A Burning

A Burning is a novel by Indian-born author Megha Majumdar. It was released in June 2020 to mixed reviews in India and mostly positive reviews abroad. In December 2020, Emily Temple of Literary Hub reported that the novel had made 13 lists of the best books of 2020.[2]

A Burning
AuthorMegha Majumdar
LanguageEnglish
Set inKolkata, India
PublisherAlfred A. Knopf
Publication date
2 June 2020[1]
Media typePrint: hardback[1]
Pages304[1]
ISBN9780525658696
LC ClassPS3613.A35388

Plot

Set in Kolkata, India, the novel tells the story of its central character Jivan, a woman who witnesses a terrorist attack on an Indian train while it is stopped in a station.[3] The woman posts to Facebook the next day, drawing the attention of police who arrest her on suspicion of committing the terrorist attack herself.[3][4] Following the accusation, her fate hinges upon her former gym teacher, PT Sir, who has become a politician in an Indian right-wing party, and on a hijra actress named Lovely.[5][6]

Critical reception

Majumdar's writing style has been compared to that of Jhumpa Lahiri and Yaa Gyasi.[7][8]

The novel was highly praised outside India.[9][10][11][12] Time said that "Megha Majumdar presents a powerful corrective to the political narratives that have dominated in contemporary India."[6]

It received some unfavourable reviews in the Indian English media.[13] Political anthropologist Irfan Ahmad described the novel to be lacking in critical thinking and offering a threadbare description of Muslim culture.[14]

Awards and nominations

References
  1. https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/624372/a-burning-by-megha-majumdar/
  2. Temple, Emily (2020-12-15). "The Ultimate Best Books of 2020 List". Literary Hub. Retrieved 2021-01-04.
  3. Choi, Susan (2020-06-08). "A Facebook Post Lands an Innocent Woman in Jail in This Riveting Debut Novel". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2020-06-16.
  4. Khan, Saira (2020-06-05). "A Stunning Debut Novel Turns India's Prosperity Myth Upside Down". Wall Street Journal. ISSN 0099-9660. Retrieved 2020-06-16.
  5. Li, Grace Z. "Review: Three lives entwined by a terrorist attack in Megha Majumdar's powerful 'A Burning'". USA TODAY. Retrieved 2020-06-16.
  6. Bajekal, Naina. "A Defiant New Take on Contemporary India". Time. Retrieved 16 June 2020.
  7. Ghoshal, Somak (2020-01-03). "Read, resist and relearn from new books in the new year". Livemint. Retrieved 2020-06-16.
  8. "Worth a read this month". The Daily Star. 2020-06-11. Retrieved 2020-06-16.
  9. "A Burning | Book Marks". Literary Hub. Retrieved 2021-01-02.
  10. Charles, Ron. "Review: Megha Majumdar's 'A Burning' is blazing up the bestseller list and emerging as the must-read novel of the summer". The Washington Post. Retrieved 2020-06-16.
  11. Wood, James. "A Début Novel's Immersive Urgency". The New Yorker. Retrieved 2020-06-16.
  12. Delistraty, Cody (2020-03-24). "The Nine Best New Books to Read This Spring". Wall Street Journal. ISSN 0099-9660. Retrieved 2020-06-16.
  13. These reviews also cast apprehensions on the novel being welcomed by native English critics:
  14. Ahmad, Irfan (2020-06-25). "How "A Burning" grapples with India's current political reality". The Caravan. Archived from the original on 1 November 2020. Retrieved 2021-01-24.
  15. "2021 Winners". Andrew Carnegie Medals for Excellence. Retrieved 12 January 2021.



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