The Mistress of Spices: A Novel

Reviews (See all 181) Write a reviewfor this

It's a hit!

This is the tale of a young woman, Tilo, who is not quite from this world we live in. Her past is of a mysterious nature, from a long ago time in a... (show more)

This is the tale of a young woman, Tilo, who is not quite from this world we live in. Her past is of a mysterious nature, from a long ago time in a faraway place. But she is trained in the ancient art of the spices, and transformed into the body of an old woman, transplanted into America, to run an Indian food/spice market, and heal the ails of her customers. But even in her old body Tilo maintains a bit of the mischievous spirit of her former young self, and is caught up in a web of getting too close to some of her customers, falling for a handsome American man and fighting with the urge to break all of the rules and give into temptation.

This is a story that is beautifully told, with vivid language and imagery. The reader immediately sympathises with Tilo, this faulty heroine, and wants to know more about her and those around her. Each character woven into the story fully enriches Tilo’s own story, and yet they carry a power all on their own. You want to get to know Haroun, Getta, Jagjit, Kwesi, and of course, Raven.

Raven, he of the mysterious name, and even more mysterious origins. This man Tilo calls “my American” who walks into her store and turns her life upside down. The reader is both fascinated and confused by him. We instantly understand Tilo’s inner conflict, her pull toward this forbidden fruit, her mistrust of his appearance, his intentions.

There is a certain magic in this novel, and it is not the magic of the spices alone. The words are woven beautifully together, painting a picture that stayed with me even when I put the book down, which I didn’t want to do at any time.

I thoroughly enjoyed the story and the characters, so much so, in fact that I didn’t want to book to end, and felt a certain amount of sadness when I reached the last page. That, to me, is always the mark of a good book. (show less)

 

 

by Facebook User

No, it's a flop!

with magical realism, you literally can judge a book by its cover. (see also, keri hulme's 'the bone people') i had to read this saccharine trash f... (show more)

with magical realism, you literally can judge a book by its cover. (see also, keri hulme's 'the bone people') i had to read this saccharine trash for a class on immigration policy. this fact remains one of my irrefutable points of criticism against the 'liberal arts' curriculum. (show less)

 

 

by Adam Tramposh

More Reviews

• 
  

  I just finished reading this book but I am not entirely happy with it. I think its strongest element is the poetic language but the plot is naive. Also, if Divakaruni tried to experiment with magical realism she failed because the "mystical" aspects of the thread don't blend into the general narrative scheme and at times seem even out of place. Magic is represented more like an isolated sequence of events than the plot's driving force as in other, more fortunate, novels experimentin... (show more)

  I just finished reading this book but I am not entirely happy with it. I think its strongest element is the poetic language but the plot is naive. Also, if Divakaruni tried to experiment with magical realism she failed because the "mystical" aspects of the thread don't blend into the general narrative scheme and at times seem even out of place. Magic is represented more like an isolated sequence of events than the plot's driving force as in other, more fortunate, novels experimenting with magical realism.

  Finally, the "multicultural" "live-together-die-alone" message is approached as if good will is all that is required to solve the crisis of the American "melting pot" model. That said, I am not sure she meant to give such a strong social imprint to the book, perhaps she intended it to be more like a stylistic/poetic experiment in which case she succeeded, producing an impeccable work of literary evocation. (show less)

   

   

  by Critical Mera on Jul 14, 2009 at 12:52PM

  Already read

  Is this review helpful? yes no
   
• 
  

  The language in this book was wonderful; well-written, sensuous, poetic. The story was also fascinating - I wanted to hear more, constantly craved more information. The characters were well-fleshed out, and Divakaruni made some...interesting choices regarding her narrative style that made this book stand out. The commentary regarding immigrant life in America was also well done; it was evocative and poignant without being melodramatic or overwrought.

  Ms Divakaruni, as I have noted with he... (show more)

  The language in this book was wonderful; well-written, sensuous, poetic. The story was also fascinating - I wanted to hear more, constantly craved more information. The characters were well-fleshed out, and Divakaruni made some...interesting choices regarding her narrative style that made this book stand out. The commentary regarding immigrant life in America was also well done; it was evocative and poignant without being melodramatic or overwrought.

  Ms Divakaruni, as I have noted with her short story collection, 'Arranged Marriage,' has a gift for capturing the moment, and is able to describe emotions well. She does not make the more internally focused sections of this book awkward, and Tilo is an engaging narratore.

  My biggest complaint is that sometimes her event sequencing is not particularly well done. She tries to weave in and out of the present, ala Toni Morrison, but, like Toni in her earlier novels, this does not always works. You can tell that this was a first novel, versus Divakaruni's earlier short fiction. That being said, this was still a very good, imaginative, work of fiction, and a fresh voice from India. I can't wait to read more from her. (show less)

   

   

  by Gina Filo on May 21, 2009 at 08:01PM

  Already read

  Is this review helpful? yes no
   
• See all reviews
  Write a review