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The Bandit Queens: A Novel | Parini Shroff

BarbaraBB @RebelReader @rockpools @Ruthiella @SamAnne @Sapphire @sarahbarnes @sblbooks @Soubhiville @Suet624 @Susanita @Tea_and_Starstuff @TEArificbooks @TheAromaofBooks @TheBookHippie @TheKidUpstairs 3mo

BarbaraBB @LeticiaToraci @Lizpixie @Magpiegem @Merelybookish @Meshell1313 @MicheleinPhilly @MittenGirlPeach @Oryx @Peaknit @quietjenn @RaeLovesToRead @Read4life @youneverarrived 3mo

BarbaraBB @Chelsea.Poole @Christine @Cinfhen @CSeydel @Cuilin @Dabbe @KarenUK @Kempfme @Kimberlone @Kristy_K @LaraReads @Larkken @Laughterhp @Leniverse @willaful 3mo

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BarbaraBB @BookBosomed1 @BookNAround @Books_et_al @Bookwormjillk @Caroline2 @CarolynM @Catlass007 @CatMS @Cbee @TrishB @YourFavouriteMixTape @ChaoticMissAdventures 3mo

BarbaraBB @JamieArc @JenniferP @jenniferw88 @JenReadsAlot @Jess @jhod @jlhammar @JulesG @julieclair @Kangaj1 @Addison_Reads @AmyG @batsy @Bkclubcare @Bklover 3mo

BarbaraBB @DebinHawaii @Deblovestoread @DGRachel @eraderneely @ErikasMindfulShelf @GatheringBooks @Gissy @hes7 @Hooked_on_Books @ImperfectCJ @IndoorDame 3mo

Leniverse Geeta is a killer, not a murderer. That's my stand. And I think all the killings were self defence and a last resort in a society where the women received no justice or defence under the law. I'm not for vigilantism, provided you have a functioning justice system, but that was clearly lacking here. 3mo

LaraReads Oof, this is a fine line! There was definite justification for these men to face some sort of ramifications! And it was evident that justice would not be served by the Indian judicial system. So, maybe?! 🤣 In this fictional world, yes! Absolutely! In the real world, murder is such an extreme. Maybe as a last resort! 🤷🏻‍♀️ 3mo

BarbaraBB It‘s a thin line indeed but as it is fiction, I think Shroff tries and succeeds in bringing the message of the lack of functioning judicial system loud and clear. 3mo

JenReadsAlot It is a thun line, but I sure was rooting for these women so I'm going with okay! 3mo

peaknit Geeta was initially assumed a murderer, and it eventually served her to keep people away in sense. I felt like the only real killing she committed personally was self defense, but in a country where women can be abused, not so much, sadly. Helping secure poison…accessory to murder maybe? It was such a comedy of errors at times, I‘m not sure a sincere jury could convict beyond a reasonable doubt lol. (edited) 3mo

LaraReads @BarbaraBB agreed! And it was also just so much fun to read, like @JenReadsAlot said, I was still rooting for them even in murder! @peaknit sounds like you‘ve been watching C.I.D. like these women! 🤣🤣 3mo

BarbaraBB Agree @peaknit 💯! 3mo

Bookwormjillk It‘s a good question and I‘m not really sure. Like others have said it‘s a fine line. 3mo

batsy Yes, well put @Leniverse & that's basically how I feel about it, too. I think in an ideal world it's easy to maybe moralise about this, but we all know that the world isn't just. I felt like the last few chapters just made it clear how certain men will never change, & they will just take & take from women & grind them down without a thought. It's pretty bleak, but the women's ability to do something drastic & violent paradoxically feels uplifting. 3mo

JamieArc I‘m always curious about stories where women band together to off their husbands, like the story of Giulia Toffana. I have empathy when there‘s no choice, and you really felt it with Geeta when she thought she was going to have to live with her husband again. You could feel there was no other choice for her. But I agree with every one else that it makes for a fantastic story premise. 3mo

DGRachel @Leniverse and @batsy put it much more eloquently than I could, if I‘m being a reasonable, law-abiding adult. However, as I enter my crone years, I find my rage against patriarchal society to be almost all consuming, so I was completely rooting for these women, especially when they stopped manipulating each other and truly started to support each other. I‘d have voted not guilty if I was on the jury. 🤣🤣 3mo

jlhammar Justified? Maybe. I certainly understand why they might feel it was their only/best option. I agree with @Leniverse and others who saw it more as self-defense and I was rooting for our bandit queens throughout. Yes, @peaknit , a comedy of errors indeed! Really enjoyed that element. 3mo

batsy @DGRachel Haha yes, if I was on the jury I would have done the same! Totally with you on the rage intensifying "as I enter my crone years" ?? 3mo

youneverarrived Agree with all these comments. 😂 @DGRachel I‘d be voting not guilty too. 3mo

jlhammar @JamieArc Okay, now you have me googling Giulia Tofana! Have you read a book about her you‘d recommend? That reminds me that I need to put this true crime title towards the top of my stack. Along the same lines except 1920s rural Hungary

The Angel Makers: The True Story of the Most Astonishing Murder Ring in History

3mo

Megabooks @DGRachel I often feel rage about the patriarchy, and sometimes consider taking things into my own hands, but it is pure fantasy for me. I like the point that there is virtually no chance for fair justice for these women or protection from these men. I understand why they did it, and I think Shroff bringing in humor made it a bit easier to swallow too. 3mo

