The Lilac House

Feb 12, 2012 Sherri Huntley rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: first-reads

I won this book from Goodreads and couldn't wait to read - I wasn't disappointed. The book consumes your attention from the very start. It's a wonderful story of people dealing with their own personal losses and shows how resiliant the human spirit is. Meera loses her identity when her husband suddenly diappears and her story crosses the paths of others who have suffered major losses in their life. Meera's journey to transform her life crosses the path of a new friend Jak who is also suffering....more

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May 01, 2012 Marcia rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: my-library

It started out slow for me and at times it was hard to follow. The story seemed to jump around at first, but once I got a clear picture of who these characters were and how they related to eachother I became invest in what happened to them. I thought Merra was a very likable character. I found myself cheering her on. I love how Merra thought the lilac house was an anchor only to find out that her true anchor was Giria. I liked learning about the Indian culture and Greek Mythology. I am looking f...more

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Mar 25, 2012 Diane S. rated it 4 of 5 stars

I was first attracted to this book by the title, I love the color Lilac but no one I know lives in a lilac colored house (though I do have a friend who lives in a wonderful old plum colored one). I also love reading novels that take place in different countries, with different cultures and this one takes place in Bangalore, India. Rather quickly, this book and its wonderful characters drew me in, Meera, who compares herself with Hera, the wife and helpmate of Zeus and Jak, a cyclone expert whose...more

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Jul 17, 2012 Lydia Laceby rated it 3 of 5 stars

Originally reviewed at Novel Escapes

The Lilac House is a novel about starting over and finding the truth. Initially intrigued, this novel slowly unraveled for me and unfortunately I didn’t end up enjoying it as much as I had hoped.

Part of my problem was that The Lilac House wasn’t really written in scenes. It was more like snapshots – sometimes up to three in a page, separated by spaces. Initially this confused and irritated me because I was prepared to have moved on to a new scene only to dis...more Originally reviewed at Novel Escapes

The Lilac House is a novel about starting over and finding the truth. Initially intrigued, this novel slowly unraveled for me and unfortunately I didn’t end up enjoying it as much as I had hoped.

Part of my problem was that The Lilac House wasn’t really written in scenes. It was more like snapshots – sometimes up to three in a page, separated by spaces. Initially this confused and irritated me because I was prepared to have moved on to a new scene only to discover we were still in the same one, it was just another thought or the continuation of the scene or it jumped to a flashback and then back to the scene instead of just a memory inserted into the prose. Once I got used to it (about half way through the book), I got over it, but I don’t know it was completely necessary and deterred from the novel for me. It seemed to be a gimmicky way to create a sense of urgency to the read, as did the really short sentences used for most of the novel, and unfortunately it didn’t really work for me.

There was also a lot of jumping around in this novel in addition to the short snapshot scenes which also caused some confusion as we hopped and skipped all over the place from the past to the present to the same scene to another, from Mera’s perspective to Jak’s. I was never clear where I was going to go during the multiple transitions and this aggravated me more than I would have liked as it sometimes took me paragraphs to realize where the next scene landed.

There were aspects I appreciated and could relate to such as Mera’s struggles with her failed marriage and her need to move on, her worries about her children, especially her daughter after meeting Jak and Jak’s desire to find out the truth, but I didn’t really like either Mera or Jak’s characters. I didn’t find them really warm or entirely likeable. I felt Mera’s children to be the most real in this novel and had one of the most touching scenes. The story of Jak’s daughter was intriguing enough to continue reading to watch whether he can uncover the truth.

There were some details surrounding Jak and his daughter that I really didn’t appreciate finding them shocking, repulsive and cringe inducing. I’m not going to spoil, but I shudder even writing this and unfortunately it is for this reason that The Lilac House will likely stay with me rather than for the characters or the story itself. Anyone looking for a more literary and heavier read may enjoy though!
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May 23, 2012 Zee Monodee rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: contemporary, multicultural, women-s-fiction

This book grew on me.

I picked it up mainly because it was set in India, with characters from Indian culture. Coming from that world myself, I'm always curious how authors portray Indians and the Indian way of life in stories.

While this book didn't disappoint, I had a hard time getting into it. This could be because the prose is very literary - this is not at all a piece of fluffy popular fiction or even a breezy, summer-beach read. It's a book that demands constant attention while you're reading...more

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May 16, 2012 Kelli Bragg rated it 4 of 5 stars

What amazed me most about this book was that I kept forgetting it was set in India - only when the characters mentioned the names of towns or food did I think, "Oh, that's right, this woman lives in India, not America."

