Reading 1001 discussion

How did you experience the book? Were you engaged immediately, or did it take you a while to "get into it"?

I was engaged immediately and interested to see where the story went.

Like most of the novels from contemporary authors of Indian background, it was easy to get into the story and the characters. They have a characteristic method of storytelling which is quite effective.

I was somewhat engaged, but there was, from the very beginning, an aspect of Desai's voice that was very irritating for me.

I had read this before, but didn't remember it well. I knew I had liked it a lot and was surprised at negative comments when the February books were being chosen. Why was it disliked, I wondered?

Pip wrote: "I had read this before, but didn't remember it well. I knew I had liked it a lot and was surprised at negative comments when the February books were being chosen. Why was it disliked, I wondered?"

I can only speak for myself, but while Desai has a distinctive voice, for me a lot of her humor (I'm being generous) came across as mean-spirited snark. I picture her as one of the Indian college girls that Biju ran into while delivering Chinese food in New York.