A Burning (Majumdar) - Book Reviews

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