Chowringhee

As a fan of Indian fiction, while not a huge reader of fiction in general, I did enjoy this book. At the time I started reading I didn't know it was written in 1962, which is even more of a testament to the timelessness of the writing. I would not have been surprised to find it was relatively contemporary.

I generally avoid plot outlines in fiction reviews, but I am not sure how I would summarise it anyway, other than perhaps the retelling of a short period of time in the main characters life, where after losing his job, he finds a new job in the Shahjahan Hotel in Calcutta.
As much as it is Shankar's story, it is also the story of the Shahjahan Hotel.

The writing is well constructed, it is clever and the characters, while generally tragic, are interesting and engaging.

So there is is, one of the shortest reviews I have written in recent times!

4 stars.