It is set in 1970s old bombay and concerns opium and its influence. That book, nominated for the 2012 man booker prize, was largely set in mumbais opium dens and was inspired by thayil. I met jeet thayil on a wonderfully nippy, december evening in. Narcopolis is the debut novel of indian author jeet thayil. A rich, hallucinatory dream that captures bombay in all its compelling squalor, narcopolis completely subverts and challenges the literary. This is a book about drugs, sex, death, perversion, addiction, love, and god, and has more in common in its subject matter with the work of william s. The novelist has selected the time of the 1970s for his novel, the debut novel as well as the booker nominee work. Delhi exposed in avtar singhs necropolis the first thing that strikes the reader about avtar singhs novel, necropolis, is its title an instant reminder of jeet thayil s narcopolis.
Its creepy yet kind of cool to think that jeet thayil, author of narcopolis, once skulked the opium dens of mumbai, india thayil an addict for 20 yearsundoubtedly writes from. Instead, the prize, announced last week, went to hilary mantels book on oliver cromwell, bring up the bodies. Discover delightful childrens books with prime book box, a subscription that delivers new books every 1, 2, or 3 months new customers receive 15% off your. Narcopolis is a futuristic thriller set in the near future where all classes of drugs have been legalized. The narrator is a young man who has been sent to bombay in the late 1970s to clean.
Creepy yet kind of cool to think that jeet thayil, author of narcopolis, once skulked. A novel by thayil, jeet and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. Shortlisted for the man booker prize written in poetic and affecting prose, jeet thayil s luminous debut novel charts the evolution of a great and broken metropolis. Known for his poetry, jeet thayil rose to prominence in 1992 with his stunning debut novel narcopolis, which deals with opium in 70s mumbai. Oct 06, 2015 featuring far too many subplots, supporting characters and red herrings to be comprehensible, narcopolis is the sort of selfinvolved, selfindulgent scifi that will be of interest to only the. Jeet thayils new book is a feminist retelling of the new. One gets it, this is what jeet thayil is out to do, this is one long pull off an. Lefteris pitarakisap it was an unlikely development in the life of. Fluid and fluent it seeps into your mind, drawing you right into the heart of. Narcopolis by jeet thayil presents a vivid picture of the bombay drug scene, and the life of the people associated with it. Mar 27, 2014 it is the same situation with narcopolis. Jeet thayils debut novel narcopolis is the book that couldashoulda won the man booker prize for 2012.
Narcopolis is a bad trip and jeet thayil wants it that way. Jeet thayil s new book is an extraordinary reimagining of the new testament. Jeet thayil was born in kerala, india in 1959 and educated in hong kong, new york and bombay. Thayil, the longest shot, would have made for a more. Thayil, 12 october 2012 as the title suggests, the book is about drugs and about places. Jeet thayil is the author of four poetry collections, including these errors are correct and english and is the editor of the bloodaxe book of contemporary indian poets. As a musician and songwriter, he is onehalf of the contemporary music project sridhar thayil. Shortlisted for the man booker prize written in poetic and affecting prose, jeet thayils luminous debut novel charts the evolution of a great and broken metropolis across three decades. Buy a cheap copy of narcopolis book by jeet thayil.
He was educatied in hong kong, new york, and bombay, cities where his father worked as an editor and writer. Does jeet thayils narcopolis, a tale of opium dens and heroin addiction in mumbai, join that select club. Death being a key theme of the book a lot of people misspelt the title of the book and called it necropolis, but im fine with that, because the title is a play on that and it is a city of the dead. Narcopolis by jeet thayil thoughts on the first half i am buddy reading this with shawn the book maniac and his first half thoughts are in the link below. Written in poetic and affecting prose, jeet thayil s luminous debut novel charts the evolution of a great and broken metropolis across three decades. And, when the reader finishes the last breathtaking page of jeet thayils debut man booker longlister, narcopolis will again have transformed into being about something else entirely. His four poetry collections include these errors are correct and english. Narcopolis is shortlisted for the man booker prize. Buy narcopolis by jeet thayil from waterstones today. Oct 26, 2012 narcopolis is a bad trip and jeet thayil wants it that way. A lot of people misspelt the title of the book and called it necropolis, but im fine with that, because the title is a play on that and it is a city of the dead.
