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Half Gods
A startlingly beautiful debut, Half Gods brings together the exiled, the disappeared, the seekers. Following the fractured origins and destines of two brothers named after demigods from the ancient epic the Mahabharata, we meet a family struggling with the reverberations of the past in their lives. These ten interlinked stories redraw the map of our world in surprising ways: following an act of violence, a baby girl is renamed after a Hindu goddess but raised as a Muslim; a lonely butcher from Angola finds solace in a family of refugees in New Jersey; a gentle entomologist, in Sri Lanka, discovers unexpected reserves of courage while searching for his missing son.
By turns heartbreaking and fiercely inventive, Half Gods reveals with sharp clarity the ways that parents, children, and friends act as unknowing mirrors to each other, revealing in their all-too human weaknesses, hopes, and sorrows a connection to the divine.
By turns heartbreaking and fiercely inventive, Half Gods reveals with sharp clarity the ways that parents, children, and friends act as unknowing mirrors to each other, revealing in their all-too human weaknesses, hopes, and sorrows a connection to the divine.
208 pages, Hardcover
First published June 5, 2018
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 162 reviews
August 15, 2018
4.5/5
I'm actually surprised I'm rating it this highly since I almost put it down in the beginning, but this is a beautifully written collection of short stories that deserves some accolades. Not every story hits the mark, although all of them are gorgeous, but some packed a punch and left me staring at the page, breathless. The melancholy undercurrent that travels through each of these stories drew me in and left me with the sense that the author was doing something profound.
I'm actually surprised I'm rating it this highly since I almost put it down in the beginning, but this is a beautifully written collection of short stories that deserves some accolades. Not every story hits the mark, although all of them are gorgeous, but some packed a punch and left me staring at the page, breathless. The melancholy undercurrent that travels through each of these stories drew me in and left me with the sense that the author was doing something profound.
June 6, 2018
Half Gods is a remarkable book that weaves a collection of stories together containing ancient and modern-day themes. The common thread is Family, survival and moving through the complex arrays of living, healing, preserving the beauty of a culture ravaged by war while healing and moving forward through the traumas of life. I thoroughly enjoyed the rich and unique language through which Kumarasamy brings her characters and their lives into being. Once I started the book I was immersed into a world of colorful characters crafted by Kumarasamy’s rich imagination and poetic language. I highly recommend this book!
September 8, 2018
the whole beautiful heavy weight of this world. prose to savour. the Sad kept me from reading it too quickly. loosely linked stories to build a novel, heartrending, haunting stories, dealing with (dis)location and loss, reluctance and (mis)giving, reconcilliation and tremors of the spirit. "why do a few sad events have to make a whole life unhappy?"
these, the kind of characters that will stay with me for long long.
these, the kind of characters that will stay with me for long long.
July 11, 2018
Four and a half stars.
For someone as young as she appears in her dust jacket photo, Akil Kumarasamy writes with remarkable maturity and wisdom. How she can depict so many different times and places, and occupy the bodies and minds of so many different characters, is truly impressive.
I eagerly await more works from this author.
For someone as young as she appears in her dust jacket photo, Akil Kumarasamy writes with remarkable maturity and wisdom. How she can depict so many different times and places, and occupy the bodies and minds of so many different characters, is truly impressive.
I eagerly await more works from this author.
July 12, 2018
“Man or god or demon, let him in!”
- Mahābhārata
So goes the epigraph at the beginning of this rich collection of interlinked stories. Loosely reminiscent of this Hindu epic/chaotic tale of tales, Kumarasamy’s collection is told in a kaleidoscopic and non-linear fashion, with multi-voiced narratives that seamlessly shift in perspective.
These are stories that capture the nuances of life and people affected by the Sri Lankan Civil War. Each time, it scares me to think of how recently everything ended. Central to the stories is a dynasty headed by a refugee Tamil grandfather who, along with his young daughter, manages to leave the carnage in Sri Lanka before settling in suburban America. This daughter (Nalini) settles down, but is not unaffected by the trauma of her young years. She has two children, Arjun and Karna, named after the Pandava princes in a more direct reference to the Mahābhārata.
These collection explores themes of displacement and the tenuous nature of what it means to belong or be home, of the refugee and immigrant experience, of how you can continually grieve a tragedy in different ways. It’s a strange, melancholic dichotomy; how you can be glad to leave a place of bloodshed even as you miss it in ways you can’t describe (”He stared at the clock, which he had set nine and a half hours ahead so he would be on schedule with Sri Lanka.”). These are realist stories and yet, the lyrical language and injections of mythical influences give them a fable-like quality. Even the epigraph at the beginning - it’s taken from the Mahābhārata but could also take on all sorts of realist meanings pertinent to these stories; refugees and borders, displacement from your ancestral home.
