The English Problem

by Beena Kamlani

A young Indian man is tapped to help his country’s fight for freedom—but his heart engages him in a different war.

Shiv Advani is an eighteen-year-old growing up in India. But he is no ordinary young man. Shiv has been personally chosen by Mahatma Gandhi to come to England, learn their laws, and then return home and help drive the British out of India. Before he leaves, his family insists he fulfill his arranged marriage, and he is hastily betrothed to a young woman he hardly knows.

He arrives in London and soon discovers a world he is both repelled by and drawn to. Shiv knows his duty: get in, learn the letter of the law, get out. But as anyone who has ever lived in a British colony can tell you, “the English Problem” is multifaceted. The racist colonialism of “the empire on which the sun never sets” seeps into everything—not just landed territories, but territories of the mind: literature, language, religion, sexuality, self-identity. Soon the people Shiv sought to be liberated from will be the people he desperately wants to be a part of. In the end, Shiv must fight not only for his country’s liberation but also his own.

Set against the backdrop of the Indian independence movement, with appearances by historical figures such as Virginia and Leonard Woolf and Mahatma Gandhi, The English Problem is so self-assured and ambitious, it is hard to believe it is a debut.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Historical, India, Literary Fiction, Audiobook, Adult

480 pages, Hardcover

First published January 28, 2025

About the author

Beena Kamlani is a Pushcart Prize-winning fiction writer whose work has appeared in Virginia Quarterly Review; Ploughshares; Identity Lessons: Learning to Be American, eds. Gillan (1999); Growing Up Ethnic in America, eds. Gillan (2000); The Lifted Brow (2008); World Literature Today; and other publications. She has been awarded fellowships at Yaddo, MacDowell, Ledig House/Writers Omi, Hawthornden Castle, Jentel Arts, and Hedgebrook. A former senior editor for the Penguin Group, she taught book editing at New York University for nearly two decades and was presented an award for teaching excellence. The English Problem is her first novel.

Reviews

[Marieke (mariekes_mesmerizing_books) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sometimes, a book is special, and this one is. The English Problem is a story told in a dual timeline about an Indian boy in 1931, chosen by Gandhi to learn British law so he can help India become independent. A boy who hastily marries before he leaves but finds forbidden love in London while at the same time, he is also confronted with racism and all those rules the English have.

”What you don’t understand is that if you want to be one of us, you have to show you know the rules. Even when you get to be in a position where you can ignore them. Trust me, I know my people well!”

Shiv learns fast but not fast enough—until he meets Lucy, an upperclassman who discards all the rules but shows Shiv what the British want from him.

We’re—the British, I mean—used to sifting wheat from chaff. We invent new rules all the time in order to exclude people, not to include them.”

I loved those two men together. Lucy was such a beautiful gem, and his love for Shiv shone through the pages. And Lucy was everything to Shiv.

He is not they, just as I am not them, back in India. He can no more be me, than I can be him. But together, we shine. That was all that mattered.

But Shiv had a mission. Gandhi specifically told him when he was just a kid that he had to give up desire. And there might be other people than Lucy too.

There are two kinds of happiness in love, the one that does thrill at a touch from your lover and wants more of it, and the one that notes it and is pleased to have the touch, regardless of whether it thrills or not, as comfort.

Like I said above, this story is told in a dual timeline: the first one starts in 1931, when Shiv arrives in London, and the second one starts in 1941, when he returns to India. A lot has happened over the years, and through trial and error, Shiv learns to stand his ground and even disobey in England.

The last quarter of the story gave me lumps in my throat—I loved those letters to Julia—and while I was reading those last pages, my eyes flooded with tears.

Healing rain, we need so much of it.

I don’t think this book is for everyone. The pacing is on the slower side, and sometimes, it dives deep into all those people and their relations back, then jumps from Ghandi to Virginia Woolf to Miron Grindea to E.M. Forster and lots of others. But if you want to know more about an Indian man moving to England and then back to India, then this is a fantastic book to read.

