The Lives of Others (novel)
 | |
| Author | Neel Mukherjee |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Publisher | Chatto & Windus (UK); W. W. Norton (US) |
Publication date | 22 May 2014 (UK); 1 October 2014 (US) |
| Publication place | India |
| Media type | Print (Hardback) |
| Pages | 528 pp (UK hardback edition) |
| ISBN | 978-0-7011-8629-6 |
The Lives of Others is a novel by Neel Mukherjee. It was published in 2014 by Chatto & Windus in the UK and W. W. Norton & Company in the US. The novel, the author's second one, was shortlisted for the 2014 Man Booker Prize on 9 September 2014.[1]
Plot summary
The novel is set in Calcutta (Kolkata) in the 1960s and follows a wealthy business family, one of whose members gets involved in extremist political activism. The book deals with the chasm between generations, and is set against a backdrop in which the gulf between the poor and the wealthy has never been wider.[2]
The Statesman described the book to have a neo-orientalist agenda.[3]
Patrick Gale of The Independent noted the author's taste for violent contrasts and narratives within narratives.[4]
In 2020, The Independent's Emma Lee-Potter listed The Lives of Others as one of the 12 best Indian novels.[5]
Awards and honours
- 2014 Man Booker Prize shortlist[6]
- 2014 Encore Award winner[7]
- 2016 DSC Prize for South Asian Literature shortlist[8]
References
- ^ "Neel Mukherjee shortlisted for 2014 Man Booker prize". The Times of India. Retrieved 23 September 2014.
- ^ "The Lives of Others". 2014 Man Booker Prize. Retrieved 23 September 2014.
- ^ Somdatta Mandal (27 September 2015). "The neo-orientalist agenda". The Statesman.
- ^ Patrick Gale (15 May 2014). "The Lives of Others by Neel Mukherjee, book review: A departure from the comfy Indian novel that both shocks and impresses". Independent.
- ^ Lee-Potter, Emma (5 August 2020). "12 best Indian novels that everyone needs to read". The Independent. Retrieved 23 December 2020.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ "Neel Mukherjee shortlisted for 2014 Man Booker prize". The Times of India. Retrieved 23 September 2014.
- ^ "2014 Winner". Encore Award. 19 June 2014. Archived from the original on 21 January 2016. Retrieved 19 June 2014.
- ^ "DSC Prize 2016 Finalists". 26 November 2015. Retrieved 28 November 2015.
External links
- An excerpt from The Lives of Others on Medium.
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