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" How he hated his life. It was a never-ending flow of misery. It was a prison he had been born into [...] All about him the neighborhood houses seemed to rise like a trap, a maze of staircases and walls with windows that opened to look into one another. [...] He wanted open spaces."
Book Analysis:
I’ve always been attracted to books with curious titles, and most times I’m lead to some interesting findings. I was once again satisfied when I chose Hullabaloo in the Guava Orchard, a novel that explores romance, self-discovery, and responsibility in a clever and humorous way.
The novel follows the tale of Sampath, a world-weary young man with a whimsical mind and a longing for solitude. One day shortly after humiliating his family, he becomes fed up with it all and leaves to find comfort in a guava tree. At first this is an annoyance to his family, but later, when Sampath begins to hand out advice it turns out to be quite profitable.And what advice he gives!
When asked the question-“Which is the better way to realize God? The way of devotion or the way of knowledge?”, he answers-“Some people can only digest fish cooked in light curry. Others are of a sour disposition and should not eat pickled fish. In the south the enjoy fish cooked in coconut water. I myself have a preference for pomfret in a sauce of chili and tamarind thickened with gram flour.”
Sampath’s ascent from a hopeless nobody to the town's holy man, isn’t the only story told in Hullabaloo. His younger sister Pinky, a stubborn and rather vain girl, also has her own adventures by chasing after the ice-cream seller. His mother Kulfi, from whom Sampath inherited his odd absent mindedness, has an obsession with exotic food and is in constant search for bizarre ingredients. Then there is the miserable spy who intends to sabotage the “business”, the town authorities with their own silly personal lives, and a party of alcoholic monkeys that create the turmoil in the guava orchard.
Besides a splendid blend of characters, Kiran Desai also offers a culturally rich setting, sharing Indian culture ideals such as marriage and family connections. She does this amidst constant shifts in mood; in the beginning she juxtaposes Sampath’s extraordinary birth to his disappointing adulthood, and once again compares it to a promising future.
By alternating between a languid tone to a faster pace and following separate character’s experiences, Desai might leave a few overwhelmed, but in the end readers are brought to an exciting climax, that is indeed, complete hullabaloo.
Book Analysis:
I’ve always been attracted to books with curious titles, and most times I’m lead to some interesting findings. I was once again satisfied when I chose Hullabaloo in the Guava Orchard, a novel that explores romance, self-discovery, and responsibility in a clever and humorous way.
The novel follows the tale of Sampath, a world-weary young man with a whimsical mind and a longing for solitude. One day shortly after humiliating his family, he becomes fed up with it all and leaves to find comfort in a guava tree. At first this is an annoyance to his family, but later, when Sampath begins to hand out advice it turns out to be quite profitable.And what advice he gives!
When asked the question-“Which is the better way to realize God? The way of devotion or the way of knowledge?”, he answers-“Some people can only digest fish cooked in light curry. Others are of a sour disposition and should not eat pickled fish. In the south the enjoy fish cooked in coconut water. I myself have a preference for pomfret in a sauce of chili and tamarind thickened with gram flour.”
Sampath’s ascent from a hopeless nobody to the town's holy man, isn’t the only story told in Hullabaloo. His younger sister Pinky, a stubborn and rather vain girl, also has her own adventures by chasing after the ice-cream seller. His mother Kulfi, from whom Sampath inherited his odd absent mindedness, has an obsession with exotic food and is in constant search for bizarre ingredients. Then there is the miserable spy who intends to sabotage the “business”, the town authorities with their own silly personal lives, and a party of alcoholic monkeys that create the turmoil in the guava orchard.
Besides a splendid blend of characters, Kiran Desai also offers a culturally rich setting, sharing Indian culture ideals such as marriage and family connections. She does this amidst constant shifts in mood; in the beginning she juxtaposes Sampath’s extraordinary birth to his disappointing adulthood, and once again compares it to a promising future.
By alternating between a languid tone to a faster pace and following separate character’s experiences, Desai might leave a few overwhelmed, but in the end readers are brought to an exciting climax, that is indeed, complete hullabaloo.
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“No I do not want an egg; I want my freedom”
Personal Thoughts:
I bought this book in the summer at the flea market, and for some reason, put it aside. Fortunately I picked it up again, and I ended up staying awake the entire night to read it, NOT only because I was trying to finish my assignment (hehe, so sorry Mrs. Teacher), but also because it was THAT good.
I admit that I became very fond of Sampath, as he reminded me much of myself. We both allow other people to make our decisions even though we are unhappy all the while- “ he sat between them, looking as if he might keel” (pg 25.)- and we’re also terrible at studying of any kind. So, yeah, another book crush to add to my already lengthy list.
Personal Thoughts:
I bought this book in the summer at the flea market, and for some reason, put it aside. Fortunately I picked it up again, and I ended up staying awake the entire night to read it, NOT only because I was trying to finish my assignment (hehe, so sorry Mrs. Teacher), but also because it was THAT good.
I admit that I became very fond of Sampath, as he reminded me much of myself. We both allow other people to make our decisions even though we are unhappy all the while- “ he sat between them, looking as if he might keel” (pg 25.)- and we’re also terrible at studying of any kind. So, yeah, another book crush to add to my already lengthy list.