While this collection isn’t a retelling of the Mahābhārata per se, the Hindu epic serves as intertwined inspiration for some of the themes in the collection, e.g. Nalini’s personal relationship struggles contrasted by her acceptance of Draupadi’s polygamy (”She had read ancient stories where men were married to many wives, and sisters agreed to wed the same man. She could not imagine Draupadi without the five Pandava brothers, all her husbands.”), the war between the Pandavas and Kauravas possibly representing the Sinhalese vs Tamils in the context of the Sri Lankan Civil War. Myths and legends are also something the young boys grow up hearing, e.g. stories of Princes Arjuna and Karna, the tale of Kannagi and the King of Madurai. In the Mahābhārata, Princes Karna and Arjuna eventually ascend to heaven and “attained the state of the gods”, perhaps signifying Kumarasamy’s characters Karna and Arjun and their family’s move to the promised land that is America.
Even the title Half Gods left me ruminating on it’s possible meanings, at least these were some of the ways I interpreted it:
•the nature of the brothers’ relationship
•of the general theme of displacement and how you can feel half home and half not
•how maybe Arjun and Karna and their family, and perhaps Sri Lankan-Americans on a broader level, and then maybe even refugees and immigrants from an even more macroscopic viewpoint, haven’t quite “attained the state of the gods”, so ‘half gods’ - always a minority, never quite belonging or fully at home.
I loved all the stories in this evocative and thought-provoking collection, even the last two that was also good but felt somewhat displaced from the collection, though this is rather apt (maybe the subtle discordance is intentional?). Definitely keen to check out more of the author’s writing!
- Mahābhārata
So goes the epigraph at the beginning of this rich collection of interlinked stories. Loosely reminiscent of this Hindu epic/chaotic tale of tales, Kumarasamy’s collection is told in a kaleidoscopic and non-linear fashion, with multi-voiced narratives that seamlessly shift in perspective.
These are stories that capture the nuances of life and people affected by the Sri Lankan Civil War. Each time, it scares me to think of how recently everything ended. Central to the stories is a dynasty headed by a refugee Tamil grandfather who, along with his young daughter, manages to leave the carnage in Sri Lanka before settling in suburban America. This daughter (Nalini) settles down, but is not unaffected by the trauma of her young years. She has two children, Arjun and Karna, named after the Pandava princes in a more direct reference to the Mahābhārata.
These collection explores themes of displacement and the tenuous nature of what it means to belong or be home, of the refugee and immigrant experience, of how you can continually grieve a tragedy in different ways. It’s a strange, melancholic dichotomy; how you can be glad to leave a place of bloodshed even as you miss it in ways you can’t describe (”He stared at the clock, which he had set nine and a half hours ahead so he would be on schedule with Sri Lanka.”). These are realist stories and yet, the lyrical language and injections of mythical influences give them a fable-like quality. Even the epigraph at the beginning - it’s taken from the Mahābhārata but could also take on all sorts of realist meanings pertinent to these stories; refugees and borders, displacement from your ancestral home.
While this collection isn’t a retelling of the Mahābhārata per se, the Hindu epic serves as intertwined inspiration for some of the themes in the collection, e.g. Nalini’s personal relationship struggles contrasted by her acceptance of Draupadi’s polygamy (”She had read ancient stories where men were married to many wives, and sisters agreed to wed the same man. She could not imagine Draupadi without the five Pandava brothers, all her husbands.”), the war between the Pandavas and Kauravas possibly representing the Sinhalese vs Tamils in the context of the Sri Lankan Civil War. Myths and legends are also something the young boys grow up hearing, e.g. stories of Princes Arjuna and Karna, the tale of Kannagi and the King of Madurai. In the Mahābhārata, Princes Karna and Arjuna eventually ascend to heaven and “attained the state of the gods”, perhaps signifying Kumarasamy’s characters Karna and Arjun and their family’s move to the promised land that is America.
Even the title Half Gods left me ruminating on it’s possible meanings, at least these were some of the ways I interpreted it:
•the nature of the brothers’ relationship
•of the general theme of displacement and how you can feel half home and half not
•how maybe Arjun and Karna and their family, and perhaps Sri Lankan-Americans on a broader level, and then maybe even refugees and immigrants from an even more macroscopic viewpoint, haven’t quite “attained the state of the gods”, so ‘half gods’ - always a minority, never quite belonging or fully at home.
I loved all the stories in this evocative and thought-provoking collection, even the last two that was also good but felt somewhat displaced from the collection, though this is rather apt (maybe the subtle discordance is intentional?). Definitely keen to check out more of the author’s writing!
July 13, 2018
These linked short stories are generally about the brothers Arjun and Karna, who were named for half gods in the Mahabharata. The stories, set in America, Sri Lanka and India, shift back and forth in time and are told from varying points of view. Some of the stories feature the family members only tangentially, or not at all. However, the stories all deal with the feelings of displacement you can have, whether in your own country or your adopted country, due to separations along lines of ethnicity and religion. I'm not a huge fan of short stories. I prefer a more cohesive narrative, however I found these stories interesting. The writing was very polished, but maybe a little too massaged and unemotional. No character stood out. Nevertheless, I would be interested in reading more by this author.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher.
