Your Next Read: A State of Freedom by Neel Mukherjee

A State of Freedom

by Neel Mukherjee

Novels like A State of Freedom allow readers an intimate glance into cultures and class that they would otherwise be unlikely to experience. Set in India, Mukherjee explores the lives of five individuals who attempt to change their lives for the better. The challenges they face and their success or failure are on stark display as we journey with them throughout their lives.

This novel is set up as a collection of short stories. Each section centers on a different character and has a writing style tied to their personality. This can be jarring if you aren't expecting it since Part I and Part II, for example, not only have an entirely different set of characters, but are also written with different tones and narrative styles that seem very disconnected from each other. It is only when you start to compare the commonalities of the various tales in theme and message that you really feel the weight of the stories as a cohesive whole. If you are interested in more details about the individual stories and how they interconnect, NPR wrote an excellent review of the novel that provides an idea of what to expect as a reader.

A State of Freedom came my way from a giveaway from the publisher, W.W. Norton & Co., and I'm grateful for the opportunity to explore a novel I otherwise might not have picked up. It is a distinguished way to spice up your to read list this spring.

Comments

Wanderlust: Uganda, Africa

Wanderlust: Your Reading Guide to... Uganda, Africa If you have never been on an African safari before, start planning your trip now! First, flight deals to East Africa are popping up constantly and second, this is an amazing bucket list destination that you cannot miss out on. I recommend using a travel agent that specializes in African safaris, like Extraordinary Africa which is based in the UK but arranges travel for international clients as well. Alex was our travel agent and set us up for absolute success on our adventure. Uganda is a large land locked country which hosts the source of the Nile, a must see on your journey. In many East Africa countries you may have one or two base camps from which you depart for daily safaris. Instead, in Uganda it is beneficial to take a tour around the entire country. We traveled to Murchison Falls, Kibale, Queen Elizabeth, Bwindi, and Lake Mburo during our whirlwind tour of Uganda. Elephants, giraffes, hippos (oh so many hip...

Your Next Read: The Power by Naomi Alderman

The Power by Naomi Alderman If you haven't yet picked up a copy of Naomi Alderman's The Power , what are you waiting for? This electrifying novel sets up a world where women wield the power (literally) and become the dominate sex in society. The quote on the front of the book is praise from Margaret Atwood telling you the book will make you "think twice, about everything." And that, at least for me, is what makes this story so worthwhile. In the world of The Power young women are discovering an electrical force developing inside their bodies. It is treated at first like the latest drug fade. The teenage females are getting it and using it in secret; it is disgraceful if it is found in your home; young women found using the power are kicked out of their homes. Then the younger women start to awaken the power in their moms, aunts, grandmothers, etc. Turns out every women has this power inside them and the world order reverses drastically. There ar...

Your Next Read: Exit West by Mohsin Hamid

Exit West by Mohsin Hamid Stripped down to its most basic core you might call Exit West a relationship story. The central plot revolves around a young man and young woman in a poor country. What makes the novel so enticing is everything else happening around them throughout the novel. You have to call Exit West a refugee story as well. As the young man and young woman start a new relationship their country is starting to be ravaged by war. So as many young people do in times of unrest where they live, where opportunities are limited and the risk of death so high, the young couple leaves for an unknown place that might improve upon their situation. Where they go and what they find is what made this novel thought-provoking. It felt like living the news headlines in person, which Hamid cleverly touches on in a scene where the young woman sees an article about the refugee crisis with a picture she is startled to recognize as herself. If you have read about Greece a...

The Book Chubi

Search This Blog