May Be Spoilers (depending on what you think spoilers entail):

I loved the one recurring theme throughout of Meera imagining herself as Hera ("Meera Hera" - Meera was a scholar of greek mythology before marrying), and how Hera's marriage to Zeus and its various situations resembl...more What amazed me most about this book was that I kept forgetting it was set in India - only when the characters mentioned the names of towns or food did I think, "Oh, that's right, this woman lives in India, not America."

May Be Spoilers (depending on what you think spoilers entail):

I loved the one recurring theme throughout of Meera imagining herself as Hera ("Meera Hera" - Meera was a scholar of greek mythology before marrying), and how Hera's marriage to Zeus and its various situations resembled those Meera has with her husband Giri. Amazing exploration of what it means to be a woman, and I was struck by how universal the experience is no matter where you live. Meera and I are about the same age, and I've felt all the feelings she experiences in the book. The fact that her Lilac house can be an albatross around her neck; wondering if she's acting in a "proper" way for her age, then realized heck with that, why care?, then vascillating back to wondering again; finally understanding the following her own interests is important to happiness; realizing that she can only sacrifice/give so much of herself before it stunts your own happiness & personal growth.

Her recollections of how she (sometimes) mis-treated her husband through conversations were painfully realistic, even though her husband could be a superior clod and she wasn't trying to be nasty; her husband's treatment of her abilities and academic desires were awful (as was his disgust with her aging: it's not somethign we WANT to do, for heaven's sake!). When you see her and Jaks' children trying to be modern in a rigid community, it's not much different than what teens go through with older generations anywhere in the world.

A very thoughtful book, and a great glimpse into what women's lives are like in other parts of the world, or maybe the fact that they aren't all that different across the globe (the universality really shocked me - even though I'm at a loss to explain why). I would not describe it as chick lit, since the subject matter is somber, plus the fact that from the writing you can tell Ms. Nair is a scholarly woman. The feminist undertones are great: it's not shrill and man-hating, but mrerely a book showing the women and men need each other, as well as needing to each be their own people.

I rarely say a book is un-put-downable, because, well, come on (I've had very few in my life that have been). But I really couldn't wait to discover what happens next with Meera, finally uncovering the awful reality behind Smriti's accident, and the ever-changing relationship between Meera and Jak. An amazing author whose other books I will definitely seek out.

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Mar 22, 2012 Vidya Tiru rated it 4 of 5 stars

My take:
Meera is an accomplished society hostess and a successful author of cookbooks in Bangalore. When her husband walks out on her one day, she is suddenly responsible for the maintenance of their beloved Lilac House, her mother and grandmother, as well as her kids. With no cookbook in the horizon, she looks for a job and finds one as a research assistant with Prof JAK.
Professor J.A.Krishnamurthy aka JAK is a renowned cyclone expert in the US. When his daughter meets with an accident that has...more My take:
Meera is an accomplished society hostess and a successful author of cookbooks in Bangalore. When her husband walks out on her one day, she is suddenly responsible for the maintenance of their beloved Lilac House, her mother and grandmother, as well as her kids. With no cookbook in the horizon, she looks for a job and finds one as a research assistant with Prof JAK.
Professor J.A.Krishnamurthy aka JAK is a renowned cyclone expert in the US. When his daughter meets with an accident that has left her a vegetable, he refuses to believe it an accident and comes to India to seek the truth for himself.
As their lives mingle with the unpredictability of nature and fate and they both learn the truths they are seeking, they also learn the need for moving on, second chances, and hope.
The book has characters that were far from perfect, with real fears and flaws as well as believable endearing qualities and strengths. The story focuses on human emotions and relationships (marriage, parenthood, friendship) and manages this without getting too melodramatic. There are comparisons to Hera, the Greek Goddess of love as well as to the nature of cyclones strewn throughout the book which make interesting reading.
All in all, I could not stop reading the book, loved the characters – real, colorful, and a whole range of natures. Especially loved Lily’s character. I think the strongest woman in the book was Kala Chithi.
I did feel some parts of the book were unnecessary and others could have been expanded on a bit more. For example, in the thereafter of the book (epilogue) a character who was not touched upon much earlier is given a whole page.
The last page left me with a sense of something missing, unfinished but still enjoyable.
Side note: References to various famous eateries/other places in Bangalore brought a smile to my face with the yummy pleasant memories they evoked (for example, Corner House, Ebony Barton center)
Released in India previously as 'Lessons in Forgetting' - and a movie out as well for the book in Feb 2012.
In Summary: This was a great read - 'unputdownable'.
Rating: B+(less)

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Mar 04, 2012 Rosanne rated it 5 of 5 stars

The Lilac House is a beautifully written novel that embraces the female spirit. Anita Nair takes us to India where women struggle to release themselves from traditional bonds to become independent people with a voice.

