The Illuminated

Honestly, I didn’t know what to make of The Illuminated when I first started reading it. I read a couple of pages and for some reason didn't get back to it. It didn’t call out to me then. I had received an ARC and thought I would read it eventually before the finished copy was out in the market. It......more

Frankly, I did not enjoy this book. The writing is decent, and in some instances, rather lovely but I didn’t fall in love with the story and its characters. I thought the narrative was haphazard and not very well-managed. It wasn’t the case of non-linearity but seemed more like a structural issue. T......more

There are books you read. There are books you feel. And then, there are books you live. The Illuminated is one such book – a book that has described a woman’s fears, sacrifices, mistakes, and ordeals so precisely that you will see glimpses of your entire life in it. This is the story of Shashi and Tar......more

Seems like my books have a pattern this year - existential crisis. What defines India today? What defines an Indian in today's times? In particular what defines an Indian woman? And finally what defines a poor rural Indian woman ? These are hard questions to address and only a philosopher who is a po......more

I really enjoy books that put my emotions through the ringer and then some, and this one hit that mark for me. I found the characters to be really well developed and easy to connect with throughout the book. The storytelling was absolutely phenomenal and the plot flowed easier than water down an unc......more