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Title: The Strike

Author: Anand Mahadevan

Narrator: Deepti Gupta

Format: Unabridged

Length: 8 hrs and 9 mins

Language: English

Release date: 11-21-14

Publisher: Anand Mahadevan

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

Twelve-year-old Hari tries to make sense of his tumultous and complex world in 1980s India. His experiment at eating fish leads to the death of his grandmother; his preference for Hindi leads to slandeours graffiti agsinst his family in Madras; and his friendship with the family maid lands hin trouble with a militant Tamil film fan and political operative named Vishu.

Matters come to a head when the film star turned politician MGR dies and his supporters led by Vish declare a strike trapping Hari and his mother on board a train bound for Madras.

Members Reviews:

Very much India.

I found this novel somewhat disjointed, its pace not sufficient or organised enough to engage the interest. There is, however, a lot to learn from it. It has the ring of truth. In a way, it is very much India.

Took me back home and then some

This novel was such a fantastic read. It usually takes me a while to get through a novel and I am very picky. The Strike however....I COULD NOT put it down. I couldn't be more different from the protagonist, but I felt like I was him. I smelled the train they traveled on. Mr. Mahadevan has done an incredible job of invoking the world in which the story takes place. The characters felt like I knew them. I know people like them. The story felt so personal...I couldn't believe it. I didn't want it to end. A MUST READ.

Class tensions in aftermath of MGR's death

The book is an interesting insight into the life of a (higher caste) family in the India of the 1980s. It revolves around the events in the South of India following the death of the politician M.G.R.

For one not familiar with the events, it is not just a novel but a (semi-fictional) history lesson. For a westerner, it is fascinating to get a non-caricatural glimpse of real life in India at the time.

The biggest shortcoming for non Indian readers is the extensive use of indian words throughout. In particular, when referring to characters, the author mixes indian relationship terms with english ones, making it quite difficult for the reader to keep track of which character is being referred to.

The pace of the story is, alos, not always consistent. Rather than the usual buildup towards a climax, it is more of rollercoaster with moments of tension scattered throughout with some side-stories left untold (like the sexual tension between the children which does not lead anywhere).

An absolute must-read!

This book grips you from the beginning and stays with you long after you finish it. The writing is smooth and wonderfully descriptive -- I found myself alternately afraid for, sympathizing with, and laughing with the protagonist and his friends and family. I would highly recommend this book, and can't wait to read more tales that will hopefully flow from this supremely talented author's pen.

Excellant Read!

An excellant book that opens a reader's eyes to a different culture while providing a strong narrative about growth. A truly unique story.