The Complex: A Novel

by Karan Mahajan

A MOST ANTICIPATED BOOK OF 2026: THE WASHINGTON POST, VULTURE, LIT HUB, THE MILLIONS, CHICAGO REVIEW OF BOOKS

“An extraordinary gift to its lucky an enormously full and brilliantly structured novel whose characters come to feel as familiar—and as bottomlessly mysterious—as one's own family.”
—Karen Russell, author of National Book Award finalist The Antidote

“A testament to Mahajan’s genius. . . . Beautiful and unforgettable”
—Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

A brilliant, sweeping tour de force moving between the US and modern India, following the illicit liaisons, real estate dramas, political ambitions, and mortal betrayals of one prominent Delhi family — from the author of the National Book Award finalist The Association of Small Bombs

In a sprawling complex in Delhi, the sons and daughters of SP Chopra, one of India's political architects, live together vying for influence in a family shaped by the great man's legacy. By the late 1970s, his descendants are scrambling to define their own futures in a still-young nation on the brink of transformation.

Sachin Chopra leaves for America, with his bride Gita following not long after, as the newlyweds are eager to forge their own lives beyond the pressures of the family compound. Yet Delhi remains an inescapable force, one that keeps pulling them back, even as Gita is menaced by Sachin’s predatory uncle, Laxman. A man of restless ambition, Laxman ascends through the ranks of a rising Hindu nationalist movement, caught between his political aspirations and his personal transgressions. Meanwhile, Vibha, his sister, tries to keep the peace and the reputation of the family intact even as she wrestles with her own exile.

As India erupts in violence and long-buried secrets come to light, the embattled Chopras must reckon with the cost of power, the weight of tradition, and the shifting nature of love and allegiance. Equal parts brilliant family saga and piercing political drama, The Complex is a virtuosic novel of revenge and redemption, ambition and undoing, loyalty and love, by one of the most lauded voices in contemporary fiction.

Genres: Fiction, India, Literary Fiction, Historical Fiction, Contemporary, Novels, Family

443 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 10, 2026

About the author

Karan Mahajan is the author of "The Association of Small Bombs," which was a finalist for the National Book Award, winner of the NYPL Young Lions Fiction Award, and was named one of the 10 Best Books of the Year by the New York Times Book Review. His debut novel "Family Planning" was a finalist for the International Dylan Thomas Prize. He has been selected as one of Granta’s Best Young American Novelists, and his writing has appeared in The New Yorker, The New York Times, Vanity Fair, The New York Review of Books, and other venues. He is an associate professor in Literary Arts at Brown University. His third novel, "The Complex," is forthcoming in March 2026.

Reviews

[emma]

i have succession disease, which is when i can't hear that something is about a family vying for power without thinking about my favorite prestige television show

(thanks to the publisher for the arc)

[Karan · Rating 5 out of 5]

taking preemptive action LOL

[James B · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thanks to Netgalley and Viking for the ebook. An epic book that follows three related families in India’s recent past. All three families are in the shadow of their famous patriarch, SP Chopra and are constantly measuring their failures against his greatness, which leads to goals that can never be met. One man throws himself into business, but barely breaks even, another tries to bring the innovations he learned in America back home, but finds his country just isn’t quite set up for these things. A third, Laxman, seduces, or assaults, the women inside the family and becomes a political zealot. With financial pressure and with trying to hold so many secrets, it’s only a matter of time until violence follows.

[Douglas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks to Goodreads and Viking for the review copy.

I remember the opening of Karan Mahajan’s first novel, The Association of Small Bombs, going off like one — a literal bomb. I was immediately pulled in.

His latest novel, The Complex, lives up to its title in a different way. Much is revealed in the first chapter (no spoilers), and it’s the kind of subject matter I often hope not to read about.

