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A review by namakurhea
Prelude to a Riot by Annie Zaidi
3.0
I came across this title when checking out the 2020 JCB Prize shortlisters... and it is easy to know why this work has been shortlisted.
The story is set in a rural southern town. Here live three generations of two families, one Hindu and one Muslim, whose lives will be changed forever by the coming violence.
Despite being set in an Indian town, a lot of the elements and themes in the story feels very relatable wherever you come from. Violence sometimes happen like a big bang. But more often than not, it is the cumulative result of small changes here and there happening over generations. It is like a slow drip of water until the stone below caves in. There are microagressions... a remark here and there... a joke that cuts a little too deep. "Prelude to A Riot" is a relevant read especially in this increasingly divisive political climate.
The author's choice of writing the chapters in a series of soliloquys (feels almost like an interview) and newspaper clippings gave the book a very 'real' feel to it and feels almost like investigative journalism. And no wonder, Annie Zaidi herself is also a journalist. Also! This is a slow burning story and one of those plotlines where I would say the journey matters more than the destination. But definitely worth it.
Yo man, the process of getting this book into my hands is definitely W O R K. Had to cross continents! So a huge thank you for my friends who brought this to me because I was dying to read this!!
The story is set in a rural southern town. Here live three generations of two families, one Hindu and one Muslim, whose lives will be changed forever by the coming violence.
Despite being set in an Indian town, a lot of the elements and themes in the story feels very relatable wherever you come from. Violence sometimes happen like a big bang. But more often than not, it is the cumulative result of small changes here and there happening over generations. It is like a slow drip of water until the stone below caves in. There are microagressions... a remark here and there... a joke that cuts a little too deep. "Prelude to A Riot" is a relevant read especially in this increasingly divisive political climate.
The author's choice of writing the chapters in a series of soliloquys (feels almost like an interview) and newspaper clippings gave the book a very 'real' feel to it and feels almost like investigative journalism. And no wonder, Annie Zaidi herself is also a journalist. Also! This is a slow burning story and one of those plotlines where I would say the journey matters more than the destination. But definitely worth it.
Yo man, the process of getting this book into my hands is definitely W O R K. Had to cross continents! So a huge thank you for my friends who brought this to me because I was dying to read this!!