Megha MajumdarReseñas

4.5 Majumdar writes with authority and grace.

Megha' sMajumdar A Burning, is at once a fascinating expose of life in India told through the eyes of a model, teacher and actress up to a point. With a rudderless plot and messy writing, she fails to engage the reader once they get past the uniqueness of the world of India.

(31) A slight novel about a poor young Muslim girl in the slums of a big city in contemporary India; Calcutta perhaps. A train is lit on fire, an act of terrorism. Jivan is in the wrong place at the wrong time and may have accidentally exchanged Facebook messages with a terrorist recruiter. She becomes a scapegoat for anti-Muslin sentiment and her only witness is a trans beggar with aspirations to be an actress. Her former teacher who gave her food when she was hungry is now a rising political star of a right-wing Hindu party and could be in a position to help poor smart Jivan. She is a smart loving daughter who went to a good school on scholarship, the hope and light of her parents. There will be some redemption, right?

This is told in alternating voices with some random interludes of other peripherally related characters making a somewhat disjointed but affecting story. The problem was it felt a bit contrived and stagey. Despite contextual detail and empirically good prose, it was not always compelling. Certainly, Lovely, the Hijra, was the best character -- but I felt her arc fell flat. Oh, that is it. Many of my favorite Indian novels are thick with details and plot. I guess I wanted more. While I appreciate the aesthetic, there has to be an overarching reason to tell such a depressing story. What was the point? Doomed. Hopeless. People are shit, I guess.

I understand this is her debut novel and there is definitely promise. I feel like this could have been so much more if the author had not been trying too hard to be restrained. Even if not a Bollywood ending, the reader still wanted more for Jivan. Wanted her to at least mean more in the end.½

If this book does not wake us up, we are in trouble. The book relates the intertwined stories of three people - a young Muslim girl working in a store, a hijra, and the young Muslim girl's teacher.

An innocent social media post lands the girl in trouble. Megha wrote the book in the first person when telling the tale of the Muslim girl and the hijra. She writes in the English both girls would have used in real life, which makes the book compelling. The teacher's tale is told in the third person.

It is a book of how one innocent person is prosecuted for her faith, how people abuse her innocence for their own career, and how everyone but the hijra abandons her.

It is a book about the loss of conscience - the loss of a person's soul. Everyone moves on - including the hijra. She defended the Muslim girl and profited from it (without design).

In the end, if we are sensible and alive, we will ask ourselves what society we are building.

Read the book. Put it aside and let the implications sink into you.

It will burn.

This book is brilliant.

Book Title: A Burning
Author: Megha Majumdar
Format: Kindle

My Thoughts:
When religion and blind beliefs overpower the common sense, the ability to think becomes difficult. And there are times when people's lives are at stake for a simple reason. If that reason is entangled with many shades of religion, then the aftermath of wrath is impossible to even anticipate. For some years, this kind of discrimination against religions is very rampant. There are many incidents where some people are tortured for eating the authentic food that belonged to their community. Likewise, there was also an incident when two young women commented on social media on a mass leader's death and the country knows how those were tortured. The basic freedom of speech is many a time tormented with such polluted ideologies. And, this holds good to every belief system in the country which is very painful to accept. This is a small intro to the very important aspect on which author Megha has penned this book.

This book, 'A Burning' by Megha Majumdar is a very complex read in terms of a strong story and great narration. The book deals very pragmatically with the things everyone is aware of. There are sometimes where each one of us wants to raise our voice and voice our opinion, but back off due to the ' pressures' we foresee. But somewhere one's the inner voice which when arrested for a long time keeps thrusting to come out. In such cases, visual or print media take a great place. In such circumstances, with such incidents and events, this book acts as a face.

A quick look into the story
The story is about a 22-year-old Muslim girl, Jivan who for her livelihood who works at Pantaloons outlet is falsely accused in a train burning incident that happened near Kolabagan slum, the place where she stays. She gets arrested for the same without any proof and is alleged fr the activities carried out by the terrorist groups. Out of rage, she comments on Facebook which makes the noose further tight for her.
“If 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?”
The false arrest, accusations, and attempts to come out clean are what the whole story is about. There are also sub-plots in the main story which are all interlinked. Jivan's presence at the Railways station which was under threat creates more mayhem for her to prove her innocence. How does she come out with a clean chit is the story in gist!

What to expect from the story?
The story deals with many aspects like economical status discrimination, judgmental attitude of people by looking at the dressing and physical attributes, and discrimination based on food habits and false assumptions. The incidents mentioned in the book rekindles the sidelined incidents that happened during the recent reign of the existing governments. The book doesn't have a new story but it has stories that are often muted but are to be addressed at some point in time.