The “complex” refers to the apartment building at the center of the story, but like his first novel, it’s also about the complexities of families — long histories, grudges, ego, and the ways people hurt each other without fully understanding why. The family drama mirrors larger political tensions in India, especially around events like the Anti-Sikh riots and the Mandal Commission protests. Mahajan seems less interested in taking political sides and more interested in showing how tribalism and self-righteousness — whether in a country or a family — can cause damage that’s hard to undo.

I’ve seen comparisons to Tolstoy and Dostoyevsky, but I’m not sure that’s quite right. It feels closer to the melodramatic family sagas of Jonathan Franzen or even Tom Wolfe. The language itself is fairly straightforward, but the shifting alliances, betrayals, and emotional undercurrents give it its edge.

Even though I didn’t enjoy it as much as The Association of Small Bombs, I still think it’s a strong novel and will find a wide audience. I could easily see this adapted into a Netflix series — and I would definitely watch that.

[Hayden Casey · Rating 4 out of 5]

to the PRH rep that pressed this book into my hands at FallCon: thank you. you were right.

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book! Karan will be a guest on my show this season - Check This Out!

[Mallory · Rating 4 out of 5]

I stumbled upon a free, uncorrected proof of The Complex at a bookstore. I enjoy reading realistic fiction books about India and complex familial relationships, so this book seemed up my alley.

At first I felt a bit overwhelmed by the number of characters, but Mahajan spent time digging into many of their motivations and points-of-view. I may have benefited from a family tree, but I believe I sorted everyone out after more detailed chapters cleared things up. I found the women, particularly Gita and Karishma, to be the most compelling. I love a story where everyone is flawed but has redeeming qualities. This rung true in The Complex. Even the seemingly most corrupt, Laxman, had complexity.

Some parts of the story dragged, but the usage of one-sentence chapter cliffhangers kept me steadily reading. Overall, I loved the opportunity to be one of the first to read and review this well-written novel. If you like messy relationships, character-driven storylines, and themes of economic classes, family duty, and the seeking of opportunities, this is a book for you.

[Kerry]

I was interested until it fell away from the main woman's POV and shifted into the POV of the pathetic, entitled men who take out their insecurities on women.

[Nicole · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Turbulent Family Epic

Karan Mahajan’s " The Complex sprawls across decades and continents, telling the story of the Chopra family as they grapple with power, betrayal, and the shifting sands of modern India. At the heart of it all is SP Chopra, a political fixer whose legacy shapes every twist of fate for generations to come. From Delhi’s fevered real estate scene to the charged atmosphere of America, the novel’s tapestry is rich and tumultuous, as three main couples jostle for influence and survival against a backdrop of family secrets, illicit affairs, and the rise of Hindu nationalism. Laxman, ambitious and flawed, emerges as both a product and a driver of this turbulent era, his political aspirations forever at odds with his personal demons.

Mahajan’s characters leap off the page; ruthless, yearning, and painfully human. Laxman’s hunger for power collides with the quieter ambitions of Gita and Sachin, whose marriage reveals another side of the family’s tangled loyalties. Across siblings and spouses, old resentments simmer, and alliances shift, all within the claustrophobic confines of the family’s compound. The result is a portrait of relationships as fraught and fascinating as any political drama.

Big themes pulse through the novel: identity, immigration, and social change, but Mahajan never loses sight of the individuals at the center of the storm. He tackles issues like racism and sexual assault with nuance, grounding them in the realities of a world in flux. The Chopras’ triumphs and tragedies mirror India’s own transformation, making their journey both personal and political.

What sets The Complex apart is Mahajan’s style: sharp, subversive, and modern, yet rooted in the grand tradition of nineteenth-century family novels. If you are a fan of classic literature, you will likely find Mahajan's writing comparable to the works of Tolstoy and Dostoevsky, and for good reason. Mahajan juggles the epic and the intimate, the political and the deeply personal, with remarkable precision. His prose is clear, unsparing, and full of both horror and tenderness.

