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The Death of Vishnu
The Death of Vishnu
Author: Manil Suri
At the opening of this masterful debut novel, Vishnu lies dying on the staircase he inhabits while his neighbors the Pathaks and the Asranis argue over who will pay for an ambulance. As the action spirals up through the floors of the apartment building we are pulled into the drama of the residents' lives: Mr. Jalal's obsessive search for higher ...  more »
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ISBN-13: 9780393050424
ISBN-10: 0393050424
Publication Date: 1/2001
Pages: 256
Rating:
  • Currently 3.8/5 Stars.
 12
3.8 stars, based on 12 ratings
Publisher: W. W. Norton Company
Book Type: Hardcover
Other Versions: Paperback, Audio Cassette, Audio CD
Reviews: Member | Amazon | Write a Review

Top Member Book Reviews

 helena avatar reviewed The Death of Vishnu on + 4 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 7
This book was so well-written that it felt like I could feel the steps under my feet. It is a wonderful glimpse into another culture.
reviewed The Death of Vishnu on + 68 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 2
In all honesty, I couldn't finish the book. I was frustrated with the characters. The book was exacting with everyone's thoughts toward another aired for the reader. Meanwhile the body rotted. Yes, it was a glimpse of India. It was also a glimpse into the nature of man. The author is talented but the book was depressing.
reviewed The Death of Vishnu on + 5 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 2
Very well written, and quite fascinating. Both and a exposure to an unfamiliar culture and a glimpse into the hallucinatory mind of a dying man all mixed up with some striking characters makes this an great read. I couldn't put it down!
reviewed The Death of Vishnu on + 2 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1
An interesting insight into another culture.
trishajjr avatar reviewed The Death of Vishnu on + 20 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1
This is a story of an East Indian man who lives on the steps of a building and dies there. I got an excellent peek into life in India. The man dies and is left there for a long time while the people who live in the building react and remember him. It is an excellent look into Indian culture and you leave the book having met some memorable characters.
Read All 20 Book Reviews of "The Death of Vishnu"

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 reviewed The Death of Vishnu on + 15 more book reviews
This is a wonderful book. It's unfortunate the previous reviewer says this is a paperback because that's incorrect, this IS a hardcover book (I have two copies with ISBN 0393050424, and the cover looks exactly like the picture).
reviewed The Death of Vishnu on + 29 more book reviews
A peek at life (and death) in Bombay. The lives of several people living in an apt. complex unfold as one of them lays dying on a stairway. A man who has lost his wife,teenage lovers, couples, and merchants. Very good
writereditor avatar reviewed The Death of Vishnu on + 13 more book reviews
A very powerful story of redemption and faith, charmingly told. This is a book with wonderful characters, leading lives that look so simple on the surface, but are spiritually complex.
reviewed The Death of Vishnu on + 41 more book reviews
I thoroughly enjoyed this poetically written novel that explores relationships between neighbors of differing religions in an apartment building in Bombay. Manil Suri does a beautiful job of weaving in the insights of a dying man with those living around him. Very original!
reviewed The Death of Vishnu on + 7 more book reviews
Colorful but uneven.
reviewed The Death of Vishnu on + 16 more book reviews
"The Death of Vishnu" centers around an alcoholic man named Vishnu who lives on the landing of an apartment building and who, as he's slowly (please note, VERY slowly) dying, wonders if he is perhaps the god, Vishnu. How a man as pathetic as this one could wonder if he is really a god, let alone sustain a novel as it's protagonist is beyond my grasp.

Although it is an interesting, albeit not unusual, premise to tell a story from the point of view of a dying man as he reflects on his failed existence and his neighbors (whose lives are much more in-depth and intriguing), this novel falls short of what it was capable of. I believe it was perhaps a combination of the unstimulating writing and the irritating and unlovable protagonist that doomed this novel long before Vishnu finally kicked the bucket.

In writing this novel, the author, Suri, forgot a fundamental element in any piece of fiction - the main character must be lovable or endearing, or at least learn from his mistakes. In the flashbacks, Vishnu is shown as obsessed with a prostitute who won't give him the time of day and who is no more interesting than he is. Their love scenes, of which there are several, are nothing more than disturbing. When he's not reflecting on the prostitute that spurned his affections, he's lusting after the beautiful teenage girl who lives in the building and reflecting on what he would do with her if he wasn't a cripple (uh, pedophile anyone?).

I finished this novel sorry that I had ever bought it to begin with, but glad I only paid $2 for it in the discount section of a bookstore.
reviewed The Death of Vishnu on + 2 more book reviews
This is a cleverly written book. The characters are very interesting. It is like taking a trip to India.
reviewed The Death of Vishnu on + 2 more book reviews
A story about life in Bombay, India. The characters all live in the same apartment building and are dealing with the death of the man who lives on the landing of the ground floor. You step into all characters lives.
The book is easy to read.

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