Meera's husband Giri has decided to leave their marriage and feels it is his right to do so. Now Meera must find a way to support her family and find her inner self again.

Jak is a man who has returned to India to uncover the truth about his daughter's terrible accident. Recently di...more

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May 19, 2012 Pooja Jeevagan rated it 3 of 5 stars

It's one of the really hard book to review about...and though I am one of the worst critic for novel with loose ends...hanging neither here nor there and left to imagination (that too when you are just weaving those characters throughout the novel!!), I still will applaud the author for the way she wrote...a real break from the usual Indian writings...

Coming to the subject, the name is probably misleading...yes it starts with the lilac house; but that's not where it thrives and build on...in fac...more It's one of the really hard book to review about...and though I am one of the worst critic for novel with loose ends...hanging neither here nor there and left to imagination (that too when you are just weaving those characters throughout the novel!!), I still will applaud the author for the way she wrote...a real break from the usual Indian writings...

Coming to the subject, the name is probably misleading...yes it starts with the lilac house; but that's not where it thrives and build on...in fact I don't know which story was the one that was the highlight...Mira's or Jak's...or Smriti's...it's a novel where you can't really hold anyone guilty (other than two characters I would say...Giri, I don't know what the author had so much against the lead woman's husband...portrayed him as a complete hopeless person ;) and then Nina...they lead guy's wife...you don't really have to show one half of a marriage to be wrong to depict that the second half was right...)

It's confusing at times...there are swarms of people...kind of a psychological study of lot of humans...what they think, why they behave the way they do...sometimes you wonder why did she actually include this character, but I appreciate the way she has tried to beautifully analyze and build each character..and then of course, there is a lot of time zone shift...without even telling you...people are suddenly in their past, then they are in future...and then you just don't know where they went...

All said and done, the story pulls you in...and it wasn't just the young girl, people my age would identify with, but it's even the turmoils of a wife, a mother, a woman (and let's not be biased, turmoils of the male species too) that would touch us...we might not comprehend them fully, for thankfully we aren't still that grown up, but we definitely would realize they are true...and even though the story is exaggerated at places, it holds you to it, and that, per me, is a definite win for an author...

A good read for women...not something to be completely avoided by men...and well, all I would say is, I hope there comes a sequel (though I highly doubt it)...for I just don't want to imagine a happy ending, but be convinced that the author actually did give them a happy ending... (less)

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May 01, 2012 becca rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: early-review-book

Also on www.beccabookbug.blogspot.co.uk

Firstly, many thanks to St. Martin's Press for granting me the early review of this book for which it was kindly received. I only had 5 days prior to the publication date to review this book and try as i must i could not and only finished it on the 1st May. I will explain throughout the review.
Secondly, the book cover, misses out on the Kindle it really does. But i can see the significance of the book imagery; the lilac background and are they pomengrates a...more Also on www.beccabookbug.blogspot.co.uk

Firstly, many thanks to St. Martin's Press for granting me the early review of this book for which it was kindly received. I only had 5 days prior to the publication date to review this book and try as i must i could not and only finished it on the 1st May. I will explain throughout the review.
Secondly, the book cover, misses out on the Kindle it really does. But i can see the significance of the book imagery; the lilac background and are they pomengrates and how they link with Hera-...interestingly this is mentioned at the back of the book.

Initially this book took me FOREVER to get into, on one occasion i put it down and read the information for the book and pushed myself to go with it and i got into the book really well. What makes it difficult in the early parts is there is only small parts to grab onto. There is a different culture with foreign names, that were new to me, and many of these included Greek mythology, all with a short space in the book and i found it really overwhelmed for the start. But i did pick it back through and pushed through. If i had any knowledge of Greek mythology it may have make this easier.

