Hullabaloo In The Guava Orchard: Summary and book reviews of Hullabaloo In The Guava Orchard by Kiran Desai, plus links to an excerpt from Hullabaloo In The Guava Orchard and a biography of Kiran Desai.

In her dazzling, much-heralded debut novel, Kiran Desai tells a wryly hilarious and poignant story of life, love, and family relationships - simultaneously capturing the vivid culture of the Indian subcontinent and the universal intricacies of human experience. Hullabaloo in the Guava Orchard is the story of Sampath Chawla, born in a time of drought into a family not quite like other families, in a town not quite like other towns. After years of failure at school, failure at work, of spending his days dreaming in the tea stalls and singing to himself in the public gardens, it does not seem as if Sampath is going to amount to much. "But the world is round," says his grandmother. "Wait and see! Even if it appears he is going downhill, he will come up on the other side. Yes, on top of the world. He is just taking the longer route." No one believes her, until one day Sampath climbs a guava tree in search of peaceful contemplation and becomes unexpectedly famous as a holy man. Sampath's newfound fame sends the tiny town of Shahkot into turmoil. His feisty sister falls in love with the very unsuitable Hungry Hop Ice Cream Boy; a syndicate of larcenous, alcoholic monkeys terrorizes the pilgrims who cluster around Sampath's tree; his father attempts to turn the orchard into a highly profitable carnival scene; and an overzealous spy determines to get to the bottom of it all and, to his consternation, achieves this goal in a most unpleasant way. In short, none of Kiran Desai's outrageous characters goes unaffected as events spin increasingly out of control.

Media Reviews

The Times (London) So fresh and funny and delicious that it defies comparison. Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni A delicious blend of humor and magic, hilarity and wisdom - and unexpected poetry. Kiran Desai's language will continue to delight you long after you turn the last page. Salman Rushdie Lush and intensely imagined. Welcome proof that India's encounter with the English language continues to give birth to new children, endowed with lavish gifts. Junot Diaz With this radiant novel, Kiran Desai parts the waters. Hullabaloo in the Guava Orchard evokes a bright, buoyant world, and the warmth and generosity of her writing makes for a joyous debut. Gita Mehta A hullabaloo of a debut from a vibrant, creative imagination.

Recent Reader Reviews

Rated of 5 by chetna
hullabaloo in the guava orchard
A refreshing read. Give it a try.

Rated of 5 by wasaa
YEAH
I think the end of this book wasn't very good, but I have to say that the book had some very funny scenes. Overall I think it is a good book, although in some parts complicated to keep up with, but still a good book. There are some parts were the...   Read More

Rated of 5 by Claudio Zalzarete
What a poor book
This is probably the worst book ever written. The author attempts to add humor with the form of monkeys... The incredibly boring and stupid plot is about a lazy and ill-educated Indian boy called Sampath, who leaves all of his responsibilities, to...   Read More

Rated 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....   Read More

Rated 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...   Read More

Rated 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.

...5 More Reader Reviews

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