The novel’s thrilling plot, emotional depth, and ambitious scope are just *chef's kiss*. It’s a page-turner, a magisterial performance, and a book worth rereading for its insight into memory and truth. Readers will be drawn in by the vivid characters and the immersive web of family and politics, even as the multitude of storylines demands close attention.

The real magic of The Complex lies in how it marries the grand and the granular, making every political upheaval feel intimate and every family squabble thrum with national consequence. Mahajan has delivered a novel that is as smart as it is heartfelt; a sweeping, deeply satisfying portrait of India, the immigrant experience, and the families we can’t escape, no matter how hard we try.

[Abby D · Rating 3 out of 5]

I definitely think that a lot of people will find this book extremely interesting and intricate, especially those who are looking for post-colonial historical fictions. I generally do fall into this category, but for me, this one just fell a bit short, and I think a lot of that is to do with how it was structured.

“The Complex” follows a large Indian family that is living and surviving in a post-British-ruled India, which soon leads to their new government’s instability. The book navigates the family as they all follow different paths and learn more about one another in ways they never expected.

I really think that the book was well-written; it is very clear that Mahajan worked extremely hard on making sure to contextualize Indian culture in the 70s and 80s and how that impacted this family in Delhi. That being said, I find the structure of the book a bit disjointed and for me, it paid it extremely difficult to follow the narrative. When it was all in Gita’s perspective, I liked it and could see the push and pull between U.S. and Indian culture and the extreme differences between them and that internal struggle that she had about it. But when it came to Laxman and Karishma, I felt like the constant jump between one and the other was making it difficult for me to follow who cares about what. I did love Karishma’s story and found it equally if not more compelling than Gita’s, but I really did not want to hear from Laxman. Every time I got his perspective, which was quite often, I just didn’t want to hear it because he is so unreliable and I just could not empathize with anything he did. We also stop getting that cultural struggle because midway through the book, we just stop getting Gita’s perspective until the very very end, and instead it begins to focus on the political instability in India. To me, it just felt like it was trying to cover two very different topics and while I understand that those two topics can be very interconnected, I didn’t really feel like that connection was being drawn.

I say all of this but please know that I did not dislike the book in any way. I found it extremely informative, especially since I am not very knowledgeable in Indian history or culture to be honest. I liked the comparisons it drew to the U.S. and how different family dynamics are between the two countries as well. I just found the book itself to be doing a bit too much when it came to some of its commentary, leading to what felt like a disjointed narrative overall. I think others who have more of a piqued interest in this type of history and historical fiction would absolutely love this book and find it captivating; I just was not one of those people necessarily and that’s ok.

Thank you to NetGalley and Viking for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Sue · Rating 5 out of 5]

Karan Mahajan opens his new novel The Complex with Chapter 0, arousing readers’ curiosity about everything that led up to this point. A middle-aged son awaits his father’s impending release after completing a quarter-century prison sentence for murder. One by one, an assortment of relatives approach the son, some of whom he hasn’t spoken to for many years although all live in the same family housing complex. Each presents his or her reason not to let the family black sheep move back in with the son, who has been the sole occupant of his father’s space in the complex since his late teens—a complex built shortly after Indian Independence by family patriarch SP Chopra, a framer of the Indian constitution, a former Reserve Bank governor, and a politician, the home of this revered ancestor’s many multi-generational descendants. Only one message from Aunt Gita supports his decision to take in his aging convict father. Gita knows all too well that Laxman deserved his fate. Trying to explain the Chopra family’s downfall to an online friend, the young man remarks that doing so would require writing a book. He ends Chapter 0 by signing his name: Mohit Chopra.

