The Association of Small Bombs

By: Karan Mahajan

Narrated by: Neil Shah

Length: 9 hrs and 12 mins

Publisher's summary

The Association of Small Bombs is an expansive and deeply humane novel that is at once groundbreaking in empathy, dazzling in acuity, and ambitious in scope.

When brothers Tushar and Nakul Khurana, two Delhi schoolboys, pick up their family's television at a repair shop with their friend, Mansoor Ahmed, one day in 1996, disaster strikes without warning. A bomb - one of the many "small" bombs that go off seemingly unheralded across the world - detonates in the Delhi marketplace, instantly claiming the lives of the Khurana boys, to the devastation of their parents. Mansoor survives, bearing the physical and psychological effects of the bomb.

After a brief stint at a university in America, Mansoor returns to Delhi, where his life becomes entangled with the mysterious and charismatic Ayub, a fearless young activist whose own allegiances and beliefs are more malleable than Mansoor could imagine. Woven into the story of the Khuranas and the Ahmeds is the gripping tale of Shockie, a Kashmiri bomb maker who has forsaken his own life for the independence of his homeland.

Karan Mahajan writes brilliantly about the effects of terrorism on victims and perpetrators, proving himself to be one of the most provocative and dynamic novelists of his generation.

©2016 Karan Mahajan (P)2016 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

MODI'S INDIA

“The Association of Small Bombs” ticks slowly but makes a loud noise as its message becomes clear. Karan Mahajan explains something about India that is only marginally understood by most Americans. It is no surprise that terrorism comes from racial, religious, and ethnic difference, magnified by inequality. What is a surprise is India’s terrorist acts are local events, poorly prosecuted and soon forgotten by those not directly involved.

Mahajan illustrates how inequality is an equal opportunity victimizer in India. The wider point of Mahajan’s story is that denial of equal opportunity for all races, religions, and ethnicities in any nation-state is a crime against humanity.

liked it

narrator was excellent, did excellent job of giving each character a distinct personality.

Four stars bc it felt like the author didn't quite stick the landing, but the build up was excellent. the plot itself felt as tho it ended strangely-- as tho nothing was rly resolved . but I was deeply invested in most of the characters and in the storyline. and, anyway, what is the purpose of narrative resolution in the first place? maybe the author chose to leave things loose bc there is no big narrative wrap up after a trauma. life just keeps going and going. so does this book.

I get not everything is a happy ending but..

What did you like best about The Association of Small Bombs? What did you like least?

Performance.. the development of each of the characters

What was the most interesting aspect of this story? The least interesting?

Being put into the minds of people committing terrorist attacks

Have you listened to any of Neil Shah’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

No.

Any additional comments?

I get not having happy endings but.. just to have every single character have an unhappy ending?.. come on! I listed this long for SOME sort of reward. This was very depressing.

Amazing novel, exceptionally performed

This book was astonishing, and its narrator is outstanding, performing a wide range of voices and accents with distinction.

This Did Not Work For Me

I gave it three stars since this is one of those books. It is well written and definitely worth reading but just didn't work for me.

A tragedy of manners

What does Neil Shah bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

He is an excellent reader, just the right amount of personalization of the various characters, and flawless pronunciation.

Any additional comments?

For about the first half of the book it was a kind of comedy of manners for terrorists and their victims, with a lot about the foibles of the all-too-human characters. The book becomes, I would say, progressively dark as the ramifications of destructiveness are played out: parent who, having lost their children, cannot find their way back to life. Young men who experience oppression as Muslims in India, as well as other losses, who lose their way and then their lives. Others who are ruined by the brutal and capricious state. The author explores all this with great sensitivity to his characters. The author is also a fine writer, with many interesting metaphors (which I wish I had written down), but who also maintains a good pace in his story.

Things do decidedly not come right in the end, but the book is not a complete downer either. In addition to the humor of human frailty, there is the author's compassion that keeps the lights on throughout.

Not gripping

I kept expecting the story to be a page turner and it was not. I found this book easy to put down.

Point of View

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Absolutely. This is an amazing story that expands our understanding of the different forces at work in our world today and which influence all of our lfves.

What did you like best about this story?

The author explores uncharted territory in today's fiction. The story was a sensitive and bold look at the so called "terrorists" who have become the scapegoat for the social, political, and economic ills of our world.

Which character – as performed by Neil Shah – was your favorite?

The boy who is injured in the terrorist attack is the most accessible character in the novel.

Who was the most memorable character of The Association of Small Bombs and why?

Each character is well developed and memorable. They all stand out in their own unique statement.

Any additional comments?

This is a very honest look at many sides of a very difficult question. The book provides an in depth appreciation of a controversial subject.

An engrossing modern tragedy

Like a Greek play the audience is slowly embraced by human emotionally driven fallibility. With tenacity one is pulled into a morass confused by understanding and repugnance. Pulled on to engage in what is both avoidable and predictable. The narrator adds to immersive involvement in the characters of the protagonists and antagonists. One leaves the story wondering where one stands. Questioning values, questioning reason.

Book Causes Empathy for Terrorists. Alarming?!

This story is actually pretty amazing if you stick with it and really listen. In it, highly empathetic, religious, virtuous characters are slowly, but surely moved toward accepting their life's work as terrorists; acting on the voices of distant leaders who command them to blow people and perhaps, even themselves to bits. Meanwhile, the reader develops a sense of respect for and empathy with these same characters; hoping beyond hope that they will not fall prey to the mindset of a victim who must seek revenge.

Most of all, this book is a demonstration of sorts in how the wrong-thinking and mis-deeds of a few affect us all; just the precise goal of terrorism. Set in modern-day India, Muslims who suffer discrimination at the hands of all other religions, find that they have little choice but to respond to their plight by hurting those who hurt them.

I like this story for the insights it provided on how easily minds can be won by the cult of terrorism. It will give you pause for sure, but I recommend it for those seeking a better understanding of what may be happening in the background as terrorists evolve and propagate.