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 First edition | |
| Author | Arundhati Roy |
|---|---|
| Cover artist | Sanjeev Saith |
| Language | English |
| Genre | Novel |
| Publisher | Random House (USA) Random House of Canada (Canada) HarperCollins (UK) RST IndiaInk & Penguin Books (India) |
Publication date | 15 March 1997 |
| Publication place | India |
| Media type | Print (hardback & paperback) |
| Awards | Booker Prize (1997) |
| ISBN | 0-06-097749-3 |
| OCLC | 37864514 |
| Followed by | The Ministry of Utmost Happiness (2017) |
The God of Small Things is a family drama novel written by Indian writer Arundhati Roy. It is a story about the childhood experiences of fraternal twins whose lives are destroyed by the "Love Laws" prevalent in 1960s Kerala, India. The novel explores how small, seemingly insignificant occurrences, decisions and experiences shape people's behavior in deeply significant ways. The novel also explores the lingering effects of casteism in India, lending a culturally-specific critique of British colonialism in India. It won the Booker Prize in 1997.
The God of Small Things was Roy's debut novel, published in 1997. It was followed by the 2017 publication, The Ministry of Utmost Happiness twenty years later. Roy began writing the manuscript for The God of Small Things in 1992 and finished four years later, in 1996, leading to its publication the following year. The potential of the story was first recognized by HarperCollins editor, Pankaj Mishra, who sent it to three British publishers. Roy received a £500,000 advance, and rights to the book were sold in 21 countries.