The Inheritance of Loss - #2

The most stand-outish (What? That is totally a word! STOP JUDGING ME!) element of this novel was the suspension of time. I read and read and kept on thinking it was modern day. It was only mention of payphones and cassette that drew me back to the 1980s.

/aside Nothing is wrong with the 80s. Lots of important and interesting things happened in them. Like me.  /end aside

Maybe it is this colonialist idea in me of that that is what India is like that makes placing the time so hard. This idea of a romantic place of caste and servants, which as an educated person is so abhorrent to me, yet so exotic. The idea of the underclass uprising and attempting to over throw it's oppressors... Oh, it appeals to so many parts of my own conflicting identity it's astonishing...

(Maybe that is the point? Clever little sausage!)

*cough*

The novel does explore interesting issues of belonging, of "having" and "loss". The most empathic character for me was Sai. Nothing that happened was asked for, in fact was almost imposed on her.  I would love to know what happened to her as a young woman. To the same extent, I would love to know what happened  to Biju once he had come home.

I am also incredibly interested what this area of India looks like now, with Indians (with their tea houses or not), the Nepali's, the Tibetian's and the Gurkha's. Viewing my own father's set of Gurkha knives frequently, the awe of the people of this area has been instilled into my little Australian being from a very young age.

Addressing my own personal issues with that Booker Prize thingo. This book, along with the Life of Pi, is my counter to those absolutely terrible books I have mentioned before. There is a reason why this prize exists. And while I personally do not think that this book is exceptional, I do think it is a much more worthy recipient than many others. That is really my way of saying 4/5



Next: Estonia with Purge