May 28, 2018
Fascinating and passionate set of linked short stories about a Sri Lankan family. Not all of the 10 stories soar equally but they are all beautifully written. I'm not sure whether I liked the insight into life in Sri Lanka or into the lives of the family members in the US more but I do know they all gave me insight into a culture I was not previously familiar with. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. Try this for an immersive and wonderful read.
June 24, 2019
A beautiful collection of interconnected stories. Took me a few to get into but that's the nature of the medium. After a while I was thoroughly engrossed and finished this in two days. Will definitely keep an eye out for more from this author in the future.
May 25, 2018
The connected stories in Half Gods by Akil Kumarasamy create an intergenerational history of an Indian Tamil family from the first generation who left India to work in the tea estates of Sri Lanka to children born in America.
The stories are heart-breaking, some addressing the discrimination and murder of Tamils in Sri Lanka while others explore the immigrant experience. I am haunted by these characters with their complicated back stories. The storytelling is mesmerizing. Sometimes I felt a bit lost, as if a visitor in a foreign land whose culture and reality jolt me outside my comfortable reality.
America has its horrors and violence, but for someone like myself who has been comfortably sheltered, it is an awakening to read lines like "They all loved people who were born to disappear," or "Refugees can't be picky," or "the real difference between India and American...there is no rule of law in India. You need to bribe everyone to live a normal life."
Imagine an engineer who in America must work as a butcher. A Tamil professor in Sri Lanka who receives death threats and whose son disappears. An old man who returns home to find his entire village missing and replaced by a hole in the ground. A Tamil man memorizes books because he saw the burning of books in his language.
The family patriarch in Half Gods is descended from Tamils who came to Ceylon harvest tea. The family experienced the end of colonization when the British left Ceylon, reborn as Sri Lanka. They suffered during the Anti-Tamil riots when their village was destroyed, fled to a refugee camp, and finally immigrated to America.
Sri Lanka, once called Ceylon, is an island first inhabited in the stone age. Beginning in the 16th c European countries colonized the island--first the Portuguese, then the Dutch, and finally the British. They built rubber, coffee, and coconut plantations. When the coffee plants were decimated by a fungus, tea was grown, and to harvest the tea, Tamils from southern India were brought over as indentured servants.
When the country gained its independence, the Sinhalese were the dominant group, making their language the official one. The Tamils were marginalized and tried to gain a political voice. Anti-Tamil riots arose; Tamils were killed and others left the country. Out of this conflict, the Liberation Tamil Tigers were birthed and civil war ensued.
Nearly 300,000 displaced persons were housed in government camps and 100,000 people died during the war. Sri Lanka ranks as having the second highest number of disappearances in the world.
I mistakenly thought the book was a collection of stories, which I usually read one at a time. After a few stories, I realized the interconnectedness and so suggest reading as you would a novel.
Akil Kumarasamy received her MFA from the University of Michigan. This is her first book.
I received a complimentary ebook from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for a fair and unbiased review.
The stories are heart-breaking, some addressing the discrimination and murder of Tamils in Sri Lanka while others explore the immigrant experience. I am haunted by these characters with their complicated back stories. The storytelling is mesmerizing. Sometimes I felt a bit lost, as if a visitor in a foreign land whose culture and reality jolt me outside my comfortable reality.
America has its horrors and violence, but for someone like myself who has been comfortably sheltered, it is an awakening to read lines like "They all loved people who were born to disappear," or "Refugees can't be picky," or "the real difference between India and American...there is no rule of law in India. You need to bribe everyone to live a normal life."
Imagine an engineer who in America must work as a butcher. A Tamil professor in Sri Lanka who receives death threats and whose son disappears. An old man who returns home to find his entire village missing and replaced by a hole in the ground. A Tamil man memorizes books because he saw the burning of books in his language.
The family patriarch in Half Gods is descended from Tamils who came to Ceylon harvest tea. The family experienced the end of colonization when the British left Ceylon, reborn as Sri Lanka. They suffered during the Anti-Tamil riots when their village was destroyed, fled to a refugee camp, and finally immigrated to America.
Sri Lanka, once called Ceylon, is an island first inhabited in the stone age. Beginning in the 16th c European countries colonized the island--first the Portuguese, then the Dutch, and finally the British. They built rubber, coffee, and coconut plantations. When the coffee plants were decimated by a fungus, tea was grown, and to harvest the tea, Tamils from southern India were brought over as indentured servants.
When the country gained its independence, the Sinhalese were the dominant group, making their language the official one. The Tamils were marginalized and tried to gain a political voice. Anti-Tamil riots arose; Tamils were killed and others left the country. Out of this conflict, the Liberation Tamil Tigers were birthed and civil war ensued.
