{"product_id":"a-burning-the-most-electrifying-debut-of-2022","title":"BURNING PB","description":"'Immaculately constructed, acidly observed and gripping from start to finish, \u003ci\u003eA Burning\u003c\/i\u003e is a brilliant debut.' \u003ci\u003eThe\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003e Guardian\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e 'Megha Majumdar's \u003ci\u003eA Burning \u003c\/i\u003eis an uncanny debut, a fierce condemnation of modern India - the corruption, racism, misogyny, the feverish obsession with celebrity - this is the antithesis of shrill. The author, although still in her early thirties, has the composure of a mature artist, and has produced a political novel that makes its wider points through the subtle, intimate exploration of three characters' lives.' \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eSunday Times\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e   \u003cp\u003e'This is a short, sharp shock of a novel that shows us how easy it is to rally a mob, to kill a Muslim woman and to silence a whole community. These are things we all know on paper, but the power of a great novelist - and Majumdar has a Dickensian flair and scope - is to transform what we simply know into something we can feel. What a treat to start the year with a talent as fresh as this' - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe Times\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e 'A big hit in America last year, this buzzy debut about the impact of a terrorist attack in a Kolkata slum on three connected characters is full of hot-button global topics, including violent nationalism.' \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003e Metro\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e 'Powerful. [...] Majumdar's page-turning thriller seeks to open our eyes to the role of persecution in populist politics'\u003cb\u003e - \u003ci\u003eMail on Sunday\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e 'An evocative insight into class, corruption, injustice and power dynamics, this poignant tale makes for memorable reading'\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eCosmopolitan\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e 'Majumdar conjures up three notably effervescent, intense voices'\u003cb\u003e  \u003ci\u003eDaily Telegraph\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e 'Astonishing [...] a novel of exceptional vision and craft. It offers a memorable portrait of Kolkata, a deeply moving human story, and provocative reflections on our times' T\u003cb\u003eimes Literary Supplement\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e 'Melding political thriller with dreamy bildungsroman, this searing debut follows three characters in the aftermath of a devastating terrorattack. [...] An unflinching take on corruption and its consequences' \u003cb\u003ei Newspaper\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003e'\u003c\/i\u003eA brilliant character study about politics and power, this assured debut moves at a thriller's pace but with a meticulous eye for detail.'\u003cb\u003e Nikesh Shukla\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e 'A Burning is a political thriller so charged and tense, it will keep you reading after lights out.'\u003cb\u003e Red Magazine\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  A girl walks through the slums of Kolkata holding an armful of books. She returns home smelling of smoke, and checks her most prized possession: a brand-new smartphone, purchased in instalments. On Facebook, there is only one conversation.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e #KolabaganTrainAttack\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e On the small, glowing screen, she types a dangerous thing...\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e '\u003ci\u003eIf 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?'\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Set in contemporary India, \u003ci\u003eA Burning \u003c\/i\u003eis the story of three unforgettable characters, all dreaming of a better future, whose lives are changed for ever when they become caught up in the devastating aftermath of a terrorist attack.  \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eJivan\u003c\/b\u003e - a poor, young, Muslim girl, who dreams of going to college - faces a possible death sentence after being accused of collaborating with the terrorists.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eLovely\u003c\/b\u003e - an exuberant hijra who longs to be a Bollywood star - holds the alibi that can set Jivan free, but telling the truth will cost her everything she holds dear.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePT Sir\u003c\/b\u003e - an opportunistic gym teacher who once taught Jivan - becomes involved with Hindu nationalist politics and his own ascent is soon inextricably linked to Jivan's fall.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Taut, propulsive and electrifying, from its opening lines to its astonishing finale,\u003ci\u003e A Burning\u003c\/i\u003e confronts issues of class, fate, prejudice and corruption with a Dickensian sense of injustice, and asks us to consider what it means to nurture big ambitions in a country hurtling towards political extremism.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eA \u003c\/i\u003e\u003ci\u003eBurning \u003c\/i\u003eis a novel for our times and for all time.\u003c\/b\u003e","brand":"Simon \u0026 Schuster Ltd","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":41673619407026,"sku":"9781471190292","price":240.01,"currency_code":"ZAR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0562\/9191\/8002\/products\/364472_62173cc5a07374.52685399_9781471190292_af4accf2-ec57-44bc-a385-39134b115dbf.jpg?v=1652365423","url":"https:\/\/www.wordsworth.co.za\/products\/a-burning-the-most-electrifying-debut-of-2022","provider":"Wordsworth Books","version":"1.0","type":"link"}