Shirshendu Mukhopadhyay Libros

‘Shirshendu never disappoints… NoChild’s Play is charming and timeless. Read it if you're a fan of Feluda, or Tintin’ - Samit Basu It’s 1970 and curious things are afoot in the world. In New Jersey, a boy with stiff limbs but extraordinary intelligence is born to an NRI couple. A powerful evil organization is out to exterminate him. In China, Dr Wong’s greatest invention, a biomechanical robot, has been stolen by goons. Meanwhile, in Calcutta, Gadai Babu brings home a mysterious science kit from the grey market and it appears to set off bewildering news on TV and odd spirits in his lab. Shirshendu Mukopadhyay’s classic sci-fi novel is a roller-coaster ride, full of unforgettable characters, drama, action and intrigue. As racy as it is charming, this is a good old-fashioned, nail-biting mystery.

Set against the backdrop of early 1970s Kolkata, the narrative explores the impact of the naxalite insurgency on the lives of two contrasting characters: Somsundar, an unemployed youth, and Manju, a sheltered upper-middle-class woman. As the city faces a symbolic drought, both characters confront the harsh realities of their changing world, grappling with personal and societal upheaval while yearning for renewal and hope.

'A chaotic, furious, extraordinary Bengali confection . . . Irresistible' Philip Hensher, The Spectator Books of the Year