The Peacock Throne getting great UK reviews

“The Peacock Throne is a dark intricately composed farce of epic proportions. . . the compelling narrative drive is shot through with a sly vein of humour that keeps you turning the pages.”

Tina Jackson in the Metro

“This sprawling novel teems with memorable characters and historical figures, plots and subplots. Saraf’s rambunctious commentary on the nature of greed and mendacity is enthralling, but it’s the lives of the ordinary people that provide the real drama in this huge novel”

Eithne Farry in the Daily Mail

“Sujit Saraf’s novel The Peacock Throne, for all its farcical plot and sardonic tone, gives a more truthful picture of 21st century India than anything in the earnest pages of the Wall Street Journal. The novel recreates the chaos, violence and stench of Indian urban life with enormous skill and fidelity. Saraf’s detached, mordant tone highlights the horrors far more effectively than any self-righteous rant ever could. . . . a masterly work.”

Chandak Sengoopta in the Independent

“Saraf has a gift for showing how politics arises from competing personal interests while never failing to tell a gripping story”

Literary Review

“this is a story considerably darker, more cynical and yet more rewarding than Hollywood would ever permit. . .the characters are lively and are the main reason that this novel succeeds. Whirlwind tours of modern Indian history and lavish descriptions are incidental treats relative to spending time with Gopal Pandey and his determination to seize all that life has to offer, as well as the supporting characters who make this book a treat.”

thelondonpaper

The Peacock Throne
09780340899700 | $24.95 pb | available April
Sceptre / McArthur & Co. (HarperCollins)