The Ministry of Utmost Happiness

Hardcover, 464 pages

Published June 1, 2017 by Penguin Books India Pvt Ltd.

ISBN:
978-0-670-08963-5
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4 stars (5 reviews)

"An epic novel of love and history and the perseverance of the human spirit in the face of loss and tragedy"--

19 editions

Review of 'The Ministry of Utmost Happiness' on 'Goodreads'

5 stars

The historical background of this challenging, beautifully written novel is the Kashmir Insurgency, a most violent time in Indian history. (A history I knew nothing about.)(My bad.)

Arundhati Roy tries to spread her arms wide enough to encompass everyone, all who suffered and fought in this conflict. She has presented a wave of memorable characters, all with his or her own fascinating back story. At first, it's hard to know what some of these stories have to do with one other, but then it does all come together in the end. This is not a linear story; Roy does take us for a pretzel-ride, twisting in and out of people's lives, going back and forth in time to take in the view from different vantage points.

If the novel seems messy, then it would help mirror the times. Personally, I do wish the author had arranged her work into shorter …

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