Thank you, Crown Publishing and NetGalley, for this beautiful ARC!

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[Angie Miale · Rating 4 out of 5]

For fans of The Women and The Alice Network- comes a lively new voice in historical fiction. The English Problem centers on Shiv Advani, chosen by Ghandi to study law in 1931, in order to advance Indian independence from Great Britain. He leaves at age 18, after a brief arranged marriage. The timeline jumps back and forth through the early 1940’s as Shiv returns to India from England.

Like the very best historical fiction, I learned the culture and heritage of the Indian people under British rule. This is not a part of history I have studied, and I feel as though I have learned about this while following Shiv’s timeline. Shiv loves and hates the British, and has an internal struggle about his identity that lasts throughout the novel.

Thanks to @NetGalley and @CrownPublishing for the ARC. Book to be published January 28th, 2025.

#booksbooksbooks #bookstagram #booklover #arcreview #booktok #netgalley #bookrecommendations #theenglishproblem

[Gail · Rating 5 out of 5]

Without a doubt, this book is one of the highlights of my reading year. There is much to praise as the writing is rich and brings in many topics that give the reader a sense of place and time.

The book opens in London, and we are introduced to our main character Shiv who goes to London to study law and follow in the steps of his mentor Ghandi. As a little boy he said he wanted to do this, and because his family was close to Ghandi, they wanted him to follow as he had stated.

The book weaves the story of Shiv, his many successes as well as his struggles, in navigating life in London as he tries to stay true to his mission. He is deeply committed to helping to free India from the British and along the way learns all he can about the British and their ways. He is blessed to stay with family friends who try and help him, but they are not Indian and can only be just so helpful. This was a time when there was still a great deal of taboo about Indians knowing their place in the world.

Shiv is a very complex character and gives up a lot to carry the torch for India. His life in England covers a lot of ground, and I would hate to give anything away, so I purposely remain vague. Just note that the book is not only about the fading British empire. There is sex, love, homosexuality, country life, marriage and so much more.

What I particularly find spectacular about this book is that the author has a great observant eye and delivers wonderful insightful passages on the nuance of trying to be English. There are of course a lot of cliches, but it all works to make a point.

I very much enjoyed reading this book and was sad when it ended.

[Joann · Rating 1 out of 5]

The premise of this book is solid and there is lots of history about India which is beneficial. However, the characters are so one dimensional as to be totally uninteresting. Additionally, the book could have been 100 pages shorter without much sacrifice of the story. I cannot recommend the book.

[Cher 'N Books · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars = Fantastic and easy to recommend.

“This is how Revolution comes, slowly, through a back door, a spark that catches the spirit of the time and sets it ablaze.”

Spanning 1922-1944, this literary novel moves back and forth in time and place between India and London. You follow the main character, Shiv, who as a young Indian boy is awed by Gandhi and decides he wants to be just like him when he grows up. His family encourages him to dedicate his life towards helping India to become independent from England. His father feels the best way to do this is for Shiv to become a barrister in London, assimilating so that he can truly understand the English ways and beliefs, and to then outsmart them judicially to help India become free.

“We go to foreign shores, charged with the directive to become like the natives, he wants to tell her. It’s an uphill struggle but then we manage it, we become like them so we don’t stand out, so we are accepted, and then our countries don’t want us, our families feel betrayed. “What has happened to you?” they ask and we have no answers.”

It is an excellent historical fiction story covering this movement for Indian independence, along with inclusions of WWII and the foreshadowing of partition. Gandhi is heavily featured, including his push to seek artists, particularly writers and singers, to bring awareness to the nonpolitical populace and to move the hearts of everyone towards the movement.

“Leave London and this is what you got: English provincialism, pickled in a complex mix of fear, paranoia, suspicion, contempt for the refugees from Europe and most of all for the dark skinned people their government had subjugated all over the world.”

