A Burning
Megha Majumdar, 2020
Knopf Doubleday
304 pp.
ISBN-13: 9780525658696
Summary
An electrifying debut novel about three unforgettable characters who seek to rise—to the middle class, to political power, to fame in the movies—and find their lives entangled in the wake of a catastrophe in contemporary India.
Jivan is a Muslim girl from the slums, determined to move up in life, who is accused of executing a terrorist attack on a train because of a careless comment on Facebook.
PT Sir is an opportunistic gym teacher who hitches his aspirations to a right-wing political party, and finds that his own ascent becomes linked to Jivan's fall.
Lovely—an irresistible outcast whose exuberant voice and dreams of glory fill the novel with warmth and hope and humor—has the alibi that can set Jivan free, but it will cost her everything she holds dear.
Taut, symphonic, propulsive, and riveting from its opening lines, A Burning has the force of an epic while being so masterfully compressed it can be read in a single sitting.
Majumdar writes with dazzling assurance at a breakneck pace on complex themes that read here as the components of a thriller: class, fate, corruption, justice, and what it feels like to face profound obstacles and yet nurture big dreams in a country spinning toward extremism. An extraordinary debut. (From the publisher.)
Author Bio
• Birth—N/A
• Where—Kolkata, India
• Education—B.A., Harvard University; M.S., Johns Hopkins University
• Currently—lives in New York City, New York
Megha Majumdar was born and raised in Kolkata, India. She moved to the United States to attend college at Harvard University, followed by graduate school in social anthropology at Johns Hopkins University. She works as an editor at Catapult, and lives in New York City. A Burning is her first book. (From the publisher.)
Book Reviews
Megha Majumdar's propulsive debut novel… is a book to relish for its details… descriptions of life, of stench and bodies, of stifled ambitions and stoked resentments…. What we describe helplessly as our fate is, very often, other people's choices acting upon us—choices that remain largely unknown…. The interplay of choice and circumstance has always been the playing field of great fiction, and on this terrain, a powerful new writer stakes her claim.
New York Times - Parul Sehgal
[W]hile engaging, the book occasionally reads more like straightforward social commentary than a fully realized fictional world. What rescues it… are the detailed and personal voices of its narrators, particularly the women at its heart.… A Burning is heartbreaking, a damning indictment of a society depicted as utterly corrupt and racist. Even with its flaws, the book is an engaging and fast read.
Clea Simon - Boston Globe
[A] gripping thriller with compassionate social commentary.… Majumdar's powerful debut is carefully crafted for maximum impact, carving out the most urgent parts of its characters for the whole world to see. This novel rightfully commands attention.
USA Today
In her captivating debut novel A Burning, Megha Majumdar presents a powerful corrective to the political narratives that have dominated in contemporary India.
Time
Remarkable…. Early buzz is already comparing A Burning to the work of modern literary stars… but the voice—or voices—here are entirely Majumdar’s own.
Entertainment Weekly
Combines fast-paced plotting with the kind of atmospheric detail one might find in the work of Jhumpa Lahiri or Daniyal Mueenuddin.… A highly compelling read
Vogue
[A]udacious…. Majumdar expertly weaves the book’s various points of view and plotlines in ways that are both unexpected and inevitable. This is a memorable, impactful work.
Publishers Weekly
(Starred review) And what has burned? A train, torched…with more than 100 left dead.… [T]he author offers fresh, brisk, striking language while remaining relentless in her depiction of Jivan's fate and of the kind of rampant suspicion and finally hatred that burns us all.
Library Journal
(Starred review) Kolkata-born and Harvard- and Johns Hopkins–educated book editor Majumdar presents an electrifying debut that serves as a barometer measuring the seeming triviality of human life and the fragility of human connections.
Booklist
[S]harply observes class and religious divisions in India.… Majumdar has a gift for capturing… scenes in just a few well-chosen images….But Jivan’s storyline feels a bit thin…. The novel’s brilliant individual vignettes far outshine a rather flimsy overarching plot.
Kirkus Reviews
Discussion Questions
1. In A Burning, Jivan’s social media usage ultimately leads her to become a victim of the state. Consider her statement: "If the police didn’t help ordinary people like you and me, if the police watched them die, doesn’t that mean . . . that the government is also a terrorist?" (pp. 5–6). How does this messaging reverberate throughout the novel? How is social media used both as a tool of activism and as a tool of repression in our current society? Have you ever felt at risk expressing your opinions on social media?
2. Why do you think Lovely dreams of becoming a movie star? How does this ambition relate to the instances of disrespect she faces in public, as well as to the ceremonies at which she is welcomed?
3. Shortly after her arrest, Jivan states: "A woman like me is never believed" (p. 22). Discuss the import of this statement for the overall narrative. What assumptions are made about Jivan based on her religion? Her socioeconomic standing? How does she try to defy societal expectations throughout her life?
4. Consider your initial impression of PT Sir. How would you describe his day-to-day life before he attends the rally? How did the rally change his point of view on political engagement?
5. Consider the two interstitial chapters that are written from the vantage point of Jivan’s mother and father. Why do you think the author chose to include these two brief scenes? How do they contribute to the emotional impact of the narrative? Describe Jivan’s relationship with her parents.
6. Discuss Jivan’s choice to involve a journalist in sharing her story. What are her initial impressions of Purnendu? Describe her childhood and the incidents that Purnendu chose to highlight. What does the tone of the final article imply about truth and narrative?
7. Consider the conditions of Jivan’s imprisonment. How does she conduct herself in her day-to-day life? Describe her relationship with the other incarcerated women. How does Jivan’s decision to bribe Americandi weigh on her conscience?
8. Throughout A Burning, there are scenes and moments in which a culture of violence against women is brought to the forefront. How do women in the novel navigate this expectation of violence and misogyny? How do they resist it?
9. Education plays an integral role in A Burning. How is the education system described? Consider PT Sir’s role within it and Jivan’s experience in his school. How does the act of learning English become a form of empowerment for her? For Lovely
10. Discuss "Interlude: The Villagers Visit the Beef-Eater." How did this scene affect you as a reader? Consider how anti-Muslim rhetoric and action is depicted in the novel. What does the state’s indifference to this violence imply about the relationship between justice and power?
11. At several points in the novel, Jivan discusses her aspirations to become middle class. Describe the conditions of her childhood and how they are depicted in the narrative. What are some of Jivan’s earliest moments of class consciousness? What does being "middle-class" mean to her at different points in her life?
12. On page 98, Lovely states: "In this life, everybody is knowing how to give me shame. So I am learning how to reflect shame back on them also." When does Lovely feel most comfortable in her identity? At what points does she seem to feel the most shame in the novel?
13. At several points in the novel, the reader witnesses characters become morally flexible as they strive to achieve personal goals. Who, in your opinion, is the most morally reprehensible?
14. What was the most surprising aspect of the novel? How did your understanding of various characters change over the course of the novel?
15. A Burning is a novel that meditates on issues of power and agency. How does power change PT Sir? Lovely? At what moment is Jivan most empowered? Did you find that this book helped you think about injustice, power, and agency in your own life and community? How so?
(Questions issued by the publisher.)