RaveThe Hindustan Times (IND)In this way — short, sharp sentences, vivid descriptions and inventiveness of language — Majumdar infuses her text with steady exuberance to counteract the bleakness of context. A Burning’s remarkable trio of characters, each with a distinctive voice and narrative form, will stay with readers even if its political and philosophical underpinnings fade ... Majumdar captures India at a cusp of change. Nationalism is rising, populism is at play. Discerning Indian readers may not find here anything they don’t already know but it will still make them think and feel. Majumdar holds up a mirror — a kind of Mirror of Erised, if you will — in which readers will be confronted through this narrative, their own politics ... I found myself charmed by the storytelling and too enveloped in the language to find anything problematic, even on a second closer reading. Lovely’s voice, in particular, followed me for days ... Majumdar brings us a glimpse into extraordinary moments in ordinary lives, vulnerable lives. What would be otherwise harrowing sections — like the ones set in prison — are written with the lightness of sitcoms.