This would be an excellent choice for readers that appreciate poignant romances as it features the finding and loss of love. It is filled with illuminating contrasts between cultures; India vs England, conservative vs progressive mentalities, and the parasitic owning class vs the working class. It serves as a timely reminder of the dangers of ignorning politics, naively believing it has no affect on your personal life, by showing how rapidly an authoritarian regime can cause chaos and destruction for everyone with damage inflicted on the nation that lingers long after the fascists inevitably fail.

“As children, our secrets make us feel special… As adults, our secrets burn inside us, weights that cause intense discomfort, that keep us awake at night.”

It is slow-paced, one of those stories that takes its time to reveal its secrets, yet I was never bored and was always eager to return to its pages. Inspired by the true story of the author’s family member, Atma Kamlani, it includes actual letters from history, such as one that was written from Gandhi to the author’s grandfather with only the names changed to match the fictional story. I also enjoyed the inclusion of cameos of authors that supported India’s cause.

“Mortality makes equals out of us, for fate is indiscriminate.”

But at its core, this is a story about how regular everyday people can turn the tide and change history. This debut novel is so impressive, that I would be willing to read anything the author writes next. Filled with thought provoking themes, it provides a wealth of topics for a rich book club discussion, and an ending just open enough for the reader to add their own desires.

“That they had convinced a civilization much older and more refined than theirs that they were the heathens, and the invaders the civilizers, was evidence enough that something was terribly wrong.”
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First Sentence: Memory is a river that leaves traces of its history on its banks.

Favorite Quote: Desire imprisoned and freed, it cradled opposites: the bite, the caress; the flame, the ash; the silken touch, the stiletto cut; the salt of tears, the red of blood. Desire’s wounds you sucked for their exquisite pain.

[Melissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

This review is based on an advance copy.

While Kamlani's fictional take on the real history of the anticolonialists who fought along with Ghandi for the freedom of India is interesting, much of this book was a slog. The main character Shiv, didn't seem to think or act as much as things just happen to him and he goes along with it. We are constantly told that he is brilliant and exceptional, but we don't see that in the prose. We see him lucking into good connections who pull him along. Besides him, the characters for the most part seem pretty one dimensional.

Also, someone who is more of a classic literature but would probably get a big kick out of the middle part of the book with Virginia Woolf, but I am not one of those people. To me, I was just pushing through and waiting for it to end.

Kamlani does also touch on gay rights, which also held my interest some.

Without giving anything away, I will also say the book has an open ended conclusion. This can work well sometimes, but I don't think it does here.

[Joy D · Rating 5 out of 5]

At age ten, while living with his family in Hyderabad Sindh* (see note below), Shiv Advani meets Mahatma Gandhi and vows to help India gain its independence. Shiv’s father provides pro-bono legal services to Gandhi’s peaceful resistance movement. At age eighteen, Shiv’s parents insist he get married before traveling to London to study law. He plans to return to India to fight British rule using his legal skills. During his years in England (1931 to 1941), he completes his legal education and gets a job practicing law. He develops relationships that will shape his life. His finds he is attracted to the very system he had planned to dismantle.

This is a beautifully written novel that addresses many topics of the time: India’s political turmoil, England’s creative circles (including Shiv’s interactions with Virginia Woolf), literature, language, religion, and self-discovery. It is one of the best examples I’ve read of incorporating the philosophy of a real historical person (Gandhi) in a believable way. It is an impressive debut that brings a period of history to life.

For me, this book has the “wow factor” that pushes it into my rare five-star category. It is top rate historical fiction that portrays India's struggle for independence as well as an intimate human story about immigration, discrimination, identity, and cultural assimilation. The author sets up the ending in a way that allows readers to consider multiple options on how it could conceivably turn out. I am sure there would be different thoughts about how it “should” end, and it would be a great selection to discuss with a group. Highly recommended!

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*Note: Hyderabad Sindh was part of British India at the time and is now in Pakistan. It is not the same place as the Hyderabad located in south-central India. This distinction is important to the plot. This book ends before Partition, but it introduces many factors that played a role in the eventual outcome.