Nearly 300,000 displaced persons were housed in government camps and 100,000 people died during the war. Sri Lanka ranks as having the second highest number of disappearances in the world.
I mistakenly thought the book was a collection of stories, which I usually read one at a time. After a few stories, I realized the interconnectedness and so suggest reading as you would a novel.
Akil Kumarasamy received her MFA from the University of Michigan. This is her first book.
I received a complimentary ebook from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for a fair and unbiased review.
need-to-finish
May 2, 2023I’ll become a short story collection girlie or die trying!
July 2, 2019
4.5//5 stars
"Alone in the house, Rasheed and I waited for life to reveal itself. We would climb onto the roof after the sky had darkened. We could hear birds but not see them, and we called out to the unseen, the world around us.”
This book is composed of short stories taking place in different places and times: from a modern New Jersey suburb to a Sri Lankan tea plantation in the 1930's. All of these stories connect in some way, and eventually form a fractured narrative focusing on Rasheed and Karna: "two brothers named after demigods from the ancient epic the Mahabharata" and their family.
This book is such a great balance between heart-breaking and heart-warming. More so the first, but it is written so beautifully that even the tragic bits feel bittersweet. Weaving back and forth between the past and the present (and everywhere and every-when in between), Kumarasamy keeps it readable yet poetic — I flew through the deliciously mishmashed timeline, instantly feeling for the characters and their complicated pasts.
It is difficult, I feel, to create empathy for characters in such an unconventional way, since we are only seeing snippets of their lives, switching from their own perspectives to others', from childhood to adulthood and back again. But I got attached quite quickly to this fictional family, and it was a joy to learn about Sri Lankan and Indian history and culture through their stories.
I went into this read fairly blind, a random grab from the "New Arrivals" shelf at my library. Not knowing much about what you're going to read is always a gamble, but this time it really paid off. Because of that, and my ignorance towards anything Sri Lanka outside of this book, I won't say more about the plot or specifics, only that this feels like one of those times where "the book found me".
The beginning was a bit shaky for me, but if you get it a chance to settle in, this short read is really worth picking up for anyone who loves jarred timelines, learning about history and culture outside of their bubble, coming of age or American immigrant stories. I gave it 4.5//5 stars because I was slightly disappointed in the ending.
"For a moment, staring at this piece of her life, she felt an overwhelming peacefulness and knew she was where she was meant to be. She wished she could carry this feeling like a candle from the kitchen to the bedroom, and at night when she woke fearful and uncertain, she would see the light and know she was home."
"Alone in the house, Rasheed and I waited for life to reveal itself. We would climb onto the roof after the sky had darkened. We could hear birds but not see them, and we called out to the unseen, the world around us.”
This book is composed of short stories taking place in different places and times: from a modern New Jersey suburb to a Sri Lankan tea plantation in the 1930's. All of these stories connect in some way, and eventually form a fractured narrative focusing on Rasheed and Karna: "two brothers named after demigods from the ancient epic the Mahabharata" and their family.
This book is such a great balance between heart-breaking and heart-warming. More so the first, but it is written so beautifully that even the tragic bits feel bittersweet. Weaving back and forth between the past and the present (and everywhere and every-when in between), Kumarasamy keeps it readable yet poetic — I flew through the deliciously mishmashed timeline, instantly feeling for the characters and their complicated pasts.
It is difficult, I feel, to create empathy for characters in such an unconventional way, since we are only seeing snippets of their lives, switching from their own perspectives to others', from childhood to adulthood and back again. But I got attached quite quickly to this fictional family, and it was a joy to learn about Sri Lankan and Indian history and culture through their stories.
I went into this read fairly blind, a random grab from the "New Arrivals" shelf at my library. Not knowing much about what you're going to read is always a gamble, but this time it really paid off. Because of that, and my ignorance towards anything Sri Lanka outside of this book, I won't say more about the plot or specifics, only that this feels like one of those times where "the book found me".
The beginning was a bit shaky for me, but if you get it a chance to settle in, this short read is really worth picking up for anyone who loves jarred timelines, learning about history and culture outside of their bubble, coming of age or American immigrant stories. I gave it 4.5//5 stars because I was slightly disappointed in the ending.
"For a moment, staring at this piece of her life, she felt an overwhelming peacefulness and knew she was where she was meant to be. She wished she could carry this feeling like a candle from the kitchen to the bedroom, and at night when she woke fearful and uncertain, she would see the light and know she was home."
July 2, 2018
Kumarasamy’s “Half Gods” is a brilliantly written collection of stories that primarily revolves around one family whose history begins in the Sri Lankan civil war as Tamil refugees and ends up with them in New Jersey dealing with the complexities of love, family, and holding on to your roots of a home that has displaced you.
