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Can check one off my list!
At times a little too much on language this is mostly the right side of lyrical and is a damning tale about the impact of poverty, casual racism and more set against the backdrop of a challenging colonial history in Trinidad. I understand why people say this is an important book and even a great one but I am not sure I would reread !
A powerful novel that explores the multicultural world of Trinidad in the 1940s. In the spirit of clear reviews this novel is relentless bleak but in my reading experience I felt that this story needed to be so, to truly capture the nature of life and survival in a highly stratified society that had been shaped so significantly by imperialism. Hosein‘s writing reminded me a lot of Rohinton Mistry‘s A Fine Balance, which is high praise from me.
This has been getting some buzz for possible Booker prize long list. Set in Trinidad in the 1940s, this novel tells the tale of a poor family who find themselves intertwined with a wealthy family. The novel explores colonialism, social class, religion, and violence that emerges when groups clash. It‘s an unrelentingly dark book. I didn‘t particularly enjoy it but recognize it‘s merits. I did enjoy learning about the concept of hungry ghosts.
Set in 1940s Trinidad, this is compelling historical fiction exploring class, privilege and injustice. Maree and Dalton Chagoor live exuberantly in a mansion overlooking the village and extreme poverty. When Dalton disappears, Maree offers a generous stipend to Hans, a poor labourer, to serve as her watchman and this sets the plot for the story.
From the reviews I knew this was going to be a tough read, but it was VERY dark. Set in 1940s #trinidad, much of the story takes place in the ‘barrack‘; the remnants of slave housing, where the incredibly poor eke out their ‘lesser lives‘. Another storyline features the disappearance of a local reclusive landowner, but it‘s all inter-connected.
There‘s no light anywhere in this novel, hence why it‘s touted as a Booker nominee. It‘s one of ⬇️