Jeet thayil on narcopolis and poetry bangalore writers workshop. We can celebrate that he emerged intact and gave us this book. Narcopolis is a novel of drugs and crime by jeet thayil that explores the lives, trials, and desperation of a number of major and minor characters over the course of 30some years in a drugriddled slum in bombay. His first novel, narcopolis, which won the dsc prize for south asian literature, was also. Some of thayil s other books include the book of chocolate saints, low, and narcopolis. Burroughs or baudelaire than with the subcontinents familiar literary lights. But jeet thayil s narcopolis, which was shortlisted for the 2012 man booker prize, places opium and specifically rashids opium at the heart of the story. However, it took me a while to find time to actually read this brilliant piece of writing which has now been shortlisted for the booker prize 2012. At first glance, narcopolis is a novel about drugs.
I didnt even bother changing some of the names, as theyre all dead now. Narcopolis is a 2012 novel written by famous indian poet and novelist jeet thayil. Jeet thayils narcopolis was profoundly beautiful and disturbing and continues to haunt me. He is the editor of the bloodaxe book of contemporary indian poets 2008. I had read narcopolis a month back and was desperately hoping he would win the booker because it had been long since a book had thrilled me so much that i didnt want to leave its world. Youve got to face facts and the fact is life is a joke, a fucking bad joke, or, no, a bad fucking joke. He is a songwriter and guitarist, and has published four collections of poetry. The novel by jeet thayil won the dsc prize for south asian literature in 20, quite an achievement for a first novel, but if a movie version is ever made it will have to be under a different name to avoid confusion with a futuristic thriller coming out later this year 2014. He is the editor of the bloodaxe book of contemporary indian poets and is a visiting professor of poetry at the university of goa. Jeet thayil this study guide consists of approximately 35 pages of chapter summaries, quotes, character analysis, themes, and more everything you need to sharpen your knowledge of narcopolis. Here, people say that you introduce only your worst enemy to opium a debut novel for thayil, the new dehlibased performance poet, songwriter and guitarist. Frank grieves is a dreck, a roaming narc responsible for keeping the black market dealers off the streets and the licenced drugs companies rich.
Jeet thayil born october 1959 is an indian poet, novelist, librettist and musician. These errors are correct tranquebar, 2008, english 2004, penguin india, rattapallax press, new york, 2004, apocalypso ark, 1997 and gemini viking penguin, 1992. Replicants of bombay takis magazine takis magazine. May 21, 20 i met jeet thayil on a wonderfully nippy, december evening in bangalore. If you were to write a story set in bombay, as the poet jeet thayil prefers to call the city now known as mumbai in his outstanding debut novel, you dont have to work too hard. A recovering addict himself, a ghost of mumbais shuklaji street the capital of the book, jeet thayil has produced genuine passages with the beauty of fiction. An extract from jeet thayil s bookershortlisted narcopolis. According to thayil s own talks and also some of the readers have discerned that some elements in the novel draw their weight from jeet thayil s own life at the same time as suggested in the.
Narcopolis by jeet thayil abebooks passion for books. A novel on the free kindle reading app or on your kindle in. Wait now, light me up so we do this right, yes, hold me steady to the lamp, hold it, hold, good, a slow pull to start with, to draw the smoke low into the lungs, yes, oh my. He is best known as a poet and is the author of four collections. He is most famous as a poet and is the author of four collections.
A survivors guide to cooking and crafting in the necropolis. The following version of this book was used to create this study guide. Its a brave book, a feminist book in many ways, and a beautiful ode to the unsung heroes of the bible. Jeet thayil s man booker prizenominated novel is set in bombay, india during the. Narcopolis quotes by jeet thayil goodreads share book. Thayils feminist take on the new testament to cape the. A rich, hallucinatory dream that captures bombay in all its compelling squalor, narcopolis completely subverts and challenges the literary traditions for which the indian novel is celebrated. Jeet thayil s luminous debut novel completely subverts and challenges the literary traditions for which the indian novel is celebrated. Interview with jeet thayil on narcopolis jeet thayil discusses his man booker prizeshortlisted novel narcopolis with writer and journalist stuart evers a rich novel that. Narcopolis ebook by jeet thayil 9781101561720 rakuten kobo. Narcopolis by jeet thayil shuklaji street, in late 1970s old bombay.