Unfamiliar with the history of the civil war in Sri Lanka I had to do a little research myself as one of my favorite stories in this collection “A Story of Happiness” is told from the perspective of the grandfather who sought asylum in the United States as a Tamil refugee with his daughter. I think taking my time to explore a bit about the history of the war between the Tamil and Sinhalese and the conditions that led to it helped me understand the stories a bit more, and though one can certainly enjoy Kumarasamy’s work without that background knowledge, I think having readers explore that history may be one of Kumarasamy’s hopes. I say this because this book is largely about a set of characters that are not often reflected in American culture, even though they are a part of American culture. I think learning the history also helps gain a little perspective about refugees and the experiences that cause their displacement from their home country. This is a perspective that is desperately needed to be understood in America today and I think Kumarasamy does an excellent job exploring that in these stories.
The stories in “Half Gods” occur in a nonlinear fashion which I found to be a bit disorientating in the beginning, but once I caught on I ended up enjoying it (however I wonder if read in an altered sequence would the stories reveal anything different). Kumarasamy’s stories do not stop at the telling of a refugee experience. She details the reverberation of the choices made by family members throughout generations while also interweaving beautifully developed stories of characters that are not necessarily a part of the family, but characters that have entered this family’s life in some way (see “The Office of Missing Persons” or “The Butcher”). Kumarasamy has created a stunning a debut of work here and I highly recommend reading it.
Unfamiliar with the history of the civil war in Sri Lanka I had to do a little research myself as one of my favorite stories in this collection “A Story of Happiness” is told from the perspective of the grandfather who sought asylum in the United States as a Tamil refugee with his daughter. I think taking my time to explore a bit about the history of the war between the Tamil and Sinhalese and the conditions that led to it helped me understand the stories a bit more, and though one can certainly enjoy Kumarasamy’s work without that background knowledge, I think having readers explore that history may be one of Kumarasamy’s hopes. I say this because this book is largely about a set of characters that are not often reflected in American culture, even though they are a part of American culture. I think learning the history also helps gain a little perspective about refugees and the experiences that cause their displacement from their home country. This is a perspective that is desperately needed to be understood in America today and I think Kumarasamy does an excellent job exploring that in these stories.
The stories in “Half Gods” occur in a nonlinear fashion which I found to be a bit disorientating in the beginning, but once I caught on I ended up enjoying it (however I wonder if read in an altered sequence would the stories reveal anything different). Kumarasamy’s stories do not stop at the telling of a refugee experience. She details the reverberation of the choices made by family members throughout generations while also interweaving beautifully developed stories of characters that are not necessarily a part of the family, but characters that have entered this family’s life in some way (see “The Office of Missing Persons” or “The Butcher”). Kumarasamy has created a stunning a debut of work here and I highly recommend reading it.
July 29, 2018
Don't give up on this book if you find the beginning a little disjointed and hard to follow. The author's style takes a little getting used to and there are a fair number of characters but the shifting perspectives/time periods will fall in to place. I enjoyed the stories in Ceylon/Sri Lanka more than those set in NY/New Jersey. Some very moving and beautiful writing. By the end of the book I was so enthralled I went right back to chapter one since I had read the beginning confused and unsure if I would like the book. Definitely an author to watch!
June 15, 2018
Truly beautiful writing on the sentence level, and Kumarasamy is one of those rare writers who can pull off a short story cycle--where each piece stands alone, as well as builds on one another--but the prose is often too MFA (read: so finely polished that we lose a sense of personality). Whenever the author dips into the surreal, it's so wonderful that I wished more of the stories had strayed away from realism. Highly impressive for a debut.
August 24, 2018
4.5 stars I picked this out based solely on the cover and I'm so glad I did. Highly recommended.
September 5, 2018
4.5
I don’t necessarily like short stories. BUT. The language in these interconnected tales is so beautifully descriptive I can only rave about this book. So many phrases and sentences took my breath away. Read it and see for yourself. One BIG complaint -- the print in the hardcover is far too SMALL
I don’t necessarily like short stories. BUT. The language in these interconnected tales is so beautifully descriptive I can only rave about this book. So many phrases and sentences took my breath away. Read it and see for yourself. One BIG complaint -- the print in the hardcover is far too SMALL
August 17, 2018
Kumarasamy's debut novel is a heartbreak and a deliverance. Her characters' voices are clear and distinct. This work holds so much history and humanity in its pages.
April 30, 2018
Half Gods by Akil Kumarasamy is a new collection of short stories that all touch in some way upon the journeys of two brothers who are both named after demigods from the ancient text The Mahabharata. These stories, while spanning great distances in geography and time, all feel like parts of a larger work, a family narrative that is startling and beautiful. The book won't be released until June, but I received an advanced reader copy from the publisher, Farrar, Straus, and Giroux.
