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The God of Small Things

Winner of the Booker Prize

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The God of Small Things

By: Arundhati Roy
Narrated by: Diana Quick
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About this listen

Winner of the 1997 Booker Prize. The richly exotic story of the childhood the twins Esthappen and Rahel craft for themselves amongst India’s vats of banana jam and mountains of peppercorns.

Here, perhaps, is the greatest Indian novel by a woman. Arundhati Roy’s ‘The God of Small Things’ is an astonishingly rich, fertile novel, teeming with life, colour, heart-stopping language, wry comedy and a hint of magical realism.

Set against a background of political turbulence in Kerala, Southern India, ‘The God of Small Things’ tells the story of twins Esthappen and Rahel. Amongst the vats of banana jam and heaps of peppercorns in their grandmother’s factory, they try to craft a childhood for themselves amidst what constitutes their family – their lonely, lovely mother, their beloved Uncle Chacko (pickle baron, radical Marxist and bottom-pincher) and their avowed enemy Baby Kochamma (ex-nun and incumbent grand-aunt).

 Asia Coming of Age Family Life Fiction Genre Fiction India Literary Fiction Political South Asia Heartfelt Magic

Critic reviews

‘Richly deserving the rapturous praise it has received on both sides of the Atlantic…“The God of Small Things” achieves a genuine tragic resonance. It is, indeed, a masterpiece.’ Observer

‘“The God of Small Things” genuinely is a masterpiece, utterly exceptional in every way, and there can be little doubt that posterity will place it very near the top of any shortlist of Indian novels published this century.’ William Dalyrmple, Harpers and Queen.

‘The quality of Ms. Roy’s narration is so extraordinary – at once so morally strenuous and so imaginatively supple – that the reader remains enthralled all the way through to its agonizing finish…it evokes in the reader a feeling of gratitude and wonderment.’ New York Times
All stars
Most relevant
Beautifully written but DEAR FRIKKIN LORD the narrator is annoying beyond belief. She leaves massive, vacuous pauses between each sentence, so it doesn't flow, it clunks.

Great book, read badly

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I’m sure this is a beautiful book, I bought it not realising it was abridged but it’s made me want to have the complete book

Hadn’t realised it was abridged

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It seems like many minor scenes are cut to shrink the over all time so not particularly satisfied by the cutting as the book is about minor scenes or small things
But we have implied indian accents & sensible emphases which makes it impressive

Don't neglect small things

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Absolutely beautiful. I first read this book over a decade ago and hearing it narrated was just wonderful.

Modern day classic

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Any additional comments?

This book is truly fantastic, one of a kind. I had the paper version and wanted to listen to the audio book whilst reading. However, I quickly realised that huge chunks of the text had been taken away. It is extremely disappointing considering the fact that if you listen to any of Arundhati Roy's interviews, she clearly states that everything is important in her book, that all sentences have a meaning. Our topic in class was post-colonialism, and this book is perfect for the topic. But taking away huge amounts of the text is dreadful.

Huge amount of text cut out!

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