What follows is allegedly Mohit Chopra’s book, divided into three parts--I: “Gita’s World,” II: “Laxman’s Complex,” and III: “My Protest.” Mohit’s family history is set partly in Midland, Michigan, where Gita and husband Sachin Chopra lived for several years, but largely in A-19, the shared Chopra family complex in north Delhi. Just as real author Karan Mahajan brings together a complex assortment of family members, giving several of them an opportunity to tell their sides of the story, including both murderer and victim, he also brings together the story of India—urban and rural, educated and uneducated, native and émigré, old and young, business and political successes and failures, personal and moral strength’s and weaknesses. Readers witness family and country struggling for greatness or merely to find their way in the world. Although a few readers believe Mahajan lacks a specific focus, this complex story perfectly fulfills his goal and title.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Viking for an advance reader egalley.

[John Waites · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Complex by Karan Mahajan is the kind of novel that quietly pulls you in and then refuses to leave your mind.

Set in Delhi across the 1970s, 80s, and 90s, the story follows generations of the influential Chopra family living together in a sprawling compound built by their formidable patriarch, S.P. Chopra. Within those walls: businesses are built, egos collide, fortunes shift, and resentment quietly simmers.

Mahajan doesn’t rely on spectacle or plot twists. Instead, he gives us something more interesting—a layered portrait of ambition, privilege, insecurity, and the complicated gravity of family.

The descendants of the once-dominant Chopra empire struggle to live up to the legend they’ve inherited. Some chase opportunity abroad in the United States, hoping distance will translate into success. What they find instead is the uncomfortable realization that legacy doesn’t guarantee achievement.

What fascinated me most was how the compound itself becomes a character. Family members drift away and return, circling the place that shaped them. It’s a small world packed with buried grudges, quiet rivalries, and the kind of secrets that eventually surface no matter how carefully they’re hidden.

This isn’t a high-octane, plot-driven novel. It’s slower, more observational—deeply interested in people and the contradictions they carry.

If you enjoy sweeping family sagas, character-driven fiction, and stories that explore how power and expectation echo across generations, The Complex is well worth your time.

A thoughtful, absorbing read that proves the most compelling dramas often unfold within the walls of a family.

[Lindsay · Rating 3 out of 5]

This novel is set in a sprawling apartment complex, housing the sons and daughters of SP Chopra, one of India's political architects. Sachin Chopra, currently lives in America, with his wife Gita, as both try to figure out their own way without the heavy burden from the family back in India. However, they can't escape India as Gita returns from a family wedding and ends up being harrassed by Sachin's uncle, Laxman. Laxman is ruled by his ambition, and starts to rise through the ranks of the Hindu Nationalist movement, but while he is working he ends up setting his sights on another family member - his other nephew's wife, Karishma. As violence erupts in India, the Chopras must deal with the consequences of their actions and choices.

This was a family saga that was interesting at times, but really dragged on. I think it was super ambitious by having the book from multiple perspectives in the family, but I preferred Gita's perspective the most. It was the best for highlighting the battle between Indian and US culture when moving to a new country and the internal struggles she dealt with. I hated Laxman's the most because he was so obnoxious and disgusting. Halfway through the book the focus on the struggles changes and heavily focuses on political instability, which made the book feel like it was trying to cover too much and should have just focused on one specific theme. For me the book was just okay, it was extremely informative about the time period in India.

Thanks Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Why did I read? I wanted to learn more about India Would i read again? No

[Victoria Klein · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks to NetGalley and Viking for this advance readers copy, in exchange for an honest review. The Complex is an epic family saga, following the descendants of famed SP Chopra, around the globe from India to the US. Our main characters, Sachin and Gita, are our primary focus in the novel but, we follow many of their family members over time and come to see how family dynamics, politics, gender roles, and an evolving Indian society affect their lives. In particular, we also follow the character, Laxman, Sachin’s uncle, who is an abusive figure and has a heavy role in local politics, giving us insight into this particular landscape.

