debate. Nevertheless, the writing is beautiful. ( )