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The Loudest Firecracker
It's India versus Pakistan and as the excitement soars in the final over of a memorable cricket match, ten-year-old Siddharth sets off a firecracker. The blast that follows will change his life. Siddharth discovers that growing up isn't he has to handle a tragic death, his best friend is gravitating to a rghtwing political party, and his film-maker father has troubles of his own as he shifts away from the commercial but lucrative world of Hindi movies. And Poona is nothing at all like Bombay. Will tennis matches help, or can his mother's beautifully retold myths do the trick? Will instant noodles come to Siddharth's rescue, or will it be his old elocution standby, The Charge of the Light Brigade? In this touching, poignant and often hilarious debut novel, Arun Krishnan has created a world we all recognise, one that will appeal equally to young adults and a more mature audience.
182 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2009
2 people are currently reading
19 people want to read
About the author
Arun Krishnan
10 booksThere is more than one author by this name in the Goodreads database.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
July 6, 2009
I loved this! The author's podcast has long been one of my favorites, and the novel struck me as having a very different voice that used some of the same ingredients (love of Hindi films and observations on what they say about contemporary Indian culture; slightly satirical eye for contemporary events). The hero is so charming, and his struggle to be himself while navigating school, family, and peer pressures is totally relatable to anyone who was ever 12. Somehow he manages to put himself back on a pretty even keel after a real tragedy and is brave enough to weed out the dangerous, close-minded forces in his world. I work with 12-year-olds all the time, and I hope all of them could be like Siddharth - heck, I wish I could be more like him, listening to my inner sensible nature.
On a personal (and purely speculative) note, I think the hero and I were probably born around the same time, and I liked imagining that I was one of his classmates and could use the book to get a hint at what life might be like if I had been born in India in 1974 instead of in Illinois.
On a personal (and purely speculative) note, I think the hero and I were probably born around the same time, and I liked imagining that I was one of his classmates and could use the book to get a hint at what life might be like if I had been born in India in 1974 instead of in Illinois.
December 30, 2014
Poignant brilliance! The story of a young imaginative boy who suffers at the hands of communalism, and how strong family values and love keep him off the wrong path. The end was mute, there was a movie story within the story and a few digressions - but somehow it all added to the overall sense of being inside a boy's head.
February 5, 2021
I can easily see this book resonating really strongly with certain people, but I don't think it did for me. This might be because of how I chose to read it, in bed, a bit at a time before sleep.
The world that Siddharth inhabits, and how he interprets it are really well done reflections on how dramatic changes in childhood can color your perception of the world. It also shows us how the world can change around us, and being aware -or not- of wider contexts affects even day to day actions.
Watching his friend get pulled deeper into the 'rightwing political party' was difficult to read, and appropriately so.
The world that Siddharth inhabits, and how he interprets it are really well done reflections on how dramatic changes in childhood can color your perception of the world. It also shows us how the world can change around us, and being aware -or not- of wider contexts affects even day to day actions.
Watching his friend get pulled deeper into the 'rightwing political party' was difficult to read, and appropriately so.
October 14, 2018
Seemed average when I bought it but ended up thouroughly enjoying it. Enjoyed Pune references and way the characters were portrayed.
April 14, 2009
Arun Krishnan whacks the coming of age story out of the park in this novel about a young man struggling to come to terms with life, death, politics, adulthood and most importantly, national sporting events. If Kurt Vonnegut, Milan Kundera and Ernest Hemingway got together to co-write a modern mythology set in 1980’s India, The Loudest Firecracker would be a product of this collaboration. With imagery recalling the allegories of the Bhagavad-Gita, and a writing style that is smooth, yet deep, Krishnan pens a beautiful tale with seeming ease and humor that examined more closely has all the intricacies of a finely woven tapestry.
The Loudest Firecracker follows the saga of Siddarth, a ten year old boy forced to move from Bombay to Poona – from the big city lights to the small dirt roads of a less economically prolific town. In Siddarth’s story, we see India in the 1980’s – shortly after the assassination of Indira Ghandi – during a time of political and social unrest. The ethos of a people preoccupied with terrorism, political slant and race hits very close to the home of the 21st century reader.
We also see Poona through the eyes of Arun Krishnan, who moved to the United States in the mid-1990s. He brings to life the sounds and smells of a city and people most of us will never see first hand. Krishnan brings us two Indias : the gold-paved streets and superficiality of Bollywood, and the mud and sewage soaked alleyways of the Maharashtran ghettos. He shows us the dichotomies of modern society by bringing us a divided country – Muslims on one side, Hindus on the other – a place where politicians use hope as a tool to manipulate the disenchanted masses. He brings us the rivalries between India ’s and Pakistan ’s cricket teams. He illustrates the struggle of a boy who desperately wants to use his left hand, but is forced to use his right.