I really enjoyed reading this book, mainly because it offered me diversity in both genre and subject matter. Each story is narrated in a unique way, and I loved watching how the larger family history unfolds as each new character shared his or her side of the story. I also appreciated that the book touches on a culture and a history with which I am very unfamiliar. I did read The Mahabharata when I was in college, but I admit my knowledge of the ancient Hindu epic has grown a little shaky since then. It's not surprising, then, that I was a little confused at first by all of the different cultural references in the book.
In addition to some cultural confusion, the historical context was also unfamiliar to me--almost every story deals directly or indirectly with the Sri Lankan civil war. I'm not familiar with the intricate details of that conflict, but I learned a lot about it from this book. The civil war in Sri Lanka lasted 25 years, and some estimate that as many as 100,000 people lost their lives over the course of the war. The stories in Half Gods paint vivid pictures of what it was like to experience these conflicts firsthand. To me, learning about world events like this always serves as a sobering reminder that the world is much, much bigger than my little sphere. I also love that this book shows struggles and triumphs together--incredible hardships and the bonds that help us overcome them.
Kumarasamy's writing style is quite poetic, and many of the lines left me startled or staring at the page, trying to soak in everything I'd just read. But because each story was narrated in a unique way or from a different character's perspective, the artistic style rarely felt overwhelming. I would say that's one thing this book does really well--the higher, more poetic style doesn't feel forced; it elevates the stories and makes them feel almost mythological.
On the whole, if you enjoy good, literary short stories that open your eyes to diverse people, faiths, and experiences, check out Half Gods! It releases June 5 from Farrar, Straus, and Giroux. Thanks to FSG for the chance to read and review this book!!
I really enjoyed reading this book, mainly because it offered me diversity in both genre and subject matter. Each story is narrated in a unique way, and I loved watching how the larger family history unfolds as each new character shared his or her side of the story. I also appreciated that the book touches on a culture and a history with which I am very unfamiliar. I did read The Mahabharata when I was in college, but I admit my knowledge of the ancient Hindu epic has grown a little shaky since then. It's not surprising, then, that I was a little confused at first by all of the different cultural references in the book.
In addition to some cultural confusion, the historical context was also unfamiliar to me--almost every story deals directly or indirectly with the Sri Lankan civil war. I'm not familiar with the intricate details of that conflict, but I learned a lot about it from this book. The civil war in Sri Lanka lasted 25 years, and some estimate that as many as 100,000 people lost their lives over the course of the war. The stories in Half Gods paint vivid pictures of what it was like to experience these conflicts firsthand. To me, learning about world events like this always serves as a sobering reminder that the world is much, much bigger than my little sphere. I also love that this book shows struggles and triumphs together--incredible hardships and the bonds that help us overcome them.
Kumarasamy's writing style is quite poetic, and many of the lines left me startled or staring at the page, trying to soak in everything I'd just read. But because each story was narrated in a unique way or from a different character's perspective, the artistic style rarely felt overwhelming. I would say that's one thing this book does really well--the higher, more poetic style doesn't feel forced; it elevates the stories and makes them feel almost mythological.
On the whole, if you enjoy good, literary short stories that open your eyes to diverse people, faiths, and experiences, check out Half Gods! It releases June 5 from Farrar, Straus, and Giroux. Thanks to FSG for the chance to read and review this book!!
August 4, 2018
Intriguing interlocking stories of characters-without-borders (both geographically and within the book) who appear and reappear to have a ghostly impact on the narrative. The undercurrent of the stories is of displaced peoples (mainly Sri Lankan Tamil, but also others escaping different losses) finding their new lives haunted by their past, across generations. Wonderful writerly control and deep but paradoxical descriptions make it an impressive debut. Was amazed by the rich (and verifiably correct) historical and cultural details of events and customs from the variety of places the characters inhabit.
May 5, 2019
I don't know whether it's because I don't know enough about Sri Lanka's history and culture, or if it's that the stories fail the make the necessary links for the reader, but throughout this series of linked stories, I was never sure who was whom or when the stories were set because it all jumped around so much, with zero signposting to help us out. There's some very interesting relationships and characters, but nothing coheres for me.
August 5, 2018
Akil Kumarasamy is a beautiful writer. The stories are wonderful, sensitve, profound.
September 12, 2018
I picked this up in the library knowing nothing about it and I’m really glad I took a chance. Half Gods is a series of interconnected stories that focus on two brothers, Arjuna and Karna, the two half gods of the title named after characters in the Mahabharata. It opens when they are brothers living with their mother and grandfather in New Jersey, introducing some of the family’s backstory which begun with their grandfather emigrating from Sri Lanka when it was still Ceylon and looking at their relationship as brothers. Each chapter then deals with different periods of time and narrators and initially this was disconcerting, trying to figure out who is speaking and when and where they are, but after a few chapters this becomes more obvious straight away.
