Why do Indian women across socio-economic groups undervalue themselves? This book holds some answers

Deepa Narayan’s ‘Chup’ develops a framework of seven ‘cultural habits of non-existence’ that women are trained to adhere to but ignores the role of patriarchy.

Sameera Khan

· Apr 21, 2018 · 05:30 pm

A painstaking attempt to probe the behaviours of Indians ends as a tepid effort in this book

Miniya Chatterji’s non-fiction debut picks all the right starting points but does not draw sharp conclusions.

Urmi Chanda-Vaz

· Apr 21, 2018 · 12:30 pm

Can the history of South India be told in a single book? No, but this one tells stories that matter

Charles Allen’s sprawling ‘Coromandel’ is better read as a collection of essays than as an integrated historical journey.

Veena Muthuraman

· Apr 21, 2018 · 08:30 am

Why the new ‘gig economy’ turns workers into expendable items rather than flexible contributors

James Bloodworth’s ‘Hired’ examines actual working conditions with low pay, no work security, and oppressive systems.

Greeshma Mohan

· Apr 15, 2018 · 07:30 pm

Sumana Roy’s novel offers complex characters that show who we are as individuals and as a country

It’s the interplay between characters, rather than plot, that propels ‘Missing’.

Urvashi Bahuguna

· Apr 15, 2018 · 08:30 am

Sean Penn, who just do stuff, has written a thesaurus masquerading as an unreadable debut novel

First Tom Hanks, now Sean Penn. Maybe Hollywood actors should focus on what they do best.

Nicholas Rixon

· Apr 15, 2018 · 07:00 am

Not just a whodunit but also a whydunit: Is a telegenic gynaecologist aborting female foetuses?

Deepanjana Pal’s ‘Hush A Bye Baby’ brings a new quality to Indian crime fiction.

Neha Bhatt

· Apr 14, 2018 · 06:30 pm

Could ‘The Devils’ Dance’ be the ‘One Hundred Years of Solitude’ of Central Asian literature?

Past and present, reality and allegory, stories within stories, all add up to an extraordinary narrative.

Peter Gordon

· Apr 13, 2018 · 08:30 am

Elizabeth Strout returns to her old characters to show us again what being human means

‘Anything Is Possible’ takes us back to the people we met in her best-selling ‘My Name is Lucy Barton’.

Urvashi Bahuguna

· Apr 07, 2018 · 10:30 am

A new illustrated biography of Indira Gandhi offers a visual treat but omits many of her key flaws

The sumptuously illustrated ‘Indira’ may be meant for young adults but it could still have been more critical of the controversial leader.

Karthik Shankar

· Apr 07, 2018 · 08:30 am

With ‘The Only Story’, Julian Barnes is back to writing of love, but not of romance or happiness

The novel looks back on 19-year-old Paul’s unconventional relationship with an older woman, Susan, and the disastrous suffering that both endure.

Arunima Mazumdar

· Apr 07, 2018 · 07:15 am

Not just another city book: An American journalist tells Mumbai stories through three couples

American journalist Elizabeth Flock explores what the institution of marriage means in a city as layered and complex as Mumbai.

Soni Wadhwa

· Apr 06, 2018 · 08:30 am