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The Ministry of Utmost Happiness by Arundhati Roy (Book Analysis): Detailed Summary, Analysis and Reading Guide
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Unlock the more straightforward side of The Ministry of Utmost Happiness with this concise and insightful summary and analysis!
This engaging summary presents an analysis of The Ministry of Utmost Happiness by Arundhati Roy, which tells the story of Anjum, an Indian hijra, and the myriad outcasts who gather round her in the guesthouse she opens in an old graveyard. The story offers a sweeping panorama of contemporary India, taking in the rise of Hindu nationalism, Kashmir’s struggle for independence and the grinding poverty that afflicts the country’s least fortunate citizens. The Ministry of Utmost Happiness was one of the most highly anticipated books of 2017 and is Arundhati Roy’s second novel, appearing after a 20-year hiatus from publishing fiction following her Booker Prize-winning debut The God of Small Things. In the meantime, Roy has made a name for herself as a fearless activist and journalist, which has frequently brought her into conflict with the Indian government.
Find out everything you need to know about The Ministry of Utmost Happiness in a fraction of the time!
This in-depth and informative reading guide brings you:
• A complete plot summary
• Character studies
• Key themes and symbols
• Questions for further reflection
Why choose BrightSummaries.com?
Available in print and digital format, our publications are designed to accompany you on your reading journey. The clear and concise style makes for easy understanding, providing the perfect opportunity to improve your literary knowledge in no time.
See the very best of literature in a whole new light with BrightSummaries.com!
This engaging summary presents an analysis of The Ministry of Utmost Happiness by Arundhati Roy, which tells the story of Anjum, an Indian hijra, and the myriad outcasts who gather round her in the guesthouse she opens in an old graveyard. The story offers a sweeping panorama of contemporary India, taking in the rise of Hindu nationalism, Kashmir’s struggle for independence and the grinding poverty that afflicts the country’s least fortunate citizens. The Ministry of Utmost Happiness was one of the most highly anticipated books of 2017 and is Arundhati Roy’s second novel, appearing after a 20-year hiatus from publishing fiction following her Booker Prize-winning debut The God of Small Things. In the meantime, Roy has made a name for herself as a fearless activist and journalist, which has frequently brought her into conflict with the Indian government.
Find out everything you need to know about The Ministry of Utmost Happiness in a fraction of the time!
This in-depth and informative reading guide brings you:
• A complete plot summary
• Character studies
• Key themes and symbols
• Questions for further reflection
Why choose BrightSummaries.com?
Available in print and digital format, our publications are designed to accompany you on your reading journey. The clear and concise style makes for easy understanding, providing the perfect opportunity to improve your literary knowledge in no time.
See the very best of literature in a whole new light with BrightSummaries.com!
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The Ministry of Utmost Happiness by Arundhati Roy (Book Analysis) - Bright Summaries
INDIAN WRITER
Born in Shillong, Meghalaya, India in 1961.
Notable works:
The God of Small Things (1997), novel
The Algebra of Infinite Justice (2001), an essay collection
Listening to Grasshoppers: Field Notes on Democracy (2009), an essay collection
Arundhati Roy is an Indian writer of fiction and non-fiction. She is best known for her novel The God of Small Things, for which she won the Man Booker Prize in 1997.
Roy is a writer and an activist. After her first novel, The God of Small Things, she concentrated on writing non-fiction and produced several volumes of essays which explore social problems in India and around the world. She speaks out on issues related to topics such as race, class, the caste system in India, gender, political power and environmental problems. Like her essays and her first novel, her highly anticipated second novel, The Ministry of Utmost Happiness, published 20 years after The God of Small Things, also explores social problems without being afraid to discuss sensitive issues such as the conflicts between separatist Muslims in Kashmir and the Indian government. Roy is outspoken and her writing style is intelligent and direct. Her fiction is written in a lyrical style and she uses fragmented, non-linear narratives to patch together complex stories.
AN EXPLORATION OF CONTEMPORARY INDIA
Genre: novel
Reference edition: Roy, A. (2018) The Ministry of Utmost Happiness. London: Penguin Books.
1stedition: 2017
Themes: love,
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