Hey, so I finished Climbing the Mango Trees about a week ago. I blame my tardy posting on Alaskan summers. They're very precious and choosing between going to the lake and typing on the computer......well there's no contest. But the book is read and I have to say I'm a little disappointed in it. The author style was very choppy. At first I didn't mind it, I kept thinking she would come back to each thought and expand on it but as I got closer to the end I figure out that wasn't the case. The book ended feeling very unfinished. I guess I was just looking for a more indepth book on Indian culture and this wasn't it. It was interesting though. She sure makes Indian food sound good. Jordan has been bugging us to try some of the recipes in the back. So for all of you who read the book here are some questions.
What did you think of the authors writing style? Do you agree that is was choppy and unfinished?
What did you think about the books view of Indian culture? What part of the culture did you like, what did you not like?
I still felt like I wasn't getting a good view of Indian culture. I liked the picnics with the whole family, that sounded like alot of fun, and the mountain vacation site sounded so pretty. I did not like how weak the culture made her father appear.
Have you tried any of the recipes???
Check in and tell us if you read the book or didn't read the book.
P.S. : ) Who likes the elephant?
2 comments:
Sorry I took so long to get out my thoughts on the last half of Climbing the Mango Trees. Here you go, chapter by chapter.
16: My, Shibbudada really is a creep isn’t he?
17: I don’t mind so much that this book is from the view of upper class Indians. I mean, if it was about the Indians begging on the streets, that would get old fast. Don’t get me wrong, I feel for the lot, but I couldn’t make it through a whole book about them. Anyways, they(meaning those in the book) certainly lived luxuriously.
18: Ah, the beginning of her troubled teenage years. Of course she was overly dramatic, but that’s kind of the point isn’t it? The Indian musicians sound interesting.
19: And more of her dramatic teenage years. At least it’s interesting to know that whatever the culture, humans are pretty much the same and go through the same stages in life. Sometimes, people from Asia seem like aliens to me, but after reading this book, at least these people aren’t that different.
20: Her school friend, Amina Ahmed, sounds like an interesting character. I liked her.
21: Sounds like her mother had rad haggling skills with the shawls and all that. I’m glad we don’t have to deal with that in the US. It does sound kinda fun though.
22: She sounds a bit universalist and post-modern at some points in this book. It seems, to her, religion is just traditions and culture and there’s really no consequences for what you believe.
23: Okay, to be perfectly honest, I was sick of hearing about food by this chapter.
24: I’d like to see some of the old Indian movies they went to. From what she said they sounded quite interesting. And I liked the bit about her writing project where she impressed the teacher when she wrote something other than what she was supposed to.
25: I liked the story about the salesman fooling the mom into buying the honey. Sounds like something our mom might fall for.
26: Ah, all her brothers and sisters went off and fell in love. Yeah, that happens. It was nice of her older sister to teach her how to dance though.
27: Working in radio drama sounds like it would have been fun. I’m glad she ended up going into the field of drama for a living. I could see her pulling it off well.
28: And then the chapter where they pull the ol’ switcheroo on her final exam and then her creepy uncle takes her sister of for treatment.
29: She was sure right when she said the striped shirt her sister bought her was her jersey. You can tell by looking at a few of the pictures.
Ep: And she grows up, graduates, and becomes an actress. Everyone loves happy endings.
Okay, I’m glad that’s over. I enjoyed it the book, but I’m ready to move on now.
Hello!!!! Can we get a new post please.
Jo
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