A Burning : Book Review


Book Review

Title: A Burning
Author: Megha Majumdar
Genre: Fiction

Its nomination for the JCB prize for Literature award 2020 and high recommendations from Barnes & Noble piqued my interest towards this book. 

A Burning chronicles the story of 3 characters whose lives get intertwined post a devastating catastrophe in India. Jivan is a muslim girl living in the slums whose life takes a drastic turn after an innocuous comment on social media. PT Sir is a games teacher who uses every opportunity to climb up the social hierarchical ladder. Lovely is a eunuch who harbours dreams to make it big in the film industry. When Jivan is accused of being involved in the train blasts, Jivan and PT sir are the perfect alibi to set her free. Yet it will come at a cost. 

Written from the point of view of Jivan, PT Sir and Lovely, A Burning captures some complex themes. It mirrors a society that is infested with corruption, racial prejudices and the greedy quest of individuals to attain success by compromising on principles. The author makes no attempts to embellish this narrative with poetic or lyrical words. 

The language is unabashedly honest. It depicts the dark world of prison life, the judicial system, fate of certain helpless individuals and a country bordering on extremism. It's devastating, appalling and powerful.A Burning conveys a strong message of the repercussions of social media posts and the price one pays for belonging to a certain segment of the society. It's not an easy read by any means. 



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