CBee @batsy @DGRachel I am also guilty of being a grumpy crone 😂😂😂 3mo

CBee There is definitely a difference between being a killer and a murderer. Geeta feels remorse despite knowing there really isn‘t any other choice. I love her idealism, her hope that things can change. But until they do, it‘s almost like kill or be killed, in a way….. all this to say, I felt like it was all justified 😂🤷‍♀️ 3mo

DGRachel @Megabooks Oh yes, it‘s totally pure fantasy for me, too, and I recognize that I have a lot of privilege that Geeta and her loan group do not. The humor saved the book for me, TBH. 3mo

TrishB It‘s fiction and I‘m absolutely all the way with them ♥️ and I‘d probably still vote not guilty in real life. As others have said, if there were no injustices in the first place it‘s different! 3mo

Larkken I think the final straw for me was when they were discussing how the two men who died were raping under caste girls, and Ramesh was like “still?” As though most men went through this phase. Seems like a system that needs burning down to me. And yes, my rage and hopelessness at “the system“ makes this little revenge fantasy more cathartic, if not realistic. 3mo

JamieArc @jlhammar I haven‘t read a book about it (though I would be surprised if there weren‘t one), but I have heard the story on several true crime podcasts. I also thought the storyline from the tagged was taken from Toffana.

The Lost Apothecary: A Novel

3mo

jenniferw88 Totally justified! Was rooting for all of them throughout, and there was no way the police were going to do anything about it. Would love a follow-up to see if any of Geeta's hopes come true and if anything changes with the new policewoman there! 3mo

peaknit @LaraReads haha! I work in corrections, so yes!! 3mo

AmyG I agree on the fiction part. A story told in a way to show the injustice of the system, the patriarchy. As a woman, though, I don‘t blame Geeta. I can‘t imagine living a life with such men. I was cheering her on! (edited) 3mo

Ruthiella Only Farrah‘s husband was murdered, and by Farrah. The death of Peiety‘s husband was manslaughter. But that‘s said, I didn‘t read this novel as realism. I don‘t see it advocating for vigilante justice. 3mo

Cinfhen Of course we were going to root for #TeamGeeta #GirlPower those men had it coming- this was wild and fun and also a wake-up call to how privileged we are compared to other women in different countries and cultures. 3mo

Cinfhen Thanks for hosting, B! 3mo

willaful The book really spoke to the part of me that gets furious when someone in media has a gun on the villain and then can't bring themselves to pull the trigger. Not that I've been in that situation myself, admittedly.

I think if the women had banded together sooner, they might have been able to come up with different solutions, and will very possibly use different ones in the future. 3mo

dabbe @CBee Me, too! My nickname at the school where I was a teacher was Crabby Abbe! 🤣🤣🤣 (now everyone knows how to pronounce my last name!) 3mo

CBee @dabbe Crabby Abbe 😂😂 I actually grew up with an Abbe so I knew how to pronounce it 😊😊 3mo

dabbe @CBee Usually, people say Abb or Abe. Way back it was once spelled Abbey, according to my husband. Someone somewhere got lazy and lopped off the Y. 🤣😍🤗 3mo

Chelsea.Poole @Ruthiella great point! I also didn‘t read it as realistic, so it is fun to see these horrible men get their comeuppance. 3mo

CBee @dabbe it is interesting how the Y got lopped off 😂 3mo

Chelsea.Poole @Cinfhen same, re: wake-up call for me in my privileged life. 3mo

sarahbarnes Agree with many others here that I‘m with these women all the way. @BarbaraBB I think you‘re right that the murders also do a great job of illustrating how difficult the position of the women is in their lives. 3mo

CatLass007 I believe that Geeta acted in self defense when she beat her attempted rapist to death with the statue. I believe she acted in self defense for all the women when she shot her husband. I‘m not so sure about Farrah. Yes, her husband was no good, but Farrah underhandedly tricked Geeta into suggesting a method of murder and threatened Geeta with blackmail. Maybe he did deserve to die. I‘m glad I wasn‘t ever forced to make such a decision. 3mo

Meshell1313 Totally self defense and sometimes I understand how violence might be justified and in this case I think it was. 3mo

dabbe @CBee Well, there's more to the history. My maiden name is Churchard, which used to be ChurchYard until that Y got lopped off. An Abbey and a Churchyard. Interesting, yes? 🤣🤣🤣 3mo

CBee @dabbe sounds like it was meant to be 💚😍 3mo

DebinHawaii I proudly join in with the “crone crew” 😉 & was rooting for Geeta & the other women. Those men were beyond redemption & there was not another choice as there would have been no justice for these women or other women & those young girls. I think @Leniverse makes a great point about Geeta being a killer & not a murderer. 3mo

Hooked_on_books Well put, @LaraReads and @Ruthiella —I agree with you both. And @DGRachel crone years! 😂 I love it! 3mo

Well-ReadNeck I felt that the killings were revenge fantasy and part of the over-the-top, comic nature of the novel. 3mo

Laughterhp I definitely don‘t judge her for killing the guy attacking her! Killing the First Lady‘s husband was a bit iffy… 3mo

Bklover @Leniverse I‘m late to the discussion but I think your comment was perfect. I must say, though, I was cheering those women on the whole time! I think I‘m definitely one of the “crone crew” (edited) 3mo

BarbaraBB @Well-ReadNeck I agree but I think they served the purpose of the book. 3mo

TheBookHippie I think it severed the purpose of the book. I‘m not a fan but I get the reasoning. 3mo

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