The God of Small Things
by Arundhati Roy
★ Top 10 book of 1997 · #7 on Best Books of 1997
Arundhati Roy's debut follows fraternal twins whose childhoods are wrecked by rigid rules about who may be loved. The novel looks at how small things shape lives, and turns its irony on caste discrimination in India.
Best for: Readers drawn to prize-winning debut fiction that examines caste, love, and childhood in India
The God of Small Things is #7 on BookWard's Best Books of 1997, out of 27 1997 books that cleared our data bar.
What The God of Small Things is about
In Ayemenem, in Kerala, India, the twins Rahel and Estha grow up in a household full of tension. Their mother, Ammu, has divorced their father and come home to her family, where she is not entirely welcome. The story moves between 1969, when the twins are children, and 1993, when they meet again as adults. In between lies a season of visits, a pickle factory, and a friendship and forbidden attachment that cross the lines of caste. Set against the political upheaval of the 1960s and the long shadow of British colonialism, the novel asks who is allowed to be loved, and how. Arundhati Roy's debut won the 1997 Booker Prize. Its prose is lyrical, sensory and melancholic, and it will suit readers who enjoy language as much as plot and are ready for a story about childhood and loss.
The God of Small Things on the Best Books of 1997
The God of Small Things came out in 1997. Of the 27 books first published in 1997 that met BookWard's data bar, it ranks #7 on our Best Books of 1997 list.
Why it made the list: 1,437 readers have shelved it on Open Library; readers rate it 3.8 out of 5 (78 ratings); 96 are reading it right now. The list ranks each year’s books on how many readers have picked them up, how highly readers rate them, and how many are reading them right now.
Nearby on the 1997 list
- The Power of Now Eckhart Tolle, #5
- Into Thin Air Jon Krakauer, #6
- Wizard and Glass Stephen King, #8
- The Subtle Knife Philip Pullman, #9
See all Best Books of 1997 Best books by year
More years: Best Books of 1996 Best Books of 1998.
The numbers behind it
- Readers: 1,234 want to read it, 96 are reading it now and 106 have read it, according to Open Library.
- Ratings: 3.8 out of 5 from 78 Open Library ratings.
| Signal | This book (0 to 100) | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Reach | 89 | 55% |
| Reader love | 26 | 25% |
| Being read right now | 89 | 20% |
Questions about The God of Small Things
When was The God of Small Things published?
The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy was first published in 1997.
Was The God of Small Things one of the best books of 1997?
The God of Small Things is #7 on BookWard's Best Books of 1997, out of 27 1997 books that cleared our data bar. 1,437 readers have shelved it on Open Library; readers rate it 3.8 out of 5 (78 ratings); 96 are reading it right now.
Why is The God of Small Things on the Best Books of 1997 list?
1,437 readers have shelved it on Open Library; readers rate it 3.8 out of 5 (78 ratings); 96 are reading it right now.
More of the best books of 1997
- Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone J. K. Rowling, #1
- Rich Dad, Poor Dad Robert T. Kiyosaki, #2
- Guns, Germs, and Steel Jared Diamond, #3
- The Adventures of Captain Underpants Dav Pilkey, #4
- The Power of Now Eckhart Tolle, #5
- Into Thin Air Jon Krakauer, #6
See the full Best Books of 1997, the Top 100, or new books on Rising.
How we know
This page uses public data: Open Library reader counts and ratings, and Wikipedia page views for recent years. The description is paraphrased from real source text. Rankings reflect reading interest, not quality or sales, and can be affected by data gaps. Lists update monthly.
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