The God of Small Things received stellar reviews in major American newspapers such as The New York Times (a "dazzling first novel",[3] "extraordinary", "at once so morally strenuous and so imaginatively supple"[4]) and the Los Angeles Times ("a novel of poignancy and considerable sweep"[5]), and in Canadian publications such as the Toronto Star ("a lush, magical novel"[6]). Time named it one of the best books of the year.[7] Critical response in the United Kingdom was less positive, and the awarding of the Booker Prize caused controversy; Carmen Callil, a 1996 Booker Prize judge, called the novel "execrable", and The Guardian described the contest as "profoundly depressing".[8] In India, the book was criticised especially for its unrestrained description of sexuality by E. K. Nayanar,[9] then Chief Minister of Roy's home state Kerala, where she had to answer charges of obscenity.[10] The book has since been translated into Malayalam by Priya A. S., under the title Kunju Karyangalude Odeythampuran.[11] [12] Some critics have pointed out that the reader reviews of this book on bookseller websites are so extremely opposed at times that it is difficult to imagine readers are saying this about the same book.[13]
In 2014, the novel was ranked in The Telegraph as one of the 10 all-time greatest Asian novels.[14] On 5 November 2019, the BBC News listed The God of Small Things on its list of the 100 most influential novels.[15] Emma Lee-Potter of The Independent listed it as one of the 12 best Indian novels.[16]
In 2022, the novel was included on the "Big Jubilee Read" list of 70 books by Commonwealth authors, selected to celebrate the Platinum Jubilee of Elizabeth II.[17]
