The Inheritance of Loss

It seemed like Desai was hopping from one character to another, one timeline to another, one place to another more than her character Biju did from one NY restaurant to another. Which, if had been done better would have made it a gripping read- even with the sheer lack of a plot.
Desai is a beautiful writer in terms of descriptions and observations, but eventually the hodgepodge of her thoughts in an incredibly distracting writing style with overuse of lists as humor makes this book a boring read. Better leave it alone.

I had high hopes for this one, as a Booker Prize winner written by an Indian author (a micro-category that has historically worked well for me!). But it turns out it is mostly one straightforward thesis (more or less that colonialism/imperialism are bad because they teach the oppressed to love their oppressors and hate themselves) turned into a nearly 400-page novel with thin, underdeveloped characters and little in the way of actual plot. There are occasional beautiful turns of phrase, but not enough to salvage it.

After hearing lots of disappointed buzz about this book, I set it aside for several weeks. Then, as the author reading approached, I picked it back up. I ended up liking it less than I'd initially hoped, but better than the buzz had indicated I might. The ending was perfect, one of the best endings I've ever read. And I'm so glad I went to the author reading in Houston. Both Desai and her mother, author Anita Desai, read from their works and then discussed their books. Both authors came across as lovely people and it's always nice to hear and meet lovely authors.