[Sarah-Hope · Rating 4 out of 5]

The English Problem--which is a great title for the book--is deeply interesting, but not always engaging. The book is full of quotidian details that provide a lot of information, but also slow down the arc of the story. I have no regrets about reading this book. I'm very interested in fiction that explores colonialism, but it was a slow read--and for a fair proportion of the time, I was sticking with it, not because the story engaged me, but because I'm interested in the historical moment in which its set.

If you're a patient reader, you'll find this a rewarding read in the end, though you may have your doubts before that. If you favor more succinct, fast-paced writing, you may find it a bit of a slog.

I receive a free electronic review copy of this title from the publisher via NetGalley; the opinions are my own.

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really, really struggled to get into this book. It starts very slow and plods along. It finally picks up about halfway through, and with that, I was hooked enough to finish. It does get very wordy at times and doesn't glow well. And, the ending left me wanting, I struggle with stories with an incomplete ending. I did learn a lot though regarding the English and their occupation of India, and the people of India's fight for freedom.

I received this book through a Goodreads giveaway.

[The Bookish Elf · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beena Kamlani’s The English Problem is an evocative and thought-provoking historical novel that delves into the complexities of colonial identity, personal ambition, and the emotional cost of displacement. Set against the backdrop of India’s struggle for independence, the novel follows Shiv Advani, a young Indian man personally chosen by Mahatma Gandhi to study law in England, return home, and fight against British rule. Yet, as Shiv navigates the streets of London, he finds himself seduced by the very culture he was sent to challenge. Torn between duty and desire, tradition and self-actualization, he embarks on a deeply personal and political odyssey that questions what it truly means to belong.

With its rich historical tapestry, literary prose, and psychological depth, The English Problem is a stunning debut that seamlessly blends fact and fiction, featuring real-life figures such as Virginia Woolf, Leonard Woolf, and Gandhi himself. However, despite its brilliance, the novel is not without its flaws—its pacing sometimes drags, and certain narrative choices feel more cerebral than emotionally gripping.

Plot: A Collision of Ideals and Reality

Shiv Advani is an idealist, raised in an influential Indian family, groomed from childhood to serve his country. His father, Ramdas, is a respected lawyer and a close ally of the independence movement. His mother, fiercely traditional, pushes him into an arranged marriage with Seher, a young woman he barely knows.

When Shiv arrives in London, he is struck by the rain-soaked melancholy of England, a stark contrast to the warmth and vibrancy of India. He takes up residence with the Polaks, a progressive English couple deeply involved in Gandhi’s movement. While Mr. Polak serves as his mentor, introducing him to British legal traditions and the power structures he must one day dismantle, it is his encounters outside their home that challenge him the most.

In the grand halls of Middle Temple, he sees firsthand how British institutions operate—how they groom their elites, how their traditions enforce silent but insurmountable barriers. His interactions with aristocrats, intellectuals, and fellow barristers expose the quiet racism of the empire, the ingrained superiority complex of the ruling class, and the subtle ways in which the English “civilize” their subjects.

And yet, Shiv finds himself seduced by England. The crispness of a well-tailored suit, the rhythm of London’s streets, the unspoken privileges of whiteness—he longs to belong. But belonging comes at a price: an abandonment of his roots, a forgetting of his wife and child back home, and a dangerous love affair that threatens everything.

Main Character Analysis: Shiv Advani—A Man Torn in Two

Shiv’s internal conflict is the beating heart of The English Problem. He is a man of duty, yet he cannot resist the pull of pleasure and personal ambition. He is sent to England to master British law, but instead, he finds himself falling in love with the enemy—not just with their culture, but with Lucy, a young aristocratic man who embodies the freedom and fluidity Shiv craves.

This relationship is one of the most compelling elements of the novel. It is illicit, intoxicating, and deeply symbolic—Shiv’s desire for Lucy mirrors his conflicted relationship with England itself. The tension between what is expected of him and what he truly wants makes him an achingly human protagonist.

