Book Review: "A Burning" by Megha Majumder

When I was in my teens, I was one of those Asian girl who loved the books of Khaled Hosseini. I read “A Thousand Splendid Suns” maybe at least three times purely because each and every time, it would break my heart. I was a big fan of Arundhati Roy and her seminal book “The God of Small Things” - I even have a signed copy of one of her later books. When it comes to the culture of South Asia, which is where my own heritage lies, I can honestly say that I am pretty well read in the popular books. Apart from Khaled Hosseini and Arundhati Roy, there is also: Salman Rushdie, Vikram Seth, Jhumpa Lahiri, RK Narayan and the great Kiran Desai. When it came to reading “A Burning” by Megha Majumder, I already had a little bit of a background into her as her book was showcased as the October Book of the Month pick for the ‘Everyday Racism Book Club’ on Instagram. I was already impressed by the very moment I heard of the novel and yet, it took me forever to get myself a copy. I was itching to read it and when I did, I can definitely say that it did not disappoint in any way whatsoever.

The book is about a young woman who is under suspicion of being involved in a terrorist attack on a train whilst it is in the station. There is also a woman who wants to become a movie star and seems to be obsessed with the idea of getting into the film industry. There is a man who was once a gym teacher and now is more focused on becoming a part of the Indian far-right wing nationalist political part and each part of the novel steps this arrested woman slowly towards the end of the novel. An incredibly written and well-versed novel in emotional state, this book really did remind me of reading Khaled Hosseini when I was in school. One thing that I truly loved about this novel as well is the fact that Megha Majumder makes each of the characters narrating the novel have their own individual voices: the pleading of Jivan, the resentfulness of PT Sir and the longing and aching of Lovely. I feel like this book could not have been better if it tried. Each character has a story that intertwines with the larger political and social landscape and one character cannot make sense without the other. It seems like Megha Majumder knew exactly what she was doing down to the very last word when she went about writing this novel.

From the themes that I picked up, I can really say that my favourite was identity and accusation. When someone else tries to label you as what you are and you try to fight back against that. For example: the accusation that gets Jivan on to the wrong path - the one she does not want to be on (yes, I’m being vague because I’m not about to give away spoilers to this brilliant novel), the way in which Lovely wants desperately to be an actress and yet, she needs to also listen to her conscience, and the fact that PT Sir changes careers so drastically. It all comes together under the branch of who gets to choose their identity and who gets theirs chosen for them. A clear underlining notion towards South Asian feminism, this book gives us a strong message through these characters woven together for political tragedy.

Witness one of the best novels of the decade. I guarantee this novel will receive the same status as Khaled Hosseini’s “A Thousand Splendid Suns” sooner or later. It is really on the same level.