Rating: 
Summary: Don't waste your time and money on this nonsense.
Review: If amazon.com would let me, I'd give this book a rating of ZERO, because it doesn't deserve even one point. This book was a YAWN. The writing is pretentious and irritating. The story is un-compelling and the outcome is obvious from page 1. I don't understand all the hype surrounding this weak piece of garbage. The only reason I bothered to finish it is because I was convinced it had to improve (or rather, I did not want to believe that the entire book could be so bad). Well, I was wrong. This book stinks from cover to cover. There are many excellent books out there to read, so don't bother with this one! The silver lining: If you have trouble falling asleep at night, this book will do the trick. It is an excellent sleeping pill.
Rating: 
Summary: A rare jewel
Review: Seen through the eyes of the twins Rahel and Etpan,the story reveals itself through constant flashbacks and reminiscents. Sometimes sad, at other times funny, the lives of the characters tend to grow on it's readers. They seem so real. Roy's acute observations of life is so accurate, she sometimes makes me weep. This book has everything - the whole of human emotions, love, fear, innocence, corruption, politics but it is love that trancends it all. Though quite difficult to read, I personally find the book enriching and fulfilling.
Rating: 
Summary: Definitely a prize winner for me!
Review: When I read "The God of Small Things," I was always reminded of another favorite writer of a few similar stories: Amy Tan. I was surprised not to see anyone make this comparison, instead of some others. We see the same irony, the epic story of family, from the childs point of view, and later from the adult's. How things turned out! Humor mixed with such bitter events. An exotic setting that seems so very true to life. I read back and forth, to reconnect each of those small resonant echoes in the story. Sort of an Amy Tan with more of an edge? Some have quibbled about the appearance of some overly-literary, or over-stylized, writing. I did not think so at all! I read several people make close comparisons to Rushdie: Now I'll have to be sure to read some of his books.
Rating:
Summary: A great postmodern look at Christianity and caste in Kerala
Review: Roy is certainly not Rushdie, but sometimes even better. Without converting India into the fantastic land of mythical subversions and magical characters, Roy still manages to bring out the flavor of caste and christianity in her work. Such a marvellously simple story line under the influence of her mighty pen, which commands the English language itself to bend and stretch to convey the sounds of Malayalam, becomes a study of two cultures existing side by side, orthodox syrian Christianity and Hinduism, Capitalism and Communism, Touchables and Untouchables. But what The God of Small Things boils down to, is what happens when the two cultures interact in a way that they were not meant to react. Who can love whom and how much is pre-determined. And so it is that we are allowed to love this book and the characters in it.
Rating: 
Summary: A well-meaning case of the vapors
Review: There are many people in this story, many smells, sights, sounds, traumatic events, nonsense words, distortions of time and perception, confusing paragraphs that require re-reading, -- all in the service of a James Michener-type of family saga that illustrates the sad-but-true dictum that talented people (or untalented, for that matter) can be so screwed up by lack of nurturance that they are essentially crippled for life. There is heartbreak and sadness and inconsolable pain in these characters' lives. But unfortunately, Roy's clutter-it-up approach interferes.
Rating:
Summary: The Gist of the matter
Review: If we leave the style, improvisations, in fact, the entire language and regional setting we have the core of the book or rather the thought behind it-which to my mind is what Ms. Roy attempted-or at least thought was more important than the presentation itself.
How our lives unravel themselves, is to a most people in the West determined by their actions alone rather than what fate/THE God (somewhere UP there) decides.
On the other hand the distinguishing characterstic of the Eastern mindset is the concept of a personal or THE God, determining the course of lives in this world (and other worlds).
Ms. Roy in this book has tried to introduce the "MiddlemanGod". This God is responsible for all the small issues which collectively change/mould lives. So rather than addressing the BIG questions directly to THE God, the MiddlemanGod-The God of Small Things-takes care of making a case of the small actions/lusts/games for the Big God.
If this was NOT the gist of the book or the intention of the writer-I have missed the point altogether and what is then left is only a fine imagery and lingustic structures which mean little (which I doubt!!)
