The God of Small ThingsThe God of Small Things
Score Modern
What it's about
In 1969, in a small town in Kerala, India, seven-year-old twins Estha and Rahel live with their mother, Ammu, in her family's house. When their English cousin comes to visit, a series of events, including a forbidden love between Ammu and Velutha, a man from a so-called untouchable caste, ends in a death and tears the family apart. Twenty-three years later, the twins meet again.
Why it's worth reading
It won the Booker Prize and was voted onto the BBC's Big Read. Roy's language is playful and dazzling, and the story is devastating.
You'll love it if you liked
A Fine Balance
The Poisonwood Bible
Midnight's ChildrenGood to know
It jumps around in time and plays with words and capital letters. It deals with caste violence, sexual abuse of a child and incest.
By the numbers
- Readers34 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics67 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Bestseller47 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Where it ranks
- #132 of the 309 literary novels we rank
- #616 of the 1,573 modern books we rank
- #1169 of the 2,816 books we rank
Why it made the list
Reads as
Moving, Thought-provoking
More by Arundhati Roy
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Quick answers
Is The God of Small Things worth reading?
Yes. It won the Booker Prize and was voted onto the BBC's Big Read. It ranks #1,169 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 71.2 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is The God of Small Things about?
In 1969, in a small town in Kerala, India, seven-year-old twins Estha and Rahel live with their mother, Ammu, in her family's house. When their English cousin comes to visit, a series of events, including a forbidden love between Ammu and Velutha, a man from a so-called untouchable caste, ends in a death and tears the family apart. Twenty-three years later, the twins meet again.
How long does it take to read The God of Small Things?
About 8 hours (321 pages), or about 2 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What awards has The God of Small Things won?
Booker Prize winner (1997).
What should I read after The God of Small Things?
If you liked it, try A Fine Balance by Rohinton Mistry, The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver or Midnight's Children by Salman Rushdie.