Who can read the story?
The story is one of the gripping ones in the recent past. Not in a single page do the readers find words that do not qualify the literary standards. Nowhere in the story readers find any dialogue or word that attributes to talk ill in terms of gender, religion, humanity or anything that makes readers uncomfortable. Though are acts of violence, it is very minimal compared to the mental torment the protagonist Jivan or the other two protagonists face. The book is a literary representation of many things that are often seen on the news that happens around every nook and corner of the country. Thus, this book can be read by readers of age from 15 who have a minimum knowledge of the happening in and around the country.

My take on ¬the characters
The story has three main central characters Jivan, Lovely, and PT sir. Everyone's story is intertwined with each other and is indirectly linked to the ghastly attack planned and implemented by the terrorists. Jivan's character is one of the strongest characters that which always looks for a strong stand to disprove her involvement in the train attack. Likewise, being a transgender the strength and courage that Lovely showcases are commendable. The character of P.T. sir is a complex one. Kudos to the author for portraying such a difficult character. His character reminds the readers of the wounded tiger which can pounce back anytime.

How good is the Author's writing
The first thought which will compulsorily strike every reader's mind is, this book doesn't look like a debutante's work. Author Megha Majumdar has won every reader's sensitive yet thoughtful part of the mind with her great narration. There are some places in the story where I, as a reader could not stop appreciating her writing skills. This book is a great start as a first-time author. The book however may not be welcomed by everyone because at times the story looks like complaining against the present government, but nowhere the author has maligned anyone with unwanted and derogatory language. Such are the issues she has dealt and hence they may look similar.

How entertaining is the book?
The book can be divided into two parts. If the part is about the allegations, the second part is the fight. The pace of the story starts precisely with the second part. With some amount of patience and mental reference to the news already known, the readers can comfortably pick up the speed after the initial pages. As some incidents are already heard and seen, the visualization of the story happens easily. With these factors, the book is a definite entertainer.

About book title and the book cover
The title in flames is extremely fascinating. The cover aptly complements the title.

Final Verdict
This book is strongly recommended and during these days of lockdown, this book definitely entertains the readers.

Rating: 4/5

Kind of rude of this book to make me feel emotions

Beautifully written, melancholy, with a wry sense of humor.

This book is utterly heartbreaking. Taking place in present-day India, it follows three people - a young Muslim girl, a transgender woman, and a school teacher - as they struggle to reach their dreams. None of these dreams come easy, and for some they don’t cone at all. This book brutally describes the difficulties in breaking through all of the obstacles set in the paths of the poor, and shows how getting through them can often cause a person to lose their soul in the process. Beautifully written, I couldn’t put it down and it made my heart ache.

Something Jivan, a young Muslim woman living in the slums of India, posts on Facebook results in her being arrested and falsely accused of participating in an act of terrorism. Her old gym teacher is a rising figure in a right-wing political party and he can’t help her without hurting himself. Then there is Lovely, a hijra with big dreams of becoming a Bollywood star – is she willing to sacrifice anything to help Jivan?

From what I’ve read about the current political state in India, the author did a great job of capturing what it feels like to live there right now, especially for the lower class. I was grateful for Lovely – she was charming and funny. Her turn at the narration was a nice break from reading about Jivan’s hopeless situation. I didn’t know anything about hijras before a read this book – they are a third gender recognized in India. I’m intrigued and plan to learn more about them.

A Burning was beautifully written and just heart-wrenching. The plotting was excellent – it’s billed as a thriller and it does definitely have some twists and turns. I enjoyed it.

Set in India, protagonist Jivan, a Muslim living in a slum, is accused of terrorism after her post on Facebook sets off a tragic chain of events. Lovely, a trans character and aspiring performer, possesses information that could help Jivan. PT Sir, Jivan’s teacher, wishes to gain favor with a right-wing political party. These three stories collide in a tragedy of social injustice.

The author points out society’s tendency to assume a person is guilty if they have been charged with a crime. People freely comment about the situation on social media, which results in a public “witch-hunt.” I am not knowledgeable on the legal system in India, but Majumdar appears to be commenting on its endemic classism. She tackles governmental corruption and the tendency for politicians to throw morality out the window in pursuit of power. There are some extremely disturbing scenes in this book (mob violence, rape, police brutality). I found it sad and disturbing, but relevant to the social issues in today’s world.

"Powerful... propulsive...This is a book to relish for its details, for the caress of the writer’s gaze against the world... 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."

Jivan, a Muslim is trying to make a living as an English tutor and after making a careless remark on Facebook is charged with terrorism. Her student, Lovely, could verify that she is innocent but the cost to her position is too high. PT Sir, Jivan's former gym teacher might also be a witness for her defence, but he is hoping for a political future and would be ill-advised to interfere. This is an Indian thriller that confronts moral questions of class, corruption, and justice - or the lack of it. Although an intriguing plot this scrutinizing look at dilemmas faced by the characters in their unique Indian society comes across as over-simplified and therefore diminished.

