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Animal's People

By Indra Sinha

(12)

| Paperback | 9780743259200

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Book Description

'I used to be human once. So I'm told. I don't remember it myself, but people who knew me when I was small say I walked on two feet just like a human being'.....But now Jaanvar - Animal - walks on all fours, the catastrophic result of what happened on That Night when, thanks to an American chemical Continue

Critics

Behind the clouds

Animal's People by Indra Sinha 366pp, Simon & Schuster, £11.99 How do you write a novel about a world in which unspeakable horror is not the climax, but the air which each character must breathe on every page? The answer, provided by Indra Sinha in h ... (read full critics)

guardian.co.uk published on Sat, 25 Sep 2010

Animal's People

From the pen that wrote THE DEATH OF MR LOVE comes another exciting and absolutely original new novel, well worth a Booker Prize. Its author, Indra Sinha, was born in India and spent his childhood in Bombay and in the hills of the Western Ghats. ANIM ... (read full critics)

bookgroup published on Tue, 14 Sep 2010

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1 Review

One of the six shortlisted novels of the 2007 Man Booker Prize, "Animal's People" is by far my favourite book of 2008.Animal was a 20-year old vagrant who roamed the streets of Khaufpur, India, on his hands and legs ever since his back was chronically croaked during "the night" 18 ... (continue)

One of the six shortlisted novels of the 2007 Man Booker Prize, "Animal's People" is by far my favourite book of 2008.Animal was a 20-year old vagrant who roamed the streets of Khaufpur, India, on his hands and legs ever since his back was chronically croaked during "the night" 18 years ago. "The night" referred to the fatal incident where there was a poisonous leakage of chemicals from an American factory, killing many and wounding others. Many of those who survived suffered from permanent damages, like the four-legged Animal. The citizens continued for years to bring the culprits (i.e. the management of the American chemical company) to court and seek justice, but to no avail. Things started to change when an American doctor, Elli Barber, came to town to set up a free clinic and gave hope to Animal that he might one day walk on two legs again.Through the narrative of Animal, the author Indra Sinha has created one of the most memorable characters in English contemporary literature. Describing the events that transpired in a year in a candid and forceful voice, Animal brought to readers the vivid images of a poor and hopeless city ravaged by western capitalism. Though vulgar, lecherous and sometimes obnoxious, Animal was in fact a kind, compassionate and witty person with a heart of gold. Using foul language with a mix of Hindu, English and French (the nun who adopted him was French), Animal gave his take on civilisation, cultural clash, economic development, environmental protection and other big issues in an objective and insightful manner that surpassed many gurus.I doubt there will be any reader who is not satisfied after finishing the book. A tour de force.

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