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rebelbooksta's review
5.0
Prelude To A Riot by Annie Zaidi
I've watched the deeply compassionate writer Annie Zaidi's interviews on screens before. This is my first Annie Zaidi book I've read and I think I've become a proper fan now.
The collection of soliloquys packed a single, solid punch : 'A white-hot novel about today's India'. Indeed. How beautiful a few of these characters were. I think to have any hope for humanity in this religiously fanatic world is a losing battle.
My heart goes out to the many Dadas, Garudas and Mariams. Thank you, Annie Zaidi for keeping Dada's hope alive until the end of this book. The heart constricts to know the truth, however, is brutal.
"Who could I hurt without damning my soul?
Who in this world is not my own"
5
I've watched the deeply compassionate writer Annie Zaidi's interviews on screens before. This is my first Annie Zaidi book I've read and I think I've become a proper fan now.
The collection of soliloquys packed a single, solid punch : 'A white-hot novel about today's India'. Indeed. How beautiful a few of these characters were. I think to have any hope for humanity in this religiously fanatic world is a losing battle.
My heart goes out to the many Dadas, Garudas and Mariams. Thank you, Annie Zaidi for keeping Dada's hope alive until the end of this book. The heart constricts to know the truth, however, is brutal.
"Who could I hurt without damning my soul?
Who in this world is not my own"
5
look_whos_reading's review
4.0
This year I'm trying to read as many books that have won awards or are on the shortlist/longlist for various prizes. This one is shortlisted for the JCB Prize for Literature 2020.
Normally, I like reading books with a political and social theme. This one talks about communal unrest between the religious groups in India. It's a delicate task to achieve without making the story seem too trite or like it's trying too hard. Coming to this story, I have serious mixed feelings about it.
I went into it with great expectations of earth-shattering social commentary. That part disappointed me to some extent. I can't quite put a finger on what unsettled me about it. The pace was fine, the characters POV's were interesting, the bits of poetry blended well as part of the narrative. It was like a low flame brewing underneath the mundane lives of the characters - which is, when you think of it, exactly how ethnic divides start out. We have several books talking about full blown conflicts and riots and violence. But usually all it takes is mobilizing impressionable minds to ignite anti-social thoughts.
So, there you have it. It's definitely a book that will seem bland on the surface but if you allow it to permeate and percolate your brain enough, it'll unsettle you alright.
Normally, I like reading books with a political and social theme. This one talks about communal unrest between the religious groups in India. It's a delicate task to achieve without making the story seem too trite or like it's trying too hard. Coming to this story, I have serious mixed feelings about it.
I went into it with great expectations of earth-shattering social commentary. That part disappointed me to some extent. I can't quite put a finger on what unsettled me about it. The pace was fine, the characters POV's were interesting, the bits of poetry blended well as part of the narrative. It was like a low flame brewing underneath the mundane lives of the characters - which is, when you think of it, exactly how ethnic divides start out. We have several books talking about full blown conflicts and riots and violence. But usually all it takes is mobilizing impressionable minds to ignite anti-social thoughts.
So, there you have it. It's definitely a book that will seem bland on the surface but if you allow it to permeate and percolate your brain enough, it'll unsettle you alright.
mikkitrow's review
5.0
“Sometimes I believe this is the colonizer’s true legacy: an inability to look at other humans as being capable of, and deserving of, fluidity - to flow as free as a river while simultaneously being as self-possessed as the ocean. We must not forget that anybody who seeks to block the flow of ideas, or people, created artificial hurricanes.”
sittingwishingreading's review
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
nishivora's review
dark
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.75
deepaknamachivayam's review
3.0
The stage is being set for an incident brewed sharply from the eyes of different humans of a small town! The story will help you pause and reflect.
sreeraag_mohan's review
4.0
In a quiet, village in southern India, a riot is quietly brewing. Tensions have been brewing between the two major communities that inhabit the village, and like every other riot, the populace start to identify their neighbours as us and them, each of them claiming to be the rightful owners of the land. Annie Zaidi's Prelude to a Riot through a powerful sociofictional narrative, is able to depict how the multiple strands of hatred neatly stitch themselves together, forming a noose that the community has absolutely no way out of.
Zaidi's novel often reads like a reflection of contemporary India, yet it isn't too journalistic in nature to stray away from the realm of fiction. A great read that I would highly recommend.
Zaidi's novel often reads like a reflection of contemporary India, yet it isn't too journalistic in nature to stray away from the realm of fiction. A great read that I would highly recommend.
whatsshwereading's review
challenging
dark
informative
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.0