NIRANJANA IYER | 26 July 2010Given that most books with the slightest connection to Islam feature covers with veiled women baring their kohl-lined eyes for the curious outsider's gaze, THE GEOMETRY OF GOD's black-and-white American edition's jacket depicting an animal skeleton is probably fair warning that Uzma Aslam Khan's Pakistan is going to get in the way of the sensationalized portrayals of the country so beloved by mainstream (Western) media. In her third book,... [ more ]
Bamboo People by Mitali Perkins
NIRANJANA IYER | 03 July 2010BAMBOO PEOPLE deals with a weighty topic -- the oppression of ethnic minorities in modern-day Burma. Specifically, this book looks at the Karenni, a people who have been hounded out of their homes by the Burmese military and now live in refugee camps near the Thailand border. But MITALI PERKINS must be one of the most... [ more ]
Out of the Way! Out of the Way by Uma Krishnaswami
NIRANJANA IYER | 20 June 2010OUT OF THE WAY! OUT OF THE WAY is a picture book offering a trifecta of intelligent story appealing to both children and adults, rhythmic text begging to be read aloud, and eye-catching illustrations drenched in colour.
Somewhere in India, a plant taking root in the middle of a village path catches the attention of a young boy, who looks after it even though people keep asking him to move out of the way. With time, the path... [ more ]
Between the Assassinations by Aravind Adiga
NIRANJANA IYER | 31 March 2010ARAVIND ADIGA reportedly said about his Booker-winning The White Tiger that "the main reason anyone would want to read this book, or so I hope, is because it entertains them and keeps them hooked to the end. I don't read anything because I 'have' to: I read what I enjoy reading, and I hope my readers will find this book fun,... [ more ]
Six Suspects by Vikas Swarup
NIRANJANA IYER | 22 October 2009The linchpin of VIKAS SWARUP's Slumdog Millionaire (Q&A) was coincidence -- twenty of them, to be exact. The readers, however, were not required to suspend disbelief; instead, they could share the authorities' scepticism (about coincidence providing the answers to the protagonist). By making the credibility of the events central to his narrative, Swarup moved Q&A from thriller up to genre-breaker. The novel's in-your-face... [ more ]
The Wasted Vigil by Nadeem Aslam
NIRANJANA IYER | 11 April 2009THE WASTED VIGIL is one of the most difficult yet rewarding books I have come across in recent years. This novel is set in contemporary Afghanistan, and details with an unflinching eye the suffering and pain this land undergoes every day. There are stomach-turning descriptions of casual brutality; within the first three pages, we learn that... [ more ]
Animal's People by Indra Sinha
NIRANJANA IYER | 28 September 2008Every reader knows a Worthy Book, about a subject that would make anyone with a pulse weep. The Worthy Book is earnest, and invariably chunky. Reading it is a form of atonement for not joining that protest march. This book would boost your knowledge of the human condition -- heck, it would make you a better human being. The Worthy Book usually lurks unopened beneath the latest issue of Elle and a... [ more ]
The Solitude of Emperors by David Davidar
NIRANJANA IYER | 24 February 2008Novels with overt political agendas fill me with suspicion; their crusading zeal often overwhelms the story to such an extent I'd rather read the pamphlet, thanks. So, without further ado: let's hear it for DAVID DAVIDAR's new novel THE SOLITUDE OF EMPERORS, which, despite its block, underlined WORTHY MESSAGE, never forgets it's a novel.
Vijay, a young man from small-town south India, with "a second-class degree from a... [ more ]
