Who is the author of the internationally acclaimed book The God of Small Things?
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: C
Explanation
Correct Answer
Arundhati Roy
Explanation
The internationally acclaimed novel The God of Small Things is written by the Indian author Arundhati Roy. Published in 1997, it is her debut novel. Set in Ayemenem (now part of Kottayam in Kerala, India), the story spans across different timelines, focusing on the childhood experiences of fraternal twins, Estha and Rahel. It explores deeply entrenched social structures like the caste system, politics, and the complex dynamics of love and tragedy within a family.
The other options are incorrect because they are authors of completely different literary masterpieces. Salman Rushdie is widely celebrated for his historical fantasy novel Midnight's Children. Chetan Bhagat is known for popular contemporary Indian fiction like Five Point Someone and 2 States. Jhumpa Lahiri is a Pulitzer Prize-winning author known for her debut short-story collection Interpreter of Maladies and her novel The Namesake.
Key Points
The God of Small Things won the prestigious Booker Prize for Fiction in 1997, catapulting Arundhati Roy to global literary fame.
The book is deeply rooted in the social realities of Kerala, touching upon themes of forbidden love and the restrictive social codes or 'Laws' that dictate who should be loved, and how, and how much.
Additional Facts
Beyond her brilliant fiction writing, Arundhati Roy is a prominent political activist and essayist who frequently writes on social justice, environmental issues, and human rights. Following the massive success of her debut novel, she spent many years focusing primarily on non-fiction essays, including works like The Cost of Living and Field Notes on Democracy. She returned to long-form fiction twenty years later with the publication of her second novel, The Ministry of Utmost Happiness, in 2017.
Important Questions and Answers
Question: Which prestigious international literary award did Arundhati Roy win for her novel The God of Small Things in 1997?
Answer: She won the Booker Prize (officially the Man Booker Prize at that time), making her the first non-expatriate Indian citizen to win the award.
Question: In which Indian state is the plot of the novel The God of Small Things predominantly set?
Answer: The novel is set in a small village named Ayemenem in the Kottayam district of Kerala.