This was a wonderful story, one that I was really able to sink into and enjoy over time. There are enough plot points that the book moves along swiftly enough but, the real magic here is in the characters. The author does a great job at providing insight into the characters inner motivations and emotions, which helped me understand what was driving them and had me rooting for them. Not all characters were likeable but, this was okay— Laxman in facts was despicable but, was a great way for the reader to really feel the rising tension of the times and as a view into the political climate. There are some difficult experiences to read in this book, particularly related to sexual assault, but the author handles them with care. He covers many important themes throughout this book and these difficult plot points don’t feel at all gratuitous.

Overall, I enjoyed this book and would recommend it to those who enjoy big, dramatic family sagas!

[Paula W · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thanks to Viking, Karan Mahajan (author), and Edelweiss for providing an advance digital review copy of The Complex. Their generosity did not influence my review in any way.

In what I would consider a complete nightmare situation, the complex being referred to in The Complex is a housing community in India where an entire extended, multigenerational family lives in separate but connected housing units. Second cousins twice removed and a husband’s great aunt ‘s sister in law are all close relatives and all up in everyone’s business. This well-known family descended from a wealthy political guru, and they are looking at a crisis as the book starts: one of their own is getting out of prison after a couple decades and is returning to the complex today. Lots of opinions, fears, and obligations are being spoken to our narrator who then begins to tell us the story of how we got here.

And all I can say is WOW. This was so great. Life kept trying to intrude, but every time I set the book down for a few minutes I craved it and had to get right back to it. This is a 450 page book that I finished in one day where I basically refused to do anything else. This is like the Indian version of The Godfather but without the murders. Well, one murder occurs. And some bu… you know what? Just go ahead and pick this one up. 4.75 stars.

[Kayla Cobetto · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Complex follows an Indian family through the decades that deals with many different conflicts from internal familial issues, sexual assault, migrating to a new country as well differing political ideologies. I want to start by saying that this book is extremely well written and informative. It taught me a lot about Indian culture and politics. I also really enjoyed the family dynamics throughout the story and the cliffhangers at the ends of many of the chapters. These cliffhangers are what made it hard to put this book down at times.

While I did enjoy learning about the family dynamics, I found that reading the perspectives of so many different characters in such a large family made it hard to follow at times. I often found myself wishing there was a family tree to better remember who each character was and how they were related. I also found certain perspectives much more interesting than others, which made specific parts of the books pacing feel slow at times. Finally, I found the ending of the book a bit unsatisfactory. While it was probably realistic, I found myself wishing the ending was different.

Overall, I believe this book is extremely well written and that many people will love it. If you are interested in intricate family dramas, then I definitely recommend.

(Goodreads Giveaway Recipient)

[Preeti Mahatme · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Complex by Karan Mahajan traces the intertwined lives of an upper-middle-class Delhi joint family across the 70s, 80s and 90s, set against India’s shifting political and economic landscape. As businesses rise and fall and relationships strain, the novel captures ambition, entitlement, and the quiet and not-so-quiet tensions within a family that shares everything — space, power, resentment. The title feels absolutely apt. Almost every character is complicated, even “complexed” — driven by insecurity, ambition, jealousy, desire. Lakshman, especially, felt defined largely by his compulsions; I also struggled to fully make sense of Gita, Karishma, and their spouses — they felt emotionally elusive.
What stayed with me most was the portrayal of the joint family structure itself as complex: supportive yet suffocating, protective yet competitive,
intimate yet boundary-less, capable of nurturing and destruction at the same time. The political backdrop — the Mandal Commission era and the Babri Masjid riots — brought back memories and added depth, offering sharp glimpses into India’s social and economic churn.
At times I felt the novel wasn’t entirely sure what it wanted to say, and it did feel too long and repetitive in parts. Still, I read it steadily. It’s ambitious, layered, and unsettling — even if it didn’t fully move me, it definitely made me think.
Thank you Penguin Viking and Netgalley for the ARC

[Diane Nicole · Rating 5 out of 5]

One sentence review:
𝗜 𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗱 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲𝘅 𝗯𝘆 𝗞𝗮𝗿𝗮𝗻 𝗠𝗮𝗵𝗮𝗷𝗮𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗳𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱 𝗺𝘆𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗳 𝗳𝗹𝗶𝗽𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗮𝗴𝗲𝘀 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲𝘁𝗲𝗹𝘆 𝗲𝗻𝗴𝗿𝗼𝘀𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝗯𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆𝘁𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴.

