Why hello! It’s time for another book review and today I’m going to be talking about A Burning by Megha Majumdar. It’s part literary fiction, part political thriller which isn’t my usual choice but I’d heard such great things about this book that I had to read it for myself. So I did exactly that and here’s what I thought…
Many thanks to Simon & Schuster UK and NetGalley for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
A Burning by Megha Majumdar
Publisher: Simon & Schuster UK
Date of Publication: 21st January 2021
Genre: Literary Fiction
Format: eBook (320 pages)
Rating: ★★★★
Content & Trigger Warnings
Transphobia, sexual assault, murder, lynching, death by burning, death by hanging, graphic violence, surgery trauma
Summary
Set in a contemporary India, A Burning shows the aftermath of a terrorist attack that took the lives of over 100 people. It centres around the perspectives of three characters; Jivan – a young Muslim woman who has become the scapegoat for the attack, Lovely – a hijra who aspires to be a movie star and PT Sir, a PE teacher who is about to find himself drawn to political extremism.
My Review
A Burning is an apt title for this book. It begins with hundreds dying in a blaze – but it’s more than that. The tension in this book simmers before eventually boiling over. At the start, I had sympathy and hope. By the end, I was just angry.
What I loved most about A Burning is how it throws all these questions of morality at you disguised as the way characters act, react and are treated. Questions like:
- Is saying nothing as bad as telling a lie?
- Do we have a responsibility to each other?
- Can we ever truly know anyone beyond our own experience of them?
- Are we complicit in a crime if we stand back and say nothing?
- Would we sacrifice our ambitions to do the right thing?
- Is capital punishment ever justified?
It comes across as a bleak and brutal piece of fiction but it’s super important to recognise the dangers of social media and corruption. While I did thoroughly enjoy A Burning, I wouldn’t recommend it to readers who are sensitive to graphic violence. (There’s one scene in particular that I suspect will traumatise me forever.)
Highlights
- Political thriller set in India
- Diverse characters (race, religion, class, sexuality)
- Multiple POVs
- Will make you question your own morality
Read This If You…
- Like character-driven literary fiction
- Enjoy thinking about morality
- Have concerns about social media and its impact
Favourite Quote
Many years ago I would have been asking why is this happening? But now I am knowing that there is no use asking these questions. In life, many things are happening for no reason at all.
Thank you so much for stopping by to read my review of A Burning by Megha Majumdar. If you’ve enjoyed reading my review, please do check out my other book reviews and give me a follow over on Goodreads!
Will you be adding A Burning to your TBR? Let me know in the comments below.
23 Comments
Wow seems interesting! I’m gonna check it out during my free time. Thanks for sharing x
Thank you, hope you enjoy it! 🙂
Ooooh you had me with “Political thriller set in India” I’ve never read one set in India but I am super intrigues now!
It’s a really compelling story, I hope you enjoy it Stephanie! 🙂
I am always looking for new book so I really appreciate an honest book review! thank you for sharing
Thanks Tasha! 🙂
I wouldn’t usually opt for political themed books but this sounds great and your review has really piqued my interest. I don’t think I’ve been away of any book quite like this before.
Thanks Jenny, I agree – not something that I’d normally read but it piqued my interest too!
This seems like a really interesting story! It sounds really intriguing! x
It really is! Thanks Lucy! 🙂
This sounds like quite an interesting read. I hadn’t heard of this book before. I have only read a couple of books set in India so it would be nice to have an opportunity to read some more. I will have to add this one to my to-read list.
Thanks Sarah, hope you enjoy it! 🙂
Great review! I love your format and feel compelled by all of your points to check out this book. Thank you so much for sharing!
Thank you so much Savannah! 🙂
I love a book that turns me inside out and reinforces my thought that we learn better about the world through reading stories then we do from news. So interesting also, that I am writing a poem about hijras!
Thank you for sharing a brutal and important read.
Thanks Jaya! Ooh that’s an interesting coincidence. I’d never even heard of hijras before starting A Burning and I must have just been oblivious because hijras have come up so many times since then in other things I’ve read in print or online, in the news… Just goes to show that reading really does open our eyes!
This sounds interesting but at the same time, I’m not sure that I’m ready for something so serious. That being said, I think it’s important that we open the conversation about the potential risks of social media and it’s impact on society. Thank you for sharing!
I hear you! I don’t think I realised going in quite how heavy it was going to be. Still a very good read. 🙂
Love the structure of this review, especially the dot pointed lists!!
Thank you so much, I really appreciate your feedback! 🙂
[…] Genre: Literary FictionSource: ARCMy Rating: ★★★★REVIEW: A Burning by Megha Majumdar […]
I know I’m a little late to this one, but I trust your book reviews to the point where I ‘need to read what Hayley thinks’ before I consider starting a particular book (if you’ve read it, of course)! Think this will be my next read due to its message and setting – need to learn more about India now that I live here!
Oh Saloni, you have no idea how much that means to me. Thank you so much! I’d love to read more fiction set in India or by authors from India so if you have any recommendations, please let me know. 🙂 Hope you enjoy the book!