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Read what people think about Hullabaloo In The Guava Orchard by Kiran Desai, and write your own review.

Hullabaloo In The Guava Orchard

Hullabaloo In The Guava Orchard
by Kiran Desai
Hardcover: May 1998,
209 pages.
Paperback: May 1999,
224 pages.

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First book/First Novel


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Rated 4 of 5 of 5 by Cloggie Downunder
pleasure to read
Hullabaloo in the Guava Orchard is the first novel by Kiran Desai. In the town of Shahkot, in the shadow of the Himalayan foothills, lives Sampath Chawla, a bored, dreamy Post Office clerk distinguishing himself with lacklustre career ambitions. When he manages to lose his job, his father, Mr Chawla, despairs that his son will ever amount to anything; his mother, Kulfi, says little, but then, she did come from a mad family; his sister Pinky finds him irritating and exasperating; his paternal grandmother, Ammaji, however, is convinced he will come good. Overwhelmed by the attention, Sampath decides to climb a tree in the Guava Orchard to be alone, to clear his thoughts, a deed that, unfortunately for Sampath, has quite the opposite effect. Convinced he is a hermit, people gather to hear his thoughts: this sets in motion events that will affect not only Sampath and his family, but the people of the district, the Chief Medical Officer, the Superintendent of Police, the Army Brigadier, the University researcher, the District Collector and even a spy from the Atheist Society. This novel has a cast of amusing characters, a plot with a few surprises and is filled with wonderful prose like: “A passing car sent its searchlight-glare crazy and liquid over the sides of the buildings and into the trees, revealing not the colours, the daylight solidity of things, but a world of dark gaps cut from an empty skin of light”. Desai is skilled at creating atmosphere and this novel has a uniquely Indian feel. This novel was a pleasure to read and it is easy to see why it won the Betty Trask Award in 1998.


Rated 4 of 5 of 5 by mahendra.m
monkey baba ...
Kiran Desai's novel Hullabaloo in the Guava Orchard is a awesome book to enjoy, if you want to apply theories and read it that's also a good idea to look it from the post feminist and postcolonial view point. Try it once; it's worth reading. A good book


Rated 4 of 5 of 5 by su
Hullabaloo
This is the book which represents the power of internal strength i.e. if a person want then everything is possible for him in this world, and Kiran Desai has showed it very aptly and fluently.


Rated 4 of 5 of 5 by meenakshi
good book
It is really a very good book. It is a different story totally. VERY GOOD....thats all I can say. and I know its not a review....its a compliment.


Rated 2 of 5 of 5 by Lane Davids
Hullabaloo stretches limits
Hullabaloo in the Guava Orchard stretches all preconceived notions of sane and insane, holy and mortal with its befuddling characters and wacky town. It was enjoyable after I read it for the third time, but not before. It takes getting used to, but after awhile its rich themes and motifs grow on you until you, too, are laughing and learning along with the strange characters.


Rated 5 of 5 of 5 by kitty
This book was the coolest! It had tons of funny, imaginitive, and creative scenes and chapters. Just like the review had said. i highly recommend this book to all ages.

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