💭:
I oftentimes struggle to put my thoughts into words, especially when writing reviews.

Right now I’m thinking, “The Complex is so well written, and the writing caught my attention from the very beginning.” It’s also the writing that kept me invested in the characters.

𝗕𝘂𝘁 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗺𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗽𝘂𝘁 𝗺𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗼 𝗮 𝗳𝘂𝗹𝗹 𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄 𝗶𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗜 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗴𝗴𝗹𝗲.
My brain 🧠: 𝗜𝘁’𝘀 𝗦𝗢 𝗚𝗼𝗼𝗱! 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗘𝗻𝗱. 𝗙𝗶𝗻𝗶 🫢😂

📖:
The Complex falls outside my usual horror and thriller genres, but the writing was so beautiful that I enjoyed it just as much as I would my comfort genres. 🤌

This book was a roller coaster of emotions for me, I felt anger, sadness, laughter, etc. The descriptive language the author used at times had me laughing.

I could see The Complex as a tv series or even a movie. I felt like the characters were real people, and I loved how much I learned about a different culture. I also felt like I was part of the book— in the background at times.

Random aside:
𝗜 𝗱𝗶𝗱𝗻’𝘁 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗮 𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗼𝘄𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗹𝗼𝗻𝗴 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝗱𝗶𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗳𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗹𝘆 𝗺𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿𝘀/𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝗜 𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗜 𝘄𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱.

[Shayla Scott · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25 rating! I don't know what I was expecting from this book but I was hooked from the first pages! This is definitely a sweeping family drama that has very complex people and relationships. Laxman is by far the worst of the worst to me, using his authority in the family to assault and abuse. The first part of the book is told from Gita's POV in that she is surviving in the U.S. with Sachin (Laxman's nephew) and is uneasy there. Her interactions with Laxman are tense and I felt anxious for her at every turn. Laxman's POV dominates the second part: his wrongdoings with Gita and Karishma are highlighted here, ending with his involvement in politics that puts the country into upheaval. The third part is a mashup of the stories of different Chopras involved with each other and various situations. I was saddened with Karishma took her own life because I felt she wanted to live at the last minute but it was too late. I gasped when Brij killed Laxman because I wasn't expecting it but also Laxman had to know that this would end badly for him. I hated some of the Chopra sisters as they contributed to their brother's bad behavior by brushing it off. His wife Archana is especially complacent in his deeds. A great read that I was pleasantly surprised with!

[Kathleen Gray · Rating 5 out of 5]

A tale of family set against the political. While most will point to the fact that this is about the children of SP Chopra, a dynamic and important (fictional) figure in Indian history, I found it more about Laxman, his toxic son whose actions ripple across the family, especially among the women. There are a lot of characters and it can be a challenge to keep all the familial ties straight but that's less important than what happens. This starts with one of them being released from prison and then goes backward to tells how we got there. Sachin and Gita have moved to the US where they are happy until Gita returns to India and has a devastating encounter with Laxman at a wedding. He later visits them in the US trying to make a deal. His nephew Brij is a violent man whose wife Karishma falls under Laxman's spell. Their children will become politically active. Gita, Karishma, and Laxman have the strongest (albeit third person) voices, with his being cringey at best. I found this sagged a bit at the 60 percent mark but stick with it and you will be rewarded. Thanks to the publisher for the ARC. An excellent read.

[Aishwarya Sivaramakrishnan · Rating 3 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️.5 out of 5

Thanks to Tertulia and PRH for sending me an advance uncorrected proof of this book. Support small, independent bookstores!