Once i pushed through i did notice a bit difference, people were explained more and their character's developed and blossomed. Anita Nair has a lovely way to describe individual characters in a way that they feel like family; it looks an some characters more in depth than others but i really warmed towards Meera as the book progressed. So many different aspects of life is experienced-marriage, family, parent-child relationship, friendship, loss-om so many levels, and these are all are explored whilst having characters who are going through changes in their character; showing strength, determination, love, loss, grief, and making changes. It isn't just set in the present as i said, it also goes into the past, which then explains things that are occurring in the future.

Therefore, all this jumping about tenses, the Greek mythology and the complexity of the characters is the reason why is seems a difficult read, and then added to that is the Indian culture and settings with Indian place names. I have never read a book set in India and places names can be quite difficult to 'say it properly' meaning you can't just read the sentence in a flowing way but you stop to focus on the word. It does show a lot about Indian culture and i did like this enrichment of the book; for one of the major topics which is 'outcasted', the book was perfect being set there. This major topic is a massive issue (not going into for spoiler reasons) and to focus on this in a book and makes you think, wow, does this actually really happen and then you find out it does, sadly.

The Greek mythology is explained more in depth at the end and yes Meera is right to compare herself to Hera, but i had no idea about this and if there wasn't any Greek mythology in the book i think that it wouldn't have made a difference, in my eyes, it didn't add anything. Another aspect that let the book down is that some storyline parts just weren't needed, they were short, added nothing and let you with questions and then there would be aspects went on and on,added nothing and was a waste. Some characters needed more 'padding' to enrich their presence more rather than the briefness used. I think the book was really too long for the storyline even with the complexity. The start and middle went on forever it seemed whereas the end and the summing up seemed to happened really quickly but those were the best bit of the book and the first bits should have being short and more focus on the medium to end and ending/summing up.

The book does seem to all come together and you don't go away feeling any sadness which is entwined throughout the book, but you feel some relief, some positivity, happiness and hope. It's lovely how individual stories can be told about the characters and then come together and the stories fit perfectly!

This review goes on forever and i am really sorry. Again i did enjoy the book when i made myself read it. The negative aspects i said let it down for me but it was BEAUTIFULLY written and a lovely book.(less)

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May 10, 2012 Jenny marked it as to-read

Shelves: first-reads

I cannot get I to this book!! I'm going to give it another try though.

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Sep 23, 2012 Heather rated it 2 of 5 stars

I can't decide if I liked this book or not. It was engrossing and hard to put down once I got into it but I didn't love the ending and numerous things about the house situation really bothered me. This book also takes place in India, so be prepared to have no clue how to say some characters names, most of the cities and other little things. I did put it down numerous times to look up something words online that seemed important to the development of the story. I felt the addition of the minor ch...more

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Mar 22, 2012 Monica rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: adultery, er-arc, er-win, fiction, 2012-yearly-challenge

My ER win from Librarything. This is my first book by Anita Nair. I was surprised that I won this book.

It started out slow for me at first. I was a little torn about how I felt about it. The main female character Meera is married and her husband just leaves her while they are at a party. Their son is also at the party and he is the one who informs his mother that dad is gone. That part touched close to home with me. And I was able to relate to the many emotions that go through your mind at that...more

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Sep 10, 2012 Robbin rated it 2 of 5 stars

Very disjointed book that's hard to follow, but that's typical of this author. Overall, I enjoyed the story which tracks two strangers as their lives are uncannily bound together. One part fiction and one part mystery. Solid story, but the numerous snatches of what's in characters' minds, shifts between past and present, and the confusion of having characters thrust upon the reader without any introduction made this very difficult to delve into. If you stick with it, everything comes together, b...more

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Apr 28, 2012 Amodini rated it 4 of 5 stars

I read Nair’s “Ladies Coupe” many years back and liked it very much. “The Lilac House” also touches upon the same topic – the status of women in Indian society. Via the two main characters, and the secondary female characters, Nair slowly brings into focus the plight of women in India. There is Meera who is savvy and sophisticated, but who as she herself puts it has gotten used to the comfort of being taken care of. There is Nina, Jak’s ex-wife, Indian born and living in the US, who considers he...more

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Jan 09, 2013 Christy Sastroredjo rated it 5 of 5 stars

The book is written in a style I'm not familiar with. Chapters begin with scenes, which apparently seems not connected with the last chapter. But along the way reading the book, I found it was a genius way of refering to the precious chapters.

