The Death of Vishnu - Manil Suri

With a mixture of Indian mythology, Bollywood storylines and an odd-job man with a difference; this novel was bound to be something different. The Bombay apartment block that is the setting for this novel has excellent characters living on every floor. There is a mix of religions and mix of cultural beliefs, with Vishnu lay dying on the landing. Through Vishnu we find out all about the lives of the families around him. On the first floor are two couples, warring over the shared kitchen and looking after Vishnu. The next floor has two families with teenagers from each in love with each other and finally on the third floor is a widower, still very much in love with his ...  Read the complete review

It happens sometimes that a book is as good as its publicists say it is. So it is with "The Death of Vishnu," a book that has been energetically flogged by its publisher since last summer and that has elicited the kind of attention the book world usually reserves for J.D. Salinger sightings. "Vibrantly alive, wonderfully written" is what Michael Cunningham volunteered for the book jacket. "Sure to win readers and prizes" is what Amy Tan said. "An irresistible blend of realism, mysticism and religious metaphor" is what Publishers Weekly, an insider's guide, said. And then there is the ...  Read the complete review