This is a beautifully-written, heartbreaking debut novel. It takes place in India and is about Jivan, a young woman who comes from extreme poverty but hopes to live a middle class life. She leaves school after finishing tenth grade to work at a shop called Pantaloons. She is arrested by the government for what is construed as a terrorist act, but what was truly a momentarily poor choice she made innocently enough. We meet her struggling parents and her friend Lovely, an hijra (transsexual) she is tutoring in English. We also learn about PT Sir who had been her physical education teacher at school. The story follows the trajectory of Jivan, Lovely and PT Sir through time and the influences they have on each other.

This is the kind of book that, once again in my life, makes me hate politics, mostly for the damage it does to some individuals and for shining a light on how corrupt it can be. I like this story, however, for its characters, and the way the story is told in halting English dialect. I would gladly read more of this author’s work and thought she created a deeply sad, but wonderful first novel. I wish her success on her future career in writing. She is off to an excellent start.½

This is a book with a lot to commend it, but also one I didn’t completely connect with. It tells the story of an election in India, through the inter-connected lives of three regular Indians - a young woman who finds her life turned upside down after she makes a post on Facebook critical of the government, an aspiring actress and a gym teacher.
It provides a fascinating view of life and politics in modern India, but I found that the story and characters failed to really grip me.

I am continually drawn to books set in India. I think part of the appeal is the interplay of religion and politics amidst a stunning landscape. This book, which is set in Kolkata, doesn't have a beautiful landscape but the author describes the city minutely making me inhabit it in my mind. The book certainly does have drama based on political decisions.

A young Muslim girl, Jivan, witnessed an act of terrorism in which bombs exploded on a train causing a fire which killed everyone aboard because they couldn't escape (it was never clear to me why they couldn't escape). The next day Jivan posts on social media "If the police didn't help ordinary people like you and me, if the police watched them die, doesn't that mean the government is also a terrorist?" Her post goes viral and she comes to the attention of the security police. Witnesses saw Jivan at the train station carrying a large parcel. This combined with her online conversations with someone the police claim is a terrorist are enough to have her arrested for terrorism. Jivan says that the package she was carrying contained books for Lovely, a hijra she was teaching to read. (Hijras are cross-gendered who are accepted in Indian society as bringers of good luck.) Lovely is hoping to become a film star and has been taking acting lessons. Her teacher believes she is genuinely talented and encourages Lovely to go for auditions. Initially Lovely testifies on Jivan's behalf but as the possibility for acting roles materialize, roles which depend on her being politically correct, she changes her tune. The same thing happens to Jivan's former phys ed teacher, PT Sir. He used to give Jivan food at school and he didn't think she could be a terrorist. But his political ambitions with a party that stands for security causes him to refrain from helping her. So, in the end, Jivan is convicted of a crime she didn't commit and then executed. The fact that she is Muslim probably ignited the sentiment against her.

I thought this book could have used some more details about Jivan. She seemed like a straw figure almost and while I felt sorry for her, I didn't really get drawn into her fate.½

I moved swiftly through Majumdar's debut novel. A Burning. I cannot say I enjoyed it; the theme is too cynical and fatalistic. However, i did find it compelling. I was invested in Jivan from the beginning. But watching Ambition and Pride dance and march through the lives of those she believed in, only to trample the hope for justice became an emotional commitment.

I definitely recommend this book. the character depictions are well done, and the story is well-paced.

pretty forgettable as the characters are two-dimensional.

Very interesting narrative style, told through three characters (two in first person, one, notably, in third).

Jivan, living in the slums in India, tries to make a better life for her family by dropping out of school and getting a job. She also helps Lovely learn to read. Lovely is a hijra, which is a eunuch or a transgender person in India. When Jivan posts a Facebook message, it blows up in her face. She is arrested as a terrorist for bombing a train which killed 112 people. Lovely is an aspiring actress. PT Sir is Jivan‘s former phys ed teacher. Both Lovely and PT Sir testify at Jivan‘s trial. PT Sir becomes involved with the opposition political party in India and enjoys the prestige and money it gives him. In the story, the travesty is that people become enamored with wealth, and it overrides their sense of morality. It is a tragedy. Very sad.

