A review by kyrajade
The Lives of Others by Neel Mukherjee

3.0

For the plot I want to rate this 4-5 stars, but the execution is what let this book down for me and took me nearly a year to finish it. It is just way too long and fulled with unnecessary details drummed down your throat at every moment. Being so intensely biographical I felt no connection to any of the characters, nor felt any emotion toward their situations (aside from Purba, but only at the most shocking moments). I have a large hardback version of this book and the very fact that some of the chapters are 30 pages (15 doubles) made me not want to pick up this book. In comparison, the chapters I was enjoying about Supratik's beliefs and training were much shorter and were cut short about 100 pages before the end. The epilogues were also unnecessary and boring, the last chapter felt meaningless. To be perfectly honest I would have enjoyed an ending where we see the Ghoshes reeling after the raid, the murder of Supratik and the innocence of Madan coming to light, along with Supratik's complicity in the crime, whilst their financial situation continually worsens. Instead, the ending was a smorgasbord of related incidents at different parts in time, one of which was thrown in there just to throw in Supratik's name.

The concept though? 10/10 and in moments where we got really into the gritty elements of the present day plot I was enjoying it.