Rating: 
Summary: boring
Review: The only sections of this novel that are worth reading are the those that take place in India when Jasmine is a child-bride. The rest of the "novel" reads like a diary entry...nothing much happens after Jasmine moves to Iowa and I found myself not really caring about the characters. It seems that Ms. Mukherjee should try and write more than one draft of her novels before sending it to her publisher.
Rating: 
Summary: A gripping, masterfully written work of fiction.
Review: This book had a profound effect on me, despite the fact that I generally avoid the theme of the immigrant experience. In any case, the book succeeds in integrating so many completely diverse settings... Iowa, an impoverished Indian village, New York, Florida... This is done quite artfully; the book is simple to read and not too hard to understandl it achieves depth with simple language, which is always pleasing. Reading it for the first time was somewhat shocking - every new development in the plot is marred with violence stemming from some bizzare twist of fate. Despite all this, a sense of hope is conveyed in a way that is not artificial, and sustained all throughout. Nonetheless, it paints a disturbing picture of traditional India: the caste system, the miserable status of women, the horrors facing a widow, the overall poverty and pervading corruption, the religious wars... all this leaves an imprint on Jasmine (the main character) and haunts her even in the States, even in the remote Iowa. The realism with which all this is served to the reader reminds of Stephen Crane's work, especially "Maggie, a Girl of the Streets" (another powerful piece...) Whatever your literary taste, it is likely that you will enjoy this direct, powerful, and eye-opening work. The only reason I withhold the last star is the unexpected and unfulfilling ending, which in my view ruined the integrity that Jasmine built throughout her difficult life journey, which filled me with a certain optimism up to that point. If it was meant as a liberating finale, then the cost of ruining Jasmine's benevolence was too high. But up to the last page, an excellent read.
Rating: 
Summary: Enlightened, But...
Review: This book was in general very good. But it lacked a certin quality that would have made it a five star book. Learning about what it was like when she lived in her country was in fact the best part of the book. It gave a great cultural view on what it is like to be woman in a third-world country. When she came to America thats when the book started to lack the fire that i was drawn to.
Rating: 
Summary: Complex telling of the east-west culture conflict
Review: This book was really amazing. I am an Indian woman, who has lived in Queens and I have to say that Mukherjee's telling of the story, even while being fantastical, seemed so 'real' and plausible. Excellent reading.
Rating:
Summary: Daring, Colorful, Compassionate Novel
Review: This is definitely a delightful novel to read. It provides a compelling mixture of east and west. The underlying theme of the novel is that life moves on and time never stops. Mukherjee has done complete justice in delivering this message acorss. Jasmine is an absorbing tale of human struggle in an alien environment. A Good Read!
Rating:
Summary: Beautifully written
Review: This is not only a great book....it's a book about real people with real problems concerning hope and love. I will never forget this book Terrific!. Powerful! Bharati have made her mark on American East Indian Literature.
Rating:
Summary: On Becoming an American Woman
Review: This novel is a really moving tale. This is my first time reading Mukherjee's writing but it won't be the last. I found it to be a compelling read from start to finish. The story of how a young Indian girl becomes an American is intriguing. The evolution of Jyoti into Jasmine into Jane is gripping. I enjoyed the way Mukherjee wove this tale. She includes flashbacks to her past to let the reader see the past of Jasmine. It allows for empathy as the reader is led through the tragedies of her early life. Her resolve is extraordinary. She has to overcome the murder of her husband, terrorism in her homeland, a rape and many other hardships along the way. You can see how different events shape her views and attitudes. She begins to think and act for herself. There is sorrow and pain on the way but it is ultimately a tale of liberation. It's another example of the indomitable human spirit. Definitely a book that should be widely read.
Rating:
Summary: Engrossing
Review: This novel is about an ambitious woman. She is born Jyoti in a small village in terrorism ridden Punjab and is transformed into Jasmine,Jase and Jane though a journey that is marked by widowhood, murder, rape, illegal documents and an uncanny instinct to survive through all situations. Jasmine is not a character you'd love to love, but she embodies the human spirit. A sixth-grade educated minor widow yearns to move out of her dark life and lands up in America, the land of freedom and choices.
The narrative is not linear - flashbacks are interspersed with current happenings. The writing style seems appropriate for the story. The entire story is mainly about the woman Jasmine but the background effectively captures the nature and force of the changing times.
Why didn't I give this 5 stars ? Well first of all, the character of Prakash was somewhat less believable to me. I wouldnt bet on a REAL Prakash to marry a 14 yr. old. Secondly, the end to the novel is rather abrupt(I thought a few pages were missing in my copy of the novel !!).
Rating:
Summary: a haunting book
Review: this was the first book i read for a class and the novel grabbed me; i couldn't put it down. The book follows a woman named Jyoti in India through her maifestations and names as she travels from her small village with her husband to the city and then eventually to America where her life takes many a turn, sometimes for the good, sometimes for the bad, sometimes it's hard to tell where paths will lead. The book plays with different textures and time frames, a reeling experience for the mind, but it makes you want to see what happens. I love this book!
Rating:
Summary: It was a very confusing book.
Review: This was the most confusing book I have ever read. I don't recomend it to anyone.
| 
