by Anita Desai
First published 1994
Deven teaches at a small college but dreams of poetry. When he gets the chance to interview Nur, a legendary Urdu poet he has long admired, Deven believes this will transform his mundane life into something meaningful. He travels to meet his hero, expecting to find wisdom and inspiration. Instead, Deven discovers that Nur is a broken man, dependent on alcohol and surrounded by sycophants who exploit his fading reputation. The poet's household teems with petty conflicts and financial troubles. Deven finds himself drawn deeper into Nur's chaotic world, spending money he cannot afford and making promises he cannot keep. As he tries to record the poet's verses, technical problems and human drama constantly interfere. The interview becomes a disaster that threatens to destroy both men. Deven must choose between his romantic ideals about poetry and the messy reality of actual poets.
Genres: fiction, literary-fiction, 20th-century, academic
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: fish-out-of-water, unreliable-narrator
Setting: India
Period: 20th-century
144 pages · Paperback · Penguin Books
Content warnings: alcohol-abuse