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2nd out of 14 books
—
4 voters
Leela's Book: A Novel
Bold and entertaining, Leela’s Book weaves a tale of contemporary Delhi that crosses religious and social boundaries. Leela—alluring, taciturn, haunted—is moving from New York back to Delhi, where her return will unsettle precariously balanced lives. Twenty-five years earlier, her sister was seduced by the egotistical Vyasa. Now an eminent Sanskrit scholar, Vyasa is prepar...more
Hardcover, 422 pages
Published
January 9th 2012
by W. W. Norton & Company
(first published January 1st 2011)
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Leela's Book is a wonderful story of families which intertwines Indian mythology and the modern day complexities of life in Delhi. The tale of Leela and her sister Meera weaves through time until their final story is told. Throughout the novel, Albinia provides a detailed background of India, from the gritty slums and open sewers to the intoxicating smells of the gardens and family celebration of the upper class. She does an amazing job of drawing the reader into the story of two sisters, one ad...more
The author has an interesting literary device - the elephant headed god, Ganesh, is her deux ex machina and sometime narrator. Leela's book is chock full of references to the Mahabarata, to Indian culture, high and low, and to academic society. Academic infighting and cocktail party conversations appear to be the same, whether you are in Delhi, Cambridge, or I daresay, New Haven. Alexander McCall Smith would enjoy Albinia's book greatly. I read The Paris Wife in tandem with this and found Leela...more
This book is an intricately woven tale that spans continents, cultures, and lifetimes. The characters are so enmeshed in each others' lives that not even reincarnation can separate them for long. Leela Sharma finds that out when she finds herself returning to India after decades away, decades of avoiding the memories of Meera, her dead poet sister; Vyasa, her arrogant manipulator of a brother-in-law; or twins Bharati and Ash, the niece and nephew she hasn’t seen since they were babies.
But just b...more
But just b...more
When I won this on Goodreads I was pretty thrilled. It sounds like a story I would love – epic tales, love, deception, and secrets kept over generations. I really, really wanted to love it and I tried very hard to do just that. About halfway through I decided that I wanted to like it (giving up on loving it) but when I finished the last page it was not meant to be.
Part of my issues with the story is how it was narrated. The story starts normal enough but then a few chapters in suddenly the narra...more
Part of my issues with the story is how it was narrated. The story starts normal enough but then a few chapters in suddenly the narra...more
I love everything India related but this book was not my cup of tea.It looks like from the reviews I read ,people either loved it or hated it.I liked it enough to finish it but it was not enjoyable.I hated the Ganesh narrated parts and felt some of the story lines were left unresolved (like between Sunita and Ram)which I generally don't like.
A timeless soap opera, set in modern Delhi. Great characters, wedding drama, clashes over ideology and class, great descriptions of Delhi. Mythological Ghanesh, remover of obstacles, narrates three interludes. Otherwise each chapter picks up with a different person's viewpoint. Lovely writing--an old-fashioned style. I loved this and really would give it 4.5 stars.
Written in the style of an Indian epic, this book is mainly a family saga set in contemporary India. However, it borrows ideas from ancient Indian folklore. Although I'm not a scholar of Indian literature, I thought the writing for the most part remained true to the original. The author also had an engaging, although unusual, style.
This is a great book! At the end I could't put it down. That said, it took me a while to get into the book. The narrative jumps around quite a bit, and although you get used to this as you read - it's utility as a narrative device is somewhat suspect ie it's a bit confusing. Interesting - but confusing.
Nonetheless 'Leela's Book' is a wonderful tale of human lives, woven together masterfully - although I still don't understand how some of the threads wove together - especially (without wanting t...more
Nonetheless 'Leela's Book' is a wonderful tale of human lives, woven together masterfully - although I still don't understand how some of the threads wove together - especially (without wanting t...more
I loved this book! Some mystery, some exotic settings, interesting plot, good characters. I want all my friends to read it. The men may not like it since some of the male characters are egotistical & not likeable.
This was good but it takes a little while to get into. There are a lot of intricate characters who all come together in the end and she does a great job of naviagating all of the different points of view.
This was a good book if you can read for at least 45 minutes. It has a lot of characters and if your like me and only have 15 minutes here and there it is difficult to keep up.
Set in India, characters twist in and around each other as the story weaves and progresses. A powerful story of love, hate, greed, sacrifice, and humanness - very powerful.
Skillful weaving of mythological into the present. Brings a deep understanding of Indian culture. Great read- was hooked throughtout.
Very well-written book about India. Follows the story of Ganesh and his cast of characters in present day.
I loved this book, especially the interplay between epic past and modern India.
Jun 03, 2012
Tyra
marked it as gave-up-on
This wasn't for me. I found it confusing and it never called at me to pick it up and read it so it will go back to the library.
I loved this book. Neatly embroidered characters, unpredictable plot, culturally rich, brilliant.
Two duds in a row.
quite confusing
Surprised by the knowledge of the Indian culture demonstrated by the author but the book itself was too rambling to be very enjoyable.
I tried, but I just couldn't get into this book. Perhaps it was too wide of a cultural barrier, but nothing really grabbed me and made me want to continue reading it. When it switched to the point of view of the god, it just got too weird and confusing for me to continue any further. Not my style, but perhaps if you like Hindu literature you might understand it better and therefore be able to enjoy it.
Really enjoyed this and will be looking forward to reading more from this author. The only thing that I had a problem with while reading was keeping the characters and families straight!
I wanted to love this book but I just like it. Unfortunately-the book dragged after Part one. So much potential but it was to long and drawn out.
I should have re-read her earlier book. This book showed moments of hope and then....
I hope she goes back to non fiction.
I hope she goes back to non fiction.
Detailed review at http://www.anureviews.com/leelas-book...
May 05, 2013
Esther van Dijk
marked it as to-read
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Alice Albinia read English Literature at Cambridge University. After graduating, she moved to Delhi, where she worked for the next two a half years as a journalist and editor for the Centre for Science & Environment, Biblio: A Review of Books, Outlook Traveller, and several other Indian newspapers and magazines.
It was during this time, as she travelled around the country writing articles and f...more
More about Alice Albinia...
It was during this time, as she travelled around the country writing articles and f...more
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Mar 01, 2012 11:59am