Fasting, Feasting

by Anita Desai | Literature & Fiction |
ISBN: 0099289636 Global Overview for this book
Registered by London-Shade on 3/15/2010
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4 journalers for this copy...
Journal Entry 1 by London-Shade on Monday, March 15, 2010


Uma the plain spinster daughter of a close-knit Indian family is trapped at home, smothered by her overbearing parents and their traditions, unlike her ambitious younger sister Aruna, who brings off a "good" marriage and brother Arun, the disappointing son and heir who is studying in America. Uma, as daughter and woman, expects nothing; Arun, as son and male, is lost under the weight of expectation. (Amazon)

Parts of this were powerful, but there were pages that seemed to be going nowhere. Perhaps the lethargy of the writing was to mirror the torpid atmosphere of the character's lives: for pages though it seemed to have become just a bit too dull. I often felt I was reading a short story that with a bit to much padding had become novel. Jhumpa Lahiri did a far finer job with similar material.

Journal Entry 2 by flewry at St. Petersburg, Florida USA on Monday, November 1, 2010
Received from the First Sentence Virtual Bookbox. It looks good, thanks so much!

Journal Entry 3 by flewry at St. Petersburg, Florida USA on Thursday, April 14, 2011
London-Shade, I 100% agree with your summarization of this book!.. Up to Jhumpa Lahiri having done better with a similar premise, since I have yet to read that author. There were some powerful moments but for the most part this was really incohesive and tended to drag. I'm glad I read it, though, and appreciate your sending it to me!

This will now be heading out to ApoloniaX, who selected it from her wonderful South Asian VBB. Thanks again for hosting such a great box, hope you enjoy it!

Journal Entry 4 by flewry at South Asian VBB, A Bookbox -- Controlled Releases on Wednesday, April 27, 2011

Released 12 yrs ago (4/27/2011 UTC) at South Asian VBB, A Bookbox -- Controlled Releases

CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:

Off it goes! Enjoy!

Journal Entry 5 by wingApoloniaXwing at Bremen, Bremen Germany on Monday, June 6, 2011
This book just arrived, along with a bar of ginger chocolate - matching the second part of the title, certainly not the first... Thank you so much, flewry!!!

Journal Entry 6 by wingApoloniaXwing at Bremen, Bremen Germany on Thursday, May 17, 2012
I haven't read it yet, but picked up another copy at a second hand bookstore in Dublin - so this one may continue its travels....

ETA: Read it in the meantime. It made me think of Anna Karenina - "Happy families are all alike; every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way." Brilliant descriptions of family life, the traditional role of women, family control. I loved the way Desai is able to convey the atmosphere, it's all very subtle, with a lot of detail. Recommendable.

Journal Entry 7 by wingApoloniaXwing at Surprise, A RABCK -- Controlled Releases on Thursday, May 17, 2012

Released 11 yrs ago (5/18/2012 UTC) at Surprise, A RABCK -- Controlled Releases

CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:

Off to ETMadrid, along with a wishlist book and two other novels set in Asia.
Happy reading!

Thank you so much ApoloniaX - I'm thrilled. None of the three surprise books have I read but they all look interesting. I still haven't read anything by Anita Desai and I look forward to this one. Hope to see you when you come to England.

I finished reading this this week. I enjoyed it... I've read a book by Kiran Desai but never Anita Desai before. ApoloniaX you've described it well. Indeed, perceptive look at the frustrations and disfunctioning of families that perhaps on the outside appear untroubled.

Journal Entry 10 by ETMadrid at Gibbon's Rent in Southwark, Greater London United Kingdom on Thursday, April 20, 2017

Released 6 yrs ago (4/19/2017 UTC) at Gibbon's Rent in Southwark, Greater London United Kingdom

WILD RELEASE NOTES:

I left this in the 'library' in this beautiful hidden oasis.

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