The book covers some feminist subjects in India. And very disturbing to me was the rape of a young girl and how it affected the lives of her loved ones. How her dad came to know the reason and the wall of silence he experienced when questioning her 'friends...more

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Mar 12, 2013 Sudipta rated it 3 of 5 stars

Its a decently written book dealing with the loss of relationships, with endings and the quest for new beginnings. The plot is decent, the pace correctly languid as is the case with books on self introspection. The language is extremely fluid, a trait of Anita Nair's I have come to admire. The ending is open to interpretation, which might be a turn off for fans of neatly tied ends, but it worked for me. A good quick read that I could wrap up in two days.

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Nov 21, 2012 Archana Dilip rated it 3 of 5 stars

I started this book thinking I'd catch up on a light read between historical fictions. However, I realized soon enough that this book tackles a lot.It is the story of two middle aged people struggling to cope with complex life situations.
This book is set so close to my hometown that I could effortlessly relate to the storyline and characters. For the same reason I found it predictable- like watching a typical long south indian movie.

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Mar 31, 2012 Mary rated it 2 of 5 stars

It is hard for me to know what to write about the Lilac House. It took me weeks to finish it because I just didn't want to pick it up. The book was hard to follow, the story seemed to jump around. But I did finish it, and the last half was more engaging. I loved Meera, though, and how her character grew through the novel. The Lilac House just wasn't for me.

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Sep 24, 2012 Shelley rated it 4 of 5 stars

This book is very well crafted; I thoroughly enjoyed the characters, the plot, the pacing. A sometimes quite sad story about grief, starting over, forgiveness and different types of love, these are familiar themes to fans of Anita Nair, themes which are skillfully woven through and around the different life stories of the larger tale. A very worthwhile read and addition to her body of work. Recommended.
(Publication note: This is the same book published in the India under the name: Lessons in For...more

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Feb 18, 2012 Carol rated it 3 of 5 stars

I won the Lilac House from Goodreads.
The foreign names and places as well as the inserted passages of mythology made parts of the book cumbersome to read. Transitions from past to present time were somewhat confusing. Despite that, the storyline is interesting and not overly predictable. Characters are well developed.

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Mar 04, 2012 Linda rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: first-read

I'm debating whether to give this a 4 or a 4.5. It had me from page one with "somewhere in her a little girl skips." It's a really well-written book with important themes and interesting characters. Although I'm not usually a fan of mystery, the mystery surrounding Jak's daughter kept me guessing till the end, so I can see this book appealing to many readers. I liked the mother/daughter, husband/wife, father/daughter relationships a lot since they rang true to me. When all is said and done, this...more

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May 28, 2012 Reshma rated it 4 of 5 stars

A somber read that is stimulating and engrossing. The characters are vibrant and well defined. Without getting overdramatic, the author has portrayed human emotions and has tackled several issues in relationships as a parent, a spouse and as a friend.

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Aug 20, 2012 Ann rated it 4 of 5 stars

Engaging and descriptive of South Indian life. Crosses the lives of NRI's and the search of self among mid-life crisis and understanding family roles in an emerging India where east and west clash in all forms of cultural values.

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Jul 06, 2012 Terri Tinkel added it

I gave up on this story. Maybe it isn't the right time for me to enjoy it. Maybe it isn't the right story for me. I just couldn't get into it. I started at the beginning twice, I opened the book and read random passages ~ nothing got my attention.

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Sep 29, 2012 Sara rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: can-live-without-it

There was a time when it was difficult to find Indian authors beyond the two literary giants of Naipaul and Rushdie. Now it is fantastic that they are everywhere and Indian-American authors as well. I picked up this novel on a recommendation and it started with great promise, the tangible feel of an India that has been taken over with outsourcing kings and international dealings. But the plot became quickly muddled and while there were universal themes of children, love, loss, etc. It did not pl...more

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Aug 28, 2012 Kelley rated it 4 of 5 stars

Not a light read but it has some powerful themes all through it. It made me think about it for days afterwards.

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Jan 14, 2012 Carol marked it as to-read

Shelves: wish-list

Can not remove from wish list shelve? With luck maybe I'll win a give-a-way

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Aug 06, 2012 Anne rated it 3 of 5 stars

It was different... but enjoyable.

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Jul 17, 2012 Cassie rated it 2 of 5 stars

I had high hopes for this one but it fell flat for me.

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title link	preview: The Lilac House: A Novel
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