1-50

I feel the biggest thing that jumps out at me is her blatant stream of information. Nothing in this book appears to be sugar coated, or too obvious. I think the reason why I like this style so much is because Katherine Boo is writing in a way that lets the reader experience the culture first hand. Yes, she uses some very basic “in Annawadian culture” statements, but they are almost given as background information to the story that is unfolding rather than facts and the story being only a side feature. I like this style because we are able to almost form our own opinions and views on the culture itself without the stereotypical or overbearing ideas of those before us. I think one of the most important sections that illustrates this is the section which talks about Asha’s thirst for power. I get a feeling that Asha is becoming or is a villain in the story, but Boo simply writes about the encounters of Asha and the mindset that she has. This gives a much more hands on kind of feel rather than dry facts that have no context to live in.

The writing in a more general sense needs to have the same feeling that Boo’s writing has. Reading this book is very gentle to me. I don’t feel bombarded with facts or anecdotes. The reader is easily led from one topic and idea to another without a stark statement of fact. The way Boo weaves the stories with facts when she talks about the drive for every Annawadian to have a stable job, then brings it back to the poor old man who just needs a heart valve, then back out to the loan sharks, bankers, and more that wish to take advantage of such a man, Boo hits on a number of underlying facts that the reader picks up on easily, without killing the excitement of the story, or the reader’s interest.