Several of the stories refer to the civil war in Sri Lanka and the persecution of the Tamil minority. I knew something of this from reading Anil’s Ghost by Michael Ondaatje and a quick Wikipedia search supplied a few extra details. I appreciate when a book teaches me like this, makes me delve into countries, cultures and major events of which I have limited knowledge, taking place as it did when I was young. Several other stories focus on the immigration experience and this too is always of interest to me, but much of the book simply focuses on relationships in families, and with friends, that are universal with a focus on the loneliness that so many people feel every day, compounded by living in a country that isn’t your own.
The writing is often lovely and haunting and the book just got more engrossing as I read with stories of Sri Lanka interspersed with those from the U.S. The Office of Missing Persons and Lifetimes in flight are both heartbreaking but most of the stories have a strong element of melancholy and a yearning by their characters for someone or something. This is a debut from an author that I will be eagerly watching to see what she writes next.
‘Over the phone, one official asked him if he was sure his son existed, that maybe he just had one son. And for a brief stretch of a sound wave, he wanted to believe it-he had only one son in his happy family with his happy insects-and then he screamed at the man, calling him a donkey-fucking, ten-handed pervert.’
‘Nadarajah had wanted to become a physicist and study the laws of nature. He remembered the formula for the force of gravity when he saw a man’s head chopped and thrown into the sky like a football’
“This could be it, folks,” the man said. “A white Christmas.” The first time Marlon heard this, Kwame explained to him that white meant snow, not people, and then smirked as he pointed below at every white pedestrian on the street and cried out, “Christmas”.
Several of the stories refer to the civil war in Sri Lanka and the persecution of the Tamil minority. I knew something of this from reading Anil’s Ghost by Michael Ondaatje and a quick Wikipedia search supplied a few extra details. I appreciate when a book teaches me like this, makes me delve into countries, cultures and major events of which I have limited knowledge, taking place as it did when I was young. Several other stories focus on the immigration experience and this too is always of interest to me, but much of the book simply focuses on relationships in families, and with friends, that are universal with a focus on the loneliness that so many people feel every day, compounded by living in a country that isn’t your own.
The writing is often lovely and haunting and the book just got more engrossing as I read with stories of Sri Lanka interspersed with those from the U.S. The Office of Missing Persons and Lifetimes in flight are both heartbreaking but most of the stories have a strong element of melancholy and a yearning by their characters for someone or something. This is a debut from an author that I will be eagerly watching to see what she writes next.
‘Over the phone, one official asked him if he was sure his son existed, that maybe he just had one son. And for a brief stretch of a sound wave, he wanted to believe it-he had only one son in his happy family with his happy insects-and then he screamed at the man, calling him a donkey-fucking, ten-handed pervert.’
‘Nadarajah had wanted to become a physicist and study the laws of nature. He remembered the formula for the force of gravity when he saw a man’s head chopped and thrown into the sky like a football’
“This could be it, folks,” the man said. “A white Christmas.” The first time Marlon heard this, Kwame explained to him that white meant snow, not people, and then smirked as he pointed below at every white pedestrian on the street and cried out, “Christmas”.
July 17, 2018
I received a free copy of this book from the Publisher through Goodreads Giveaways.
This is a beautiful collection of short stories about related people in different vignettes in the U.S. and in Sri Lanka. The author has a poetic style with her language. It seems like everyday events are beautiful occasions when she puts her sentences together. It appears a bit dreamy at times like an outsider viewing the actors as if in a play.
I have to admit my ignorance at most of anything related to Sri Lanka so it was a good start to my education to read this work.
This is a beautiful collection of short stories about related people in different vignettes in the U.S. and in Sri Lanka. The author has a poetic style with her language. It seems like everyday events are beautiful occasions when she puts her sentences together. It appears a bit dreamy at times like an outsider viewing the actors as if in a play.
I have to admit my ignorance at most of anything related to Sri Lanka so it was a good start to my education to read this work.
June 7, 2018
Each story is a gem that shines on it's own. But when read in a sequence, a delicate silk thread links them together forming a beautiful necklace. I enjoyed all the stories and especially liked 'The Butcher'. It reminded me of James Joyce's 'The Dead'.
May 24, 2018
Amazing debut. Kumarasamy is a truly skilled writer. She can do fantastic, provocative imagery as well as she does dynamic plot lines. Her work has a sort of a magical realism feel to it without the heavy-handed metaphorical quality that generally bogs down actual magical realism.
In each moment of her stories she knows precisely what matters, what item creates the best parallels to her characters' internal conflict, and the larger narratives her characters fall victim to.
My only gripe with her style is that it can quickly become disjointed at times, and I think that stems from an effort on her part to tie together disparate images and experiences. It is a noble effort for sure.
At its best, when her writing is firing on all cylinders, Kumarasamy's style pulls you into a world that engages from every angle and keeps you on your toes. It's like traveling to a new country for the first time, where everything feels new and exciting but is also imbued with a kind of thrilling unease.
