Irving's novels often deal with controversial subject matter in a way that's been heralded as quirky, humorous and brave. He's dealt with the issue of married couples swapping partners, parental loss, feminism, childhood abuse, and both open bisexuality and repressed homosexuality in narratives that explore conventionality and challenge tradition. The most important symbol in... Continue Reading →

  The Bell Jar is an autobiographical novel that conforms closely to the events of the author’s life. Sylvia Plath was born to Otto and Aurelia Plath in 1932 and spent her early childhood in the seaport town of Winthrop, Massachusetts. Otto Plath died when Plath was eight years old, and she moved with her... Continue Reading →

  John Michael Green was born on August 24, 1977, to Mike and Sydney Green in Indianapolis. His initial aim was to become an Episcopal priest. However, the time he spent among children with terminal-illness stimulated him to become a writer. Afterwards, he worked as a publishing assistant for Booklist, a book review journal. Green wrote... Continue Reading →

  The Brothers Karamazov was the last novel the great Russian novelist Fyodor Dostoyevsky ever wrote, and it has all the energy and passion of a man's last words. First appearing in serial form in 1879-80, it's generally considered one of the best novels ever written in any language. The plot of the novel revolves around... Continue Reading →

In September 2010, Such a Long Journey was withdrawn by the Vice-Chancellor of Mumbai University from the B.A. syllabus after the Shiv Sena's student wing alleged that the book contained derogatory remarks about Maharashtrians. The protest was led by Aditya Thackeray. The sudden withdrawal of the book has caused an uproar. Academics and activists protested... Continue Reading →

  Hilary Mantel has become the first woman and the first living British author to win the Man Booker prize twice. The victory also makes the 60-year-old - only the third double winner of the prestigious literary accolade - the first person to win for a direct sequel. Although she was made a CBE (Commander of... Continue Reading →

Towards the end of the talk, Lahiri spoke about her reluctance to read reviews of her novels, saying that while she needs the comments and critiques of her trusted mentors and friends, critics’ opinions just don’t get her anywhere. “I got an email from a friend once saying they’d read an ‘interesting’ review of the... Continue Reading →

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