The God Of Small Things by Arundhati Roy (1997)

Finished: 5/1/22

Grade: A+

This tragic novel, set in southern India, follows the lives of fraternal twins Estha and Rahel, who are raised separately after a traumatic event in their childhood.

The narrative rocks back and forth in time like a newtons cradle. We see the twins as innocent children before the event and then snap into the future where the bleak ramifications of the event have come to fruition. Back and forth from past to present, all the while inching closer and closer to the horrifying pivot point. We watch all the pieces fall into place until they explode in a violence that is still shocking even though we knew it was coming.

This is a book about how the important little things in life often get overtaken by larger forces beyond our control. How history, and societal structures can make something as simple as two people who love each other being together

extremely complicated. The prose is vivid and pulls no punches.

A brutal and beautiful book.

An American Childhood by Annie Dillard (1987)

Finished: 4/10/22

Grade: A

In this poetic memoir Annie Dillard recounts her childhood, growing up in an affluent Pittsburgh household in the 1950’s.

Dillard makes an impressionist painting of her youth, and sends you drifting down a river of feelings and images to vivid that you can’t help but experience them along with her.

Lovely!

Sapiens: A Brief History Of Humankind by Yuval Noah Harari (2011)

Finished: ???

Grade: A+

Yuval Noah Harari takes us on a broad strokes journey through the history of humankind. He shows us, in clear and entertaining language, how the humble homo-sapiens went from just another cog in the evolutionary system, to being one of the primary engineers of that system.

Did you know that homo-sapiens was just one of many species of humans roaming the earth? Do you realize what a large role collective imagination played in the course of human history? What is it that defines how successful a species is anyway?

Harari presents the familiar historical milestones of human history in a new and revealing light that will change the way you see the world.