by Arundhati Roy (Pub) Harper Perennial, 1998 I'd heard about what a brilliant novel "The God of Small Things'' was from at least three people before I actually got a chance to read it earlier this year.

And unlike most books where the hype doesn't live up to the product, this first novel by Indian writer Arundhati Roy is a real winner.

This book tells the story of a wealthy, upper-caste Indian family, fraternal twin children Estha and Rahel's growing years, and how pain and joy can come from the most unexpected places.

I'm not going to succumb to the temptation to give an in-depth plot description simply because it would ruin the whole point of the book.

It is precisely the book's subtlety, it's ability to capture the nuances -- the "small things'' that are really big things -- which magnify the childhood events that shape who we become as adults.

The unusual, creative way that children think -- and how ultimately vulnerable they are to decisions made in the adult world -- is also beautifully captured in this novel.

And of course, if you're interested in learning about some of the subtleties of culture that can only be captured through literature, it's a good book for a few insights into Indian culture.

Interestingly enough, the author, Arundhati Roy, is actually trained as an architect -- a point which I'm sure has a bearing on the way the book is constructed.

The novel starts off very slowly and vaguely -- if you're looking for "the point'' of the book early on, you just might miss it.

The chapters continually circle around the source of conflict -- like vultures -- without ever naming it until finally the last chapter brings the rest of the book into focus.

Needless to say, you'll probably want to read it twice -- but the book's epigraph by John Berger sums it up: "Never again will a single story be told as though it's the only one.'' Kim Dismont Robinson BOOKS BKS REVIEW REV