At its worst, Kumarasamy comes across as distracted and maybe bored with the very story she is trying to tell. But that is not so common here.
In each moment of her stories she knows precisely what matters, what item creates the best parallels to her characters' internal conflict, and the larger narratives her characters fall victim to.
My only gripe with her style is that it can quickly become disjointed at times, and I think that stems from an effort on her part to tie together disparate images and experiences. It is a noble effort for sure.
At its best, when her writing is firing on all cylinders, Kumarasamy's style pulls you into a world that engages from every angle and keeps you on your toes. It's like traveling to a new country for the first time, where everything feels new and exciting but is also imbued with a kind of thrilling unease.
At its worst, Kumarasamy comes across as distracted and maybe bored with the very story she is trying to tell. But that is not so common here.
June 6, 2018
Thanks to FSG for sending me a review copy!
Ohhhh this book. This book. At page 10, I almost abandoned it and told myself I'd try another ten pages. I did the same thing at page 20, and 30, because I think reading books means trusting the author enough to let them surprise you - and OH was I surprised. It's layered and brutally specific and immersive.
This isn't quite a novel - it's ten interconnected stories that follow one Sri Lankan family through decades, from tea plantations and the violent killings of the marginalized Tamil, to later generations' immigrant experiences in the United States. Part of my initial disconnect with this story was just my complete ignorance to historical and cultural context.
Second favorite thing: the beautiful writing. I love the idea of interlinked stories, wonderful and moving in themselves while also adding to the larger story. Kumarasamy writes startling, memorable characters. Favorite thing: the way fiction like this can introduce me to a new (to me) perspective and part of the world.
Ohhhh this book. This book. At page 10, I almost abandoned it and told myself I'd try another ten pages. I did the same thing at page 20, and 30, because I think reading books means trusting the author enough to let them surprise you - and OH was I surprised. It's layered and brutally specific and immersive.
This isn't quite a novel - it's ten interconnected stories that follow one Sri Lankan family through decades, from tea plantations and the violent killings of the marginalized Tamil, to later generations' immigrant experiences in the United States. Part of my initial disconnect with this story was just my complete ignorance to historical and cultural context.
Second favorite thing: the beautiful writing. I love the idea of interlinked stories, wonderful and moving in themselves while also adding to the larger story. Kumarasamy writes startling, memorable characters. Favorite thing: the way fiction like this can introduce me to a new (to me) perspective and part of the world.
August 11, 2018
I probably wouldn't have picked this one up if I hadn't seen it being reviewed in The New Yorker. That being said, I'm glad I read it. It's a collection of short stories connecting a series of characters across generations, all in some form of exile from their lives. The writing was a little uneven; some of the stories (particularly the last two) soared while others I had to plod through. Overall, a good read. I look forward to more from the writer.
July 4, 2018
The interlinked stories in Half Gods spins a marvelous multilayered tale. There is the story of war and loss. There is the story of coming of age of the two brother Arjun and Karna. There is the story of friendships across cultures. There is the story of a shy entomologist finding his inner strength on his journey to find his missing son. The overarching story is one of the resilience of the human spirit and it’s ability to rise above adversity and find joy.
July 17, 2018
Magical Realism
There are no talking cats like in Haruki Murakami’s novels, but there is magical realism in Half Gods. Interlacing the telling of war, displacement and loss with magical realism creates a stunning and magical effect. Especially loved ‘The office of the missing persons’ and ‘A story of Happiness’.
There are no talking cats like in Haruki Murakami’s novels, but there is magical realism in Half Gods. Interlacing the telling of war, displacement and loss with magical realism creates a stunning and magical effect. Especially loved ‘The office of the missing persons’ and ‘A story of Happiness’.
August 13, 2018
*won in a Goodreads giveaway*
I was very intrigued by the premise of this book. I admit I knew almost nothing about the Sri Lankan civil war, despite there being a family of Sri Lankans that moved to my town and attended high school with me. I didn't know them well and never learned their story, but couldn't help but think of them while reading this book.
The stories span generations and continents and painted a vibrant picture of family, love, loss, heritage and grief. The first and last stories of the book were my least favorite and as such it took me until the second story to really get into the flow and get to know the characters. However I did connect to the book as a whole and I'm grateful for the opportunity to have read it. I definitely recommend checking it out.
I was very intrigued by the premise of this book. I admit I knew almost nothing about the Sri Lankan civil war, despite there being a family of Sri Lankans that moved to my town and attended high school with me. I didn't know them well and never learned their story, but couldn't help but think of them while reading this book.
The stories span generations and continents and painted a vibrant picture of family, love, loss, heritage and grief. The first and last stories of the book were my least favorite and as such it took me until the second story to really get into the flow and get to know the characters. However I did connect to the book as a whole and I'm grateful for the opportunity to have read it. I definitely recommend checking it out.
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