However, Kamlani’s detached narrative voice occasionally creates distance between the reader and Shiv’s emotions. While we see his struggles, we don’t always feel them. The writing, though lyrical, is sometimes too intellectual, preventing the reader from fully immersing in his pain.

Themes: The Cost of Empire and the Search for Identity

1. The Psychological Cost of Colonialism

Kamlani’s novel brilliantly illustrates how colonialism is not just a political system, but a psychological one. Shiv is not just a man struggling with his personal identity; he is a symbol of the colonized mind—trained to admire and emulate the very people who have subjugated him. His struggle is not just political, but existential.

2. The Complexity of Nationalism

Though the Indian independence movement looms large in the background, the novel resists simplistic patriotism. Shiv’s father, Ramdas, believes in nonviolence, while others, including his wife, believe force is the only way to drive the British out. This moral ambiguity gives the novel depth and nuance, preventing it from becoming a mere anti-colonial diatribe.

3. Sexuality and Forbidden Desire

One of the novel’s most daring themes is Shiv’s relationship with Lucy. At a time when homosexuality was illegal, their love is both transgressive and dangerous. But Kamlani does not frame it merely as a romantic subplot—it is a metaphor for Shiv’s entire existence in England. Just as he is drawn to the beauty of English culture, he is drawn to Lucy’s charm and reckless freedom. And just as England will never fully accept him, his love affair is doomed from the start.

Writing Style: Lyrical Yet Distant

Kamlani’s prose is beautifully crafted, with evocative descriptions that capture the loneliness of exile, the cold sterility of England, and the warmth of memory. The novel’s strongest moments lie in its sensory details—the smell of rain on London streets, the texture of a finely tailored suit, the taste of a mango from home.

However, the novel sometimes lacks emotional immediacy. Kamlani’s prose, while elegant, is occasionally too cerebral, making it hard for the reader to feel fully immersed in Shiv’s inner turmoil. While the novel is deeply intellectual and historically rich, it sometimes reads more like an analysis of colonial identity than a deeply felt human story.

Criticism: Where the Novel Falters

- Pacing Issues: The novel takes its time building tension, which, while immersive, sometimes makes the narrative drag. Certain chapters—especially those focused on legal discussions—feel overlong, slowing the story’s momentum.

- Lack of Emotional Climax: Though the novel is thematically powerful, its emotional crescendo lacks intensity. The final confrontation between duty and desire—between Shiv’s personal happiness and his responsibility to India—feels rushed and somewhat muted.

- Underdeveloped Supporting Characters: While Shiv is richly drawn, some secondary characters—particularly Seher, his wife, and his family back home—feel underdeveloped, reducing the impact of his personal betrayal.

Final Verdict: A Brilliant Yet Flawed Debut

Beena Kamlani’s The English Problem is a thought-provoking and beautifully written debut that explores colonialism, exile, and forbidden love with intellectual depth and historical nuance. While its lyrical prose and sharp insights make it a compelling read, its slow pacing, distant narration, and occasional lack of emotional intensity prevent it from being a masterpiece.

[Barb · Rating 4 out of 5]

Immediately following his arranged marriage, a young Gandhi acolyte is sent without his bride to England to study the law and return home to help in the cause of Indian independence from Britain. This novel has much to say about the British class system and should appeal to fans of Downton Abbey.

[Carla Thomas · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really wanted to like this…the writing was lovely in many ways, but I didn’t enjoy all the sexual aspects of this book. And it went on about three hours longer than was necessary IMO. The historical perspective with Gandhi and India seeking their independence from British rule was interesting, but overall, this wasn’t high on my list!

[Lisa Goodmurphy · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars
In this impressive debut, Shiv Advani is handpicked as an 18 year-old by Mahatma Gandhi to travel from India and study law in London. The plan is that he will return to India after his studies and use his knowledge of their own laws to help with a non-violent ouster of the British colonizers. Shiv arrives in London to begin his studies in 1931 but is then asked to stay after graduation to gain experience as a barrister eventually spending a decade in England before his journey home in 1941.