And through it all, the young hero, Siddarth is pushed and pulled in every direction, teetering on the edge of something he doesn’t understand. However, we can all relate to Siddarth’s struggle. His innocence is like the wisdom of someone with many past lives.
Siddarth, like most ten year old Indian boys, loves cricket - especially if it involves watching an Indian national team game. On the day of India ’s shocking last minute loss to Pakistan , the social tension comes to a hilt and a wave of violence sweeps across India . Was this violence and bloodshed caused by young Siddarth, who lit a loud firecracker in a crowded place, or was it much more deeply rooted in the souls of the populace? Was the death of his mother caused by this small act of childish recklessness? Was he the cause of the uprising of an extremist politician’s agenda? These are some of the questions Siddarth must explore in his journey.
In this novel, we see the huge ripple effect that a small firework can cause. We see a boy whose love for his mother gives him the strength to stand up in the face of adversity. We follow him as he struggles for his father’s affection; he struggles to fit in with the wrong crowd; he struggles to attract the attention of the neighbor’s beautiful daughter, and when he discovers his passion for tennis, he struggles to beat his best friend in the match of his life. Despite all this struggling, Siddarth, and Krishnan, always stay upbeat, making sure not to dwell on the negative aspects of life.
Krishnan gives us all in his debut novel. After turning the last page, the reader will feel as if he just spent some time with close friends, with a sense of satisfaction held only on momentous occasions. Rich in allegory, and tersely witty, Arun Krishnan delivers a reading sensation that takes the reader home, no matter where that home may be.
The Loudest Firecracker follows the saga of Siddarth, a ten year old boy forced to move from Bombay to Poona – from the big city lights to the small dirt roads of a less economically prolific town. In Siddarth’s story, we see India in the 1980’s – shortly after the assassination of Indira Ghandi – during a time of political and social unrest. The ethos of a people preoccupied with terrorism, political slant and race hits very close to the home of the 21st century reader.
We also see Poona through the eyes of Arun Krishnan, who moved to the United States in the mid-1990s. He brings to life the sounds and smells of a city and people most of us will never see first hand. Krishnan brings us two Indias : the gold-paved streets and superficiality of Bollywood, and the mud and sewage soaked alleyways of the Maharashtran ghettos. He shows us the dichotomies of modern society by bringing us a divided country – Muslims on one side, Hindus on the other – a place where politicians use hope as a tool to manipulate the disenchanted masses. He brings us the rivalries between India ’s and Pakistan ’s cricket teams. He illustrates the struggle of a boy who desperately wants to use his left hand, but is forced to use his right.
And through it all, the young hero, Siddarth is pushed and pulled in every direction, teetering on the edge of something he doesn’t understand. However, we can all relate to Siddarth’s struggle. His innocence is like the wisdom of someone with many past lives.
Siddarth, like most ten year old Indian boys, loves cricket - especially if it involves watching an Indian national team game. On the day of India ’s shocking last minute loss to Pakistan , the social tension comes to a hilt and a wave of violence sweeps across India . Was this violence and bloodshed caused by young Siddarth, who lit a loud firecracker in a crowded place, or was it much more deeply rooted in the souls of the populace? Was the death of his mother caused by this small act of childish recklessness? Was he the cause of the uprising of an extremist politician’s agenda? These are some of the questions Siddarth must explore in his journey.
In this novel, we see the huge ripple effect that a small firework can cause. We see a boy whose love for his mother gives him the strength to stand up in the face of adversity. We follow him as he struggles for his father’s affection; he struggles to fit in with the wrong crowd; he struggles to attract the attention of the neighbor’s beautiful daughter, and when he discovers his passion for tennis, he struggles to beat his best friend in the match of his life. Despite all this struggling, Siddarth, and Krishnan, always stay upbeat, making sure not to dwell on the negative aspects of life.
Krishnan gives us all in his debut novel. After turning the last page, the reader will feel as if he just spent some time with close friends, with a sense of satisfaction held only on momentous occasions. Rich in allegory, and tersely witty, Arun Krishnan delivers a reading sensation that takes the reader home, no matter where that home may be.
November 15, 2015
I really loved this book! I read it in one day. I hardly ever do that with books, but this novel really drew me in. It's the story of a boy going through some turbulent times of transition, but that doesn't encapsulate it all. It's filled with Bollywood and other cultural references that made the story really captivating for me. Delightful. I highly recommend.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews