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sreesha_diva's review
dark
slow-paced
- Loveable characters? No
2.0
//TW: Mention of rape.
There's an author's note at the beginning where he writes that this book was considered misogynistic by many. He writes that the misogyny of the characters was not up to him to control. I assumed he meant it was a portrayal of how people were at the time the story took place, but by chapter 2 I realized, the story is actually being narrated by a father to his son in the present day. Every female character - EVERY FEMALE CHARACTER - is either [TW] raped or murdered. Yes, EVERY FEMALE CHARACTER. Also, every time a woman is introduced, she's described breasts-first. This book is a karma farm for r/menwritingwomen. The horror of the narrator describing all this to a 5yo! Come on! It's a shame really, for the first chapter raised my expectations given the lush prose and interesting premise.
I started Moustache right after Olive Kitteridge (went in blind in both cases), and both books are collections of short stories only vaguely connected to each other because of the titular character. Some stories in Moustache have non-linear narratives and while usually a fan of these, it does not do any the book any favors, only making the narrative thinner and more convoluted.
A note about the audiobook: I listened to Moustache on Audible and Mary Joseph made a really strange choice with the tone of narration. I didn't mind the mispronunciations of words so much (though I doubt if I'll ever be able to read the words "interesting" or "vulnerable" or "wherewithal" again without her voice in my head), but the pauses (or lack thereof) in the middle of sentences really took me out of the story. Moreover, the narration sounded overly cheerful, while dealing with dark subjects. It was like watching a grinning news reporter talking about a bomb hitting a school bus. At multiple points, the narrator straight up chuckled, jarringly taking me out of the story.
If you're thinking of whether or not to read this book, maybe you heard about it or a friend recommended it or want to know more about the caste system or you're curious because it won awards, I'd still suggest skipping it is the way to go. I have learned nothing new from it, and the treatment of the women in this book has left a horrible taste in my mouth.
There's an author's note at the beginning where he writes that this book was considered misogynistic by many. He writes that the misogyny of the characters was not up to him to control. I assumed he meant it was a portrayal of how people were at the time the story took place, but by chapter 2 I realized, the story is actually being narrated by a father to his son in the present day. Every female character - EVERY FEMALE CHARACTER - is either [TW] raped or murdered. Yes, EVERY FEMALE CHARACTER. Also, every time a woman is introduced, she's described breasts-first. This book is a karma farm for r/menwritingwomen. The horror of the narrator describing all this to a 5yo! Come on! It's a shame really, for the first chapter raised my expectations given the lush prose and interesting premise.
I started Moustache right after Olive Kitteridge (went in blind in both cases), and both books are collections of short stories only vaguely connected to each other because of the titular character. Some stories in Moustache have non-linear narratives and while usually a fan of these, it does not do any the book any favors, only making the narrative thinner and more convoluted.
A note about the audiobook: I listened to Moustache on Audible and Mary Joseph made a really strange choice with the tone of narration. I didn't mind the mispronunciations of words so much (though I doubt if I'll ever be able to read the words "interesting" or "vulnerable" or "wherewithal" again without her voice in my head), but the pauses (or lack thereof) in the middle of sentences really took me out of the story. Moreover, the narration sounded overly cheerful, while dealing with dark subjects. It was like watching a grinning news reporter talking about a bomb hitting a school bus. At multiple points, the narrator straight up chuckled, jarringly taking me out of the story.
If you're thinking of whether or not to read this book, maybe you heard about it or a friend recommended it or want to know more about the caste system or you're curious because it won awards, I'd still suggest skipping it is the way to go. I have learned nothing new from it, and the treatment of the women in this book has left a horrible taste in my mouth.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Misogyny, Rape, and Murder
suprita's review
challenging
informative
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Finally done with Moustache by S Hareesh and I’m very conflicted about this one. So as always let’s start with the pros.
So first things first, it’s a beautifully written book. S. Hareesh’s vision with Jayasree Kalathil’s words paint the most beautiful pictures of Kerala. The book is rich in imagery and the descriptions are so vivid they instantly transport readers to the scenes described in the book. It has so many intricately woven layers. I also liked how the landscape is not just a backdrop to the story but an active character. The land, the water, the birds and the fishes, the trees they all have roles to play and they all add to the magic of Moustache’s larger than life persona. The book is also very a strong commentary on caste-based violence and gender discrimination. It’s very real and raw in its descriptions of how lower-castes and women are oppressed and seen in our society, and the tragedy and darkness that engulf marginalised lives. The story is about a lower caste man, Vavachan, who grows a moustache for a role in a play and then refuses to cut it, which in turn turns him into a myth more than the living breathing human that he is. Also, even though the book is called Moustache but the story is so much more than just this one person’s. There are a wide range of characters who come and go and add their own magic to the story.
But this also makes the story a little complicated. It’s full of characters and places that come and go as they please. It’s very difficult to remember and connect them all to the story. Towards the middle the book just became this giant jigsaw puzzle and I was frantically trying to put all the pieces in their place, but that never really happened. I think some chapters worked better on their own than in context of the book. Towards the end the descriptions become very tiring especially because the narration is very slow. There’s hardly any character development or plot progression for most part of the book. Also a big cringe for me was how women’s bodies were described in the book, especially breasts. Almost seemed like the author did not really know much about women anatomically. I don’t think I have seen the word voluptuous being used to describe a woman’s body so many times in the same book. <Trigger Warning: Sexual assault>There were also quite graphic and disturbing instances of women being (gang)raped or assaulted or physically abused which were not only difficult to read but also to reconcile with.
As with the last couple of books, I read a lot of good reviews about this one too but it did not really work for me. I probably would have dnfed it halfway if was reading it on my own but because I was reading it with a friend thankfully I made it till the end. But by all means do pick up the book and read it, it has problematic bits but the imagery and the writing is definitely something to experience.
So first things first, it’s a beautifully written book. S. Hareesh’s vision with Jayasree Kalathil’s words paint the most beautiful pictures of Kerala. The book is rich in imagery and the descriptions are so vivid they instantly transport readers to the scenes described in the book. It has so many intricately woven layers. I also liked how the landscape is not just a backdrop to the story but an active character. The land, the water, the birds and the fishes, the trees they all have roles to play and they all add to the magic of Moustache’s larger than life persona. The book is also very a strong commentary on caste-based violence and gender discrimination. It’s very real and raw in its descriptions of how lower-castes and women are oppressed and seen in our society, and the tragedy and darkness that engulf marginalised lives. The story is about a lower caste man, Vavachan, who grows a moustache for a role in a play and then refuses to cut it, which in turn turns him into a myth more than the living breathing human that he is. Also, even though the book is called Moustache but the story is so much more than just this one person’s. There are a wide range of characters who come and go and add their own magic to the story.
But this also makes the story a little complicated. It’s full of characters and places that come and go as they please. It’s very difficult to remember and connect them all to the story. Towards the middle the book just became this giant jigsaw puzzle and I was frantically trying to put all the pieces in their place, but that never really happened. I think some chapters worked better on their own than in context of the book. Towards the end the descriptions become very tiring especially because the narration is very slow. There’s hardly any character development or plot progression for most part of the book. Also a big cringe for me was how women’s bodies were described in the book, especially breasts. Almost seemed like the author did not really know much about women anatomically. I don’t think I have seen the word voluptuous being used to describe a woman’s body so many times in the same book. <Trigger Warning: Sexual assault>There were also quite graphic and disturbing instances of women being (gang)raped or assaulted or physically abused which were not only difficult to read but also to reconcile with.
As with the last couple of books, I read a lot of good reviews about this one too but it did not really work for me. I probably would have dnfed it halfway if was reading it on my own but because I was reading it with a friend thankfully I made it till the end. But by all means do pick up the book and read it, it has problematic bits but the imagery and the writing is definitely something to experience.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence
Moderate: Violence
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