The narrative alternates between two timelines - one that begins in 1931 when Shiv is a newly arrived immigrant to London and the second in 1941 when he is aboard a ship homeward bound for India - and includes complex fictional characters who interact with real-life historical figures including Gandhi, Romanian-British journalist Miron Grindea and writers E.M. Forster and Virginia Woolf.

The English Problem is a slow-paced, character driven novel set against the backdrop of India's independence movement, the rise of fascism in Europe and the onset of World War II. Beautifully written and descriptive, it's a touching story of one young man's struggle with his sexual and cultural identity but also a story of the far-reaching impact of colonialism as well as racism and classism in England.

This was an interesting and enjoyable read - my only criticism is that it did feel longer than it needed to be (nearly 500 pages) and started to drag a bit towards the end. The English Problem ends prior to Partition in 1947 and I would love to know what happens next to Shiv, his family and Lucy as India gained her independence but his home region became part of the new state of Pakistan.

Thank you to NetGalley and Crown Publishing for sending a digital ARC of this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

[Debbie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Well I made it halfway. I might get a written copy from Libby to see how it ends. I was looking forward to this book, but it was so slow. I kept trying, but was not really enjoying the book. Too much back and forth without moving the story forward. Some history for context is important, but there was too much here for a historical fiction novel.

[Carl Korn · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book hooked me with its promise but lost me halfway through with its execution. The story meandered to a bunch of deadends. The dialogue was wooden, and there were too many sub-plots that bogged the story down. About halfway thru I contemplated a DNF but pushed through. Spoilert alert: It didn’t get better.

[Bill Silva · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting and appealing premise, and I enjoyed the history lesson…but the characters (both the fictional ones and the historical figures who come into the story) often spoke like Wikipedia articles. The author has clearly done her research…too bad it shows up so unartfully.

[Connor Berson · Rating 2 out of 5]

The English Problem takes place in the 1930s and follows Shiv, an Indian boy who is sent to London by his Father when he is 18 to study to become a barrister (lawyer) so that he can fight to free India from within Britain as part of Ghandi's movement. This is already such a complex scenario with multi-faceted social interactions happening. Shiv's character is then relatively quickly thrashed through so many events including an arranged marriage, a 3 year semi-secret sexually charged gay relationship, being chosen by Ghandi to create a social justice focused magazine instead of practicing law, an intellectually driven heterosexual relationship, has a mixed race child, the death of his wife while his child is still a baby, etc. The English Problem, to say the least, tries to say way too much. It's lack of focus causes each social topic/relationship it covers to not be explored in satisfactory depth.

In trying to cover so much ground, it completely loses any sense of through line. I think the author wanted to show how Shiv is torn between his homeland, India, and his new home, Britain by exploring the many avenues of responsibility and expectation that are put on him by his family, mentors, peers, etc. But, because Shiv is used as the sole vehicle for this exploration, he ends up feeling more and more inconsistent and contradictory as the book progresses, and, as a result, a less and less believable character.

The English Problem got me thinking about Ghandi's movement and its many social implications on the present, but doesn't bring anything else significant to the table after introducing it.

[Adeana Libman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley and Crown Publishing for giving me access to this eARC!

In a word, this book was WOW. Beena Kamlani is an exceptionally talented writer. That this is her debut novel is astounding to me as it reads like a seasoned fiction author. The epic tale of Shiv Advani, while fictional, is interspersed with well-researched and accurate historical information regarding the contemptuous relationship between India and England, Gandhi's mission, life during World War II, and the reality of being "different" in the 30s-early 40s England. I was completely enraptured by Shiv and the various other characters in the novel, specific Julia, Mairi, Lucy, and Millie Polak. The interweaving of the cultural elite of the time such as Virginia and Leonard Woolf was also so special as a literary lover and made me want to indulge in some of those classic reads once I had finished with this one. Shiv's character development was also so well done, my heart broke for him at multiple points and I truly felt like I was on this journey with him only wanting him to succeed and thrive. There was also no perfect character in this novel, which I appreciated. Everyone felt real and had inner demons and conflicts that they dealt with throughout the book.