Rating:
Summary: a little too much of a good thing
Review: This book almost lived up to all the hype it has been receiving lately. The language is indeed beautiful and wonderful. In fact, I found myself rereading passages several times just to savor the words and how they were put together. The storytelling, in its disjointed, spiraling style, is equally intriguing and impressive. Characters are created that may never leave your memory. And I loved this book, except for the final couple of chapters (the ones after the story of the twins' mother and the god of small things is pretty much resolved) with their slapped-on feel, which forsake the magical language structure and vague (in a good sense) narrative style of the first 90% of the book for a tabloid style (in a bad sense) that seems out of place, both in terms of time and artistry, with the rest of this fine book. So, definitely read this book, but skip the last two chapters.
Rating: 
Summary: A vi-able,en-vi-able work of Dubious Bookerworthiness
Review: Much like the Indian west coast culinary concoction Avial, this work is a colourful, flavourful albeit owerpowering piece of literary mish-mosh. Its style is compelling and haunting although it eventually becomes forced, repetitious, distracting and tiresome in its pretentiousness.The best thing one can say about it is that it is an 'easy read' the reason why it is so popular, in my opinion. As for Booker-worthiness, I have yet to find someone who thinks that its is as good as the Heat and Dust or Midnight's Children....... Arundathi Undhathi dhathi. thi. i. I REST MY CASE.
Rating:
Summary: Untouchably Touchable
Review: What can you say about a story like this one? If you read the book you already know. The Tao says that one should do the work and step away. It will speak for itself. I agree. But this is a forum to speak in favor of or against the words contained in 321 pages. Someone mentioned that this seemed like an autobiography of Ms. Roy. I don't know if it is, but on the chance that it might be, I'm glad she survived. If we only considered writing styles, we would be left without the works of Emily Dickinson, who never used more than a dash or period as punctuation. We might never have enjoyed Alice Walker's, The Color Purple. It was written the way it was spoken. Why compare it to e.e. cummings, or any other writer? Arundhati Roy has her own style and it is reflected by the tone in which her story is told. A little humor, innocently presented via the eyes of a child. Reflections of a self righteous and self absorbed woman who seems not to like being an Indian as much as she aspires to being a perfect English Lady. Forbidden passion between castes. Adult theft of childhood innocence. Family dysfunction. A mother who loves her children but is too angry with life to fully appreciate them. Jealous aunts and uncles. A selfish cousin who really is just looking for approval. Two children who believe and trust in adults but are sadly corrected when they are betrayed by those very adults. Finally, two individuals wo are left with only their sorrow, guilt, hurt and pain. How to lift these heavy burdens? If we move this story to the Bronx in New York City, 1968-71, this is my life. So her story, although specific to Indian, transcends cultures. It could be anyone's story. But in this case, it is the story of Rahel and Estha. It tells many things. The most important of which is the effects of the corruption of innocence both politically and privately. It is clear and lucid. Some may have wished that the perspectives were better explained, but in reality human nature is not always explained and that is exactly what you have in this story. You don't really know why or how anyone could perpetrate such lies and crimes against innocent people. But they do. If you read it and compare it immediately to anything else, you cheat yourself of an experience that might be pleasant on its own merits. Sometimes we have to be willing to blindly travel in the mind and heart of the writer; to go and see what it was that the writer intended. I enjoyed the journey. Take it for yourself and if you don't like it, at least you had the chance to go some place you would never have gone to on your own. It's like Indian food. Some of the tastes are curiously interesting, with flavors that wake up the palet of your mouth. Not all of the spices are going to be pleasant...some may actually leave a bad taste, but you'll never know unless you try it. The God Of Small Things has many flavors and reflects many colors. That is the beauty of it!
Rating:
Summary: Excellent by any score!!!
Review: For a first time author, the lucidity of expression and abundance of metaphors that aptly describe whatever is meant to be, is a credit by itself. After a long long time has India produced an author of some STUFF in English. No wonder even the redoubtable R.K. Narayan was all praise for Arundhathi Roy. I just can't wait for another one from her!
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