Monday, May 16, 2011

Cutting through my thoughts

Sorry, my hand accidently published my post when it wasn't ready. Sorry for that premature email!

First- my dad met the author earlier this week! He said that he was a really great speaker and was very interesting to speak to. I asked if my dad could pull strings and somehow get us to speak with the author. We'll see what happens.

Ok, now onto the real thoughts. For Antara, as of Saturday morning, I was only 18% of the way through the book, but managed to finish at 9 pm last night. So my words of wisdom to you is that after about 45% (pg 300), the book gets really fast and sucks you in! So please, please stick with it! I really, really liked this book. I was sniffling on the plane last night as I finished it- the plot was so poignant and touching and I felt really invested in the characters.

One theme that really resonated with me was the idea of always having your 'slippers' with you no matter how far you traveled in life. I liked that slightly more positive way of describing the baggage that you travel with through life. The term baggage has such a negative connotation, but the way (in the story Ghosh tells Marion) slippers are described, it's less negative and more the idea of lessons and memories that you always carry with you.

The character development and character relationships developed were absolutely fantastic- I felt like I was getting to know real, three-dimensional human beings who I had a vested interest in. I went from liking to hating certain characters (Genet) and from hating to liking certain characters (Stone) and the way the understanding of each character, and how your mind was changed was done is such a believable, subtle way, just like you may have a gut reaction to someone you've met, but as you get to know them, your mind changes (or stays the same).

I found Shiva to be such an enigmatic character. He frustrated me with his didactic, logical outlook in life (I want to have sex, so I'm going to have it with whomever). He seemed so seperated from emotion and saw emotion as an outsider. I really enjoyed watching him transform to better understand emotion and Marion, when he felt the need to donate part of his liver to Marion. That idea brings me to the theme of ShivaMarion which was SO well played- they were one entity as children, and you thought you saw them growing apart into seperate entities and the book ties it back together (even their seperation) for you to realize that they're still one entity even in Shiva's death. They really were mirror images- one logic, one emotion, one who tried hard at all things, one who never really tried except at what he wanted. Together they made one whole, though they functioned well apart. It was just so beautifully done- the arc was perfect.

Ghosh was my favorite character, I think. I want him to be my father! I had SUCH heavy boots when he died.

Anyway, getting hungry now, but will post more. I have so much to say. Despite it's rough start for me, I must say this is my favorite of the books we've read for book club!

1 comment:

  1. Ok, I read your first two paras that said that I should stick through it, and stopped reading after that -- I will be done with our massive production on Saturday, and will start reading the following week, and during my vacay in Mexico, so I should be done by the end of the month.

    Would be great if we could really talk to the author!

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