My only qualm was that at times, the jumping back and forth in timeline became a tad disorienting but I still felt like that book flowed quite well.

Overall, a 4.5/5 stars from me and I would recommend this to all lovers of historical fiction!

[Matangi]

dnf 9%. this book felt kind of surface level and one dimensional. maybe i was comparing it to the covenant of water. for a book about Indian colonialism, i couldn’t believe i was a tenth of the way in, and no mention of class or caste had shown up. the gandhi pedestalizing was annoying as well. gotta be honest, what finally did me in was the way the audiobook narrator pronounced “says.”

[Sam Cheng · Rating 3 out of 5]

Set primarily in London, Kamlani examines British colonialism in India. The author taught me what immigrating to England in the 1930s may have looked like from an Indian perspective. I enjoyed imagining the fictionalized lives of Gandhi and Virginia Woolf alongside our protagonist’s coming-of-age explorations.

[Ellen · Rating 2 out of 5]

Although I usually enjoy books that illuminate important parts of history, particularly of other countries and cultures, I felt the pace of this book was not my favorite. Although Shiv is an interesting character, and the issues of colonialism, sexuality, and outdated mores were covered well, the book was not for me. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

[Michelle Kimber · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wanted to love this but I found I was not a fan of the writing style. I found the writing a bit dry. The story was an ok read, the premise was entertaining. I will read more from this author.

[A dog lady who likes cats · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF. Obvious expositions of early 20th century class mores in England through the eyes of an Indian immigrant. The book’s writing is plain and there are often passages that beg disbelief. I understand that the writer is female but surely she knows that boys have had erections and wet dreams before their first sexual encounter at 18. There is also some disturbing passages that seem to suggest that homosexuality is something that can shift at will or that English boarding school sexual explorations means that these men are then jealous of homosexual relationships.

[Ciel Dahlberg · Rating 2 out of 5]

this is somehow both exactly what I thought it would be and very much not. I didn't expect it to be queer. but I also expected it to have something to say that I hadn't already read somewhere else. I feel like this was a very roundabout way of discussing the problem, and it only did so on a surface level, so why did it take 460 pages to do so?

[sandhya_srini · Rating 2 out of 5]

I liked the premise but there was too much faffing about throughout the book. There were paragraphs that I just wanted to skip past and that seemed unnecessary. There were too many things going on and not enough attention put to them, so there felt like a lot of loose ends. The protagonist didn't really shine either. The end was not tightly wrapped and it wasn't a very satisfying end

[ab · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.9.

undoubtedly good writing but way too long. repetitive and filled with (what felt like) unnecessary info so that i found myself “blah blah blah” skimming a few too many times.

LOVE lucy, love julia. shiv’s parents highkey suck but their overbearing nature and unrealistic expectations might also be a cultural thing that im not used to.

ambiguous ending. not sure how to feel! don’t regret reading, as the story and writing was lovely. probably wouldn’t recommend to others due to its density.

[Joy Young · Rating 4 out of 5]

If they only had edited out a ton of literary references and discussions which just made the book too long it would have been better. It seemed to miss its mark a bit because of that. Almost like a fandom page for those literary giants went on in the center.

[Hannah Trower · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow. Just wow. A vivid take on an aspect of India's colonial British past that has been somewhat overlooked: the sons she sent to Britain to further their education and further the cause for independence. Rich friendships (and more), with appearances from real life figures like Gandhi and Virginia Woolf and many more, this deals with questions of home and culture. Once you leave, can you ever truly return? Will Odysseus have Penelope waiting for him? Is Odysseus still Odysseus after so long away? Highly recommend.

[Laurel · Rating 4 out of 5]

A wonderfully nuanced novel centering around India’s move towards decolonization. One man’s struggle of assimilation and self will in many areas of his life.

[Monica Hurley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very informative