Megha Majumdar's debut novel is a compulsive read that explores the political corruptions and personal conflicts revolving around a train bombing in Bengal. A young girl, Javin, was there when it happened and retweets some disgruntled comments on Facebook by adding , "If the police didn’t help ordinary people like you and me, if the police watched them die, doesn’t that mean, I wrote on Facebook, that the government is also a terrorist?" She soon finds herself in a police van, being accused of working for the terrorist. She is assigned an overworked public defender and gives an interview to less than earnest journalist. Her story is then intertwined with two people who could help her, a former teacher and a Hijra who she was tutoring. The narrative jumps between these three characters, and all of the stories are compelling and well written. Lovely tells her version of the story in broken English. She is an aspiring actress and starts to gain some recognition by her heartfelt testimony. PT Sir is Jivan's former PE teacher and though he though highly of her as a student, he begins to see that his political aspirations might be better served by not coming to her aid. Much of the history of the current politics in India is recognizably recent headlines which make this story even more harrowing.
Highly recommend

Lines:

If the police didn’t help ordinary people like you and me, if the police watched them die, doesn’t that mean, I wrote on Facebook, that the government is also a terrorist?

“When I am thinking about it, I am truly feeling that Jivan and I are both no more than insects. We are no more than grasshoppers whose wings are being plucked. We are no more than lizards whose tails are being pulled. Is anybody believing that she was innocent? Is anybody believing that I can be having some talent?”

“Here it is, a special cell for the soon to be dead. A room under the ground for the ones who will be soil.

“Mother, do you grieve?
Know that I will return to you. I will be a flutter in the leaves above where you sit, cooking ruti on the stove. I will be the stray cloud which shields you from the days of sun. I will be the thunder that wakes you before rain floods the room.
When you walk to the market, I will return to you as footprint on the soil. At night, when you close your eyes, I will appear as impress on the bed.”

The best novels allow you to experience a life different from your own, they transport you to another existence and by doing so inform and educate you. "A Burning' is just such a book and it managed to put me in places I will likely never be. I will admit that I was a bit reluctant to read this book because I, and I'm a bit reluctant to admit this, have no interest in traveling to India. It seems crowded, hectic, polluted, and just not a place I would enjoy. So this novel had a high bar to clear with me. It is written so clearly, directly, and honestly that I didn't even experience it as fiction, it just felt real. The immersive nature of that kind of prose is so powerful. The story itself deals with inequities in society, admittedly a society that is not the United States but the inequities are the type that are universal in nature. Class, caste, and religious bigotry are constants in our world. The demonizing of "the other" is another universal although SARCASM ON it certainly couldn't happen in an exception country like the US and I know our leader would never stoop to that level of name calling and bigotry SARCASM OFF. Ms. Majumdar writes uses three point of view characters and each story is developed completely and in ways that I did not guess when I started but were absolutely true. I found myself emotionally involved in all of them and characters are allowed nuance (which is dead in our modern world but which I will never give up) and depth. It is a fast read and a book that I feel has given me insight I did not have. Empathy is an important emotion and I wish it was as important to people as hate and vengeance.

diverse fiction (set in modern India with Muslim and trans characters by Indian-American author) - would make a good selection for bookgroups, and teens who want more serious literature.

A compelling and beautifully written debut novel with three distinct voices--a Muslim woman accused of a terrorist act because of a careless reply she posted on Facebook, a young hijra (trans) woman who yearns to be an actress, and a gym teacher who chances to fall within the graces of a rising political party. Each struggles to escape various states of poverty in a devastatingly cruel world that demands sacrifice.

The writing in this novel is deceptively simple. The story unfolds slowly and steadily into a hauntingly painful view into a mirror held up to the destructiveness of superficiality and greed in India. The lessons should be learned in all modern countries. The age of social media and social judgements based on tiny outtakes from reality bring about injustice and absurdity, as well as horror, in the lives of the characters. One comment by a lovely young woman leads to a cascade of political mishigas. Human frailty, aided by technological "advances", along with excellent writing, make this a memorable read.

After a terrorist bombing in a train station, young Muslim Indian woman Jivan posts a criticism of the government on Facebook, and she's promptly arrested for the crime. The narrative intersperses Jivan's perspective with that of PT Sir, her former physical education teacher who begins to rise in the political scene, and Lovely, a hijra whom Jivan had been teaching English who dreams of becoming a Bollywood star.

This melancholy story explores a dog-eat-dog world where the truth matters less than what it takes to get ahead. Poverty and prejudice are two strikes against Jivan from the outset. The writing, rather than driving the plot, serves to slow it down a little and causes the reader to sit and contemplate these characters and their choices - or lack thereof - matter more than the outcome of the trial. I am probably a little at a disadvantage as a reader being unfamiliar with the Indian legal system, as well as other details about the story. Majumdar showcases a lot of talent in her debut novel, but I can't say I particularly enjoyed it.½

A beautiful novel with an intricately woven plot tightly woven between three strong characters. There is a large moral dilemma for these characters which is tragic and understandable as they all struggle in poverty in India.
This is a debut novel for Megha Majumdar who writes with great skill . looking forward to other novels by this gifted writer.