The novels narrator arrives in bombay, where he becomes seduced into the opium underground. Jeet thayil even portrays this in his own beautiful way that we. New artist jeremy rock provides stunningly detailed sequential pages that fully complement this truly revolutionary book. Feb 17, 2012 thayil is quoted as saying that he lost almost 20 years of his life to addiction, but on this showing the experience did not go to waste. Shortlisted for the man booker prize written in poetic and affecting prose, jeet thayils luminous debut novel charts the evolution of a. As a musician and songwriter, he is one half of the contemporary music project sridhar thayil. Before dimple came to be called zeenat, she worked parttime for rashid and disappeared every evening to the hijras brothel. Wait now, light me up so we do this right, yes, hold me steady to the lamp, hold it, hold, good, a slow pull to start with, to draw the smoke low into the lungs. It has a few parallels to shantaram in that it explores the darker side of bombay, and that its author escaped the clutches of heroin addiction. Jeet thayil with other shortlisted authors for the man booker prize 2012 photograph. In rashids opium room the air is thick with voices and ghosts. Jan 31, 2012 narcopolis by jeet thayil presents a vivid picture of the bombay drug scene, and the life of the people associated with it.
Narcopolis, the debut novel by jeet thayil which has been shortlisted for the man booker prize, is perceived to be a reflection of the life of the author since the experience of the. Written in poetic and affecting prose, jeet thayils luminous debut novel charts the evolution of a great and broken metropolis across three decades. Book awards book club selections books by author books by series coming soon kids books new releases teens books this months biggest new releases. I admire almost everything about narcopolis, a strange and intriguingly offensive novel about opium addiction in india. The thematic and narrative features of jeet thayils narcopolis. Jeet thayils luminous debut novel completely subverts and challenges the literary traditions for which the indian novel is celebrated. Theres no point taking it seriously because whatever happens, and i mean whatever the fuck, the punch line is the same. Narcopolis by jeet thayil much before narcopolis made it to the long list for the booker prize, i had added it to my reading list. It is a book about drugs, sex, death, perversion, addiction, love, and god and has more in common in its subject matter with the work of william s.
Crafting whole new chunks of language, and stunning concepts of a bizarre new world, delano delivers a masterful new series that has to been seen to be believed. Signin to download and listen to this audiobook today. He is the editor of the bloodaxe book of contemporary indian poets. Nov 10, 20 a nominee for the booker and the winner of the dsc prize for south asian literature, the book is a promising read. Written by jeet thayil, audiobook narrated by robertson dean. Introduced by nilanjana roy, he reads some excerpts. Click and collect from your local waterstones or get free uk delivery on orders over.
Narcopolis is a novel of drugs and crime that follows a cast of characters over the course of 30some years in their bombay slum. Get this book free when you sign up for a 30day trial. This is a book about drugs, sex, death, perversion, addiction, love, and god, and has more in common in its subject ma. Best known for his poetry, thayil is adept with wordplay even the title of this book, narcopolis, is almost a homonym for necropolis a city of the dead. The book reads like a collection of stories, with the narrative consistently jumping in the past to cover a characters history for instance.
Shortlisted for the man booker prize written in poetic and affecting prose, jeet thayil s luminous debut novel charts the evolution of a great and broken metropolis across three decades. Its hard to imagine two books less similar than necropolis and angelmaker, but the common thread, i realize, is that both writers are willing to take considerable risks. Narcopolis never rises above mediocre as far as story is concerned, building to a supposedly slambang stunner of a finish thats nowhere near as inspired as i think the director intends it to be. Its fair to say that narcopolis has got a lot going on, but suffers from a. Bombay, which obliterated its own history by changing its name and surgically altering its face, is the hero or heroine of this story these are the words with which jeet thayil begins his debut book narcopolis and in my opinion, is one of the best opening lines. Confessions of an indian opiumeater, 2 december 2012. Stop worrying about traps or their triggers, if you can remember these guidelines. Incipient writers are taught to grab and hold the reader in the opening sentence. The 309 trapmasters local tips for safe and nondismembering service.
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