The book lives up to its hype - it is entertaining, the characterizations are well-etched and captivating. Estha really tugs at your heart, and Rahel's mental torture is brilliant in its silence. The visual writing style was appealing in its uniqueness. I did have a couple of the proverbial bones to pick with the author - why did the twins have to end up the way they did ? I felt the twins' fate was thought up as a commercialisation, something twisted to attract readers. I felt it was wholly unnecessary. And the use of the word 'laterite' with such relentless and unnecesary frequency irritated me. Why 'laterite'???