Even before I read the first page of the book, going in, I was fully aware that this was not MY genre and so my review may be skewed. As someone who spent the first 20 years of my life in a compound much like the one in the book, living in a “joint” family, surrounded by my grandfathers’ siblings and their respective families, I knew that the twisted family dynamics would hit a little too close to home. I’ve lived through the same property + construction disputes, petty rivalries between the daughters-in-law, and even inappropriate/frankly disgusting borderline incestuous relationships (thanks Dad).

There were times when I felt like the pacing could’ve been better (again, I prefer books with fast-paced dialogue and plot twists) but there’s no denying that Karan Mahajan has a way with words. The language is absolutely beautiful and I found myself going back to read the same few sentences over and over again. Adding his other books to my TBR!

[Firetruckmama · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received an eARC of this book from NetGalley and the publisher, for which I thank them.

“The Complex” is by Karan Mahajan. I had a difficult time getting into this book. Part of the reason was that, as the title says, it’s a rather complex book, filled with a number of characters (all who are also complex). This book is multi-generational (covering 1970s-1990s) and set against India during that time. I must admit to knowing near nothing about the political and economic status of India, especially during that time, so I found that part of the book interesting. I think this book would’ve benefited from a family tree - but that could just be me. I think if you like slower paced family stories, with some unlikeable characters, this may be a book you’d enjoy. There are some serious matters discussed, but Mahajan treated them carefully and thoughtfully.

[Reader Ray · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Complex
Karan Mahajan
Publication Date: March 10, 2026

ARC courtesy of Viking Penguin and NetGalley.

The Complex is an ambitious political family saga, expansive in scope, set between India and America. It showcases the complex family dynamics of the Chopra family, a powerful political clan in Delhi, and machinations following the death of its patriarch.

The writing is sharp and engaging, although some may find the pacing a bit slow. With the broad cast of characters and the transnational scope, some readers may find it cumbersome. However, the patient reader is rewarded with an engrossing novel of family intrigue, with a strong socio-political commentary.

[Hope]

The book has starred reviews, and although I typically enjoy multi-generational family sagas, this one felt lacking in some way. The overall tone seemed dreary, and it lacked a cohesive central narrative that could engage the reader's interest. Overall, the book was just okay. It featured too many different viewpoints and characters, and I found most of them to be unlikable. To me, the language was too straightforward, detailing events one after another, yet it lacked evocative and emotional depth.

[Hamad Naif · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley for providing me an ARC of The Complex
by Karan Mahajan

A smart, quietly intense novel that lingers long after the final page. This isn't a thriller in the traditional sense-it's a character study of entitlement, insecurity, and isolation in contemporary India. I learned so much about Indian society's dynamics. Highly recommend if you love learning more about different cultures

[Maria DellaCorte · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good book overall, overly long though, too many different perspectives and I was confused about the main character Laxman, was I supposed to feel sympathy towards or hate him, why write from his point of view? Toxic family relationships were interesting to unpack, but no one was likable at all and everyone has ulterior motives

[Audrey · Rating 4 out of 5]

This multigenerational family epic was complex in so many different ways. An extended family lives in multi story compound with family members leaving and returning, both the pull of family as well as country. But there are always secrets and lies that eventually come forth especially in a microcosm. A satisfying read.

I received an arc from the publisher but all opinions are my own.

[Tara Chacko · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was my first ARC (thanks to Tertulia for the copy) and I really enjoyed it although I didn’t finish it before it was published oops. Multigenerational Indian family dramas with rich characters and a plot = A+ for me

[Kerry O'Brien · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars - I love a good family saga and while I wasn't totally wowed by this one, I found it pretty entertaining and well-written. I was also interested to learn a bit about the religious and political turmoil in India in the 70s/80s.

[V · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5*
I saw The Complex described as a family epic... and I don't think its scope rises quite to the level of epic. The author keeps the story to a manageable level of complexity and depth, while also telling the story--or a story--of late 20th century India.

All said, a decent book.