Reviews

Un incendio by Megha Majumdar

ggrillion's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

kitkat962's review against another edition

3.0

Great ideas, but the execution is not quite there. I expect the characters' lives to be more intertwined, instead, the book lays it all out in the first half, cue the trial, and barely anything else in the latter half.
Regardless, I like the depressing but realistic tone of the book. PT Sir and Lovely capitalized on Jivan's mistreatment and propelled themselves to power and fame

gtbacola's review against another edition

challenging emotional informative sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

djoynt_13's review against another edition

Writing style was hard to read and the storyline was hard to follow.

audimka's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

maisilu24's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix

4.25

god this was devastating, the ending will haunt me for awhile. i loved the structure of this novel too, splitting the chapters by character was a powerful way of demonstrating the interconnectedness and participation in a shared tragic event

the_sunken_library's review against another edition

5.0

I utterly devoured this book although to read it brought me no pleasure.

I have not read many tales set in India and must confess I am fairly ignorant to its politics and the nation's beliefs and religious tensions.

I appreciated the author's honesty. I thoroughly enjoyed reading an accented English narrative which made each character feel authentic and accessible, reminding me of people I have met throughout my life growing up in London, where thousands of unique voices come together and live as one.

This is not one voice, it is many. Individuals struggling to do the right thing for themselves, their neighbours and their country. Making choices whether to protect their lives or sacrifice themselves for another who has been made a scapegoat by a new ruling Government for a terrorist act she had no involvement in. I knew and did not know about the tensions between Muslims and other religious groups in the area.

This book is stark, it shows the reality that as one person rises, its often because another has fallen.

I can't wait for Majumdar's next book.

corporal_bookish's review against another edition

dark reflective sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

bethchatsbooks's review against another edition

4.0

This was a powerfully politically charged novel. This story follows three main characters in contemporary India. Lovely a transgender female aspiring to be an actress, PT Sir a P.E teacher aspiring to work in politics and Jivan a poor young girl living in the slums suddenly accused of being recruited by terrorists. Through twists and turns of fate these three characters and their narratives become intertwined and that makes up the bulk of the plot.

I found this story incredibly poignant and sad. But very of these current times we are living in politically, with the rise of social media and news media and its influences on the public and public opinion. There is lots of rich material within this book to unpack. But also the short and snappy chapters make this book a pleasure to fly through. This book deals with hard hitting subject material but writes about it in such a compelling and propulsive way. An incredibly addictive and impressive debut.

Thanks to the author Megha Majumdar, Simon and Schuster and NetGalley for a review copy in exchange for an honest review.

svath's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.0