Book review: Lopa Ghosh's Age of Mondays uses lyrical prose to bring magical realism to Delhi
A precocious 10-year-old, a fractured family, a woman adamant on breaking her shackles, an emotionally distant but present father, a magical forest, a Pandora's box of lessons — in her third novel, author Lopa Ghosh manages to explore all these and more with profound thematic depth within a narrative set in Delhi.
At first glimpse, the reader is enchanted by the seemingly uncomplicated world of a child, where wonder and curiosity colour in the gaping holes of adult evasion and silences. But alongside Narois, the protagonist, the reader is also catapulted into a colourful world of 'Motherless Mondays' as lines between reality and fantasy begin to blur. Soon, the murkiness of adult actualities — grief, betrayal, loneliness, drugs, death, duality — seems to catch up as one turns the pages one after the other.
But right when the innate sense of awe for the world starts crumbling, one gets to enter the mystical world of Jahanpanah Forest, where one meets Jugnus: Sliver Samir, Mian Pagla, Kochi, and Velu. They are healers and weather-workers, but most importantly they are storytellers and saviours of a lost time; in a tale that is both coming of age and of a terrifying era lost to time. What follows is the lead character's struggle to cope with the trauma of abandonment, and the build up of resilience through the innocent yet perceptive eyes of a child who confronts loss for the very first time!
The intersection of illusion and reality, coupled with the lyrical and precisely presented prose, evokes a sense of magical realism that is very much reminiscent of the writings of Colombian author Gabriel García Márquez. However, what Ghosh asserts is an abject refusal to simplify the either childhood or the adulthood. So through Narois' tender yet sharp gaze, the reader is introduced to a deeply affecting portrait of growing up in a world that does not explain itself.
Title: Age of Mondays
Author: Lopa Ghosh
Publisher: HarperCollins
Price: ₹499
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
News18
12 hours ago
- News18
News18 Afternoon Digest: Karnataka Police Warned Against RCB Event, Manipur Protesters Threaten To Self-Immolate & Other Top Stories
Last Updated: We are also covering: Colombian Presidential Candidate Miguel Uribe Shot During Political Rally In Bogota and Shah Rukh Khan Drops RARE Comment On Daughter Suhana Khan's New Photo In today's afternoon digest, News18 brings you the latest updates on the Bengaluru stampede that claimed 11 lives, a group of young men threatened self-immolation over the arrest of AT leader Kanan Singh and other top stories. The Karnataka government ignored an explicit warning from the police about the risks of holding a felicitation ceremony for the IPL-winning team, Royal Challengers Bengaluru, at the Vidhana Soudha, and still went ahead with it on June 4. Later, in the evening, lakhs of cricket fans gathered outside the M Chinnaswamy Stadium for the victory celebrations, leading to a stampede that claimed 11 lives. Read More As tensions soared in Manipur's Imphal over the arrest of a key leader of the Arambai Tenggol (AT), Kanan Singh, a group of young men poured petrol on their heads and threatened self-immolation on Saturday night. Read More Official Pakistani data reviewed by CNN-News18 shows a sharp drop in water flow from Pakistan's dams in the Indus basin due to India's move to control the tap on the western rivers. There is a nearly 15% drop in water released by Pakistan from its various dams this week, compared to the same period last year. Read More Shah Rukh Khan may not be the most active celebrity online, but when it comes to his kids, he always shows up. The superstar recently left fans smiling as he reacted to his daughter Suhana Khan's latest collaboration with Adidas India. Read More Ponting Tells Preity Zinta Why He's Not A 'Calm' Coach: 'You Need To Sit Next To Me' Punjab Kings (PBKS) head coach Ricky Ponting has denied the misconception that he's calm and composed as a coach in the dugout, saying that he's an aggressive person and can't help it, especially during 'cricket time'. Read More
Mint
31-05-2025
- Mint
Planner: 4 events that make this a jazzy week
Colombian jazz musician Jesus Molina is back in Mumbai after his 2023 performance. This time, he will be performing with an ensemble, which includes guitarist Rock Choi, Alex Polydroff on bass and Cain Daniel on drums at the National Centre for the Performing Arts. A graduate from the Berklee College of Music and winner of the Latin Grammy Cultural Foundation, Molina combines many musical talents—he is pianist and a vocalist with a keen interest in technology, who brings together jazz, Latin beats and Middle Eastern influences in his harmonies. Some of his other inspirations include Oscar Peterson, Art Tatum, Bill Evans. At the Tata Theatre, NCPA, Mumbai, 5 June, 7.30pm. A diptych by photographer Shahid Datawala for 'Jhalak'. Gallery Espace is hosting a solo show of images, Jhalak, by photographer Shahid Datawala. The photos were taken over a year from 2018-19 and 'offer fleeting glimpses—jhalaks—of Mumbai's teeming humanity,' as the gallery note states. Datawala took these images while walking and cycling from his home in Dadar to different neighbourhoods. 'Datawala arranges the images into diptychs creating connections through similar colour palettes, aligned shapes or related concepts—for instance, a man in blue-shirt and with an orange lolly paired with a woman in blue sari…,' states the note. At Gallery Espace, Delhi, till 14 June, 11am-7pm, closed on Sunday. Musician Lala Tamar is of Brazillian-Moroccan descent. A FUSION OF THE PAST & PRESENT Lala Tamar, vocalist, dancer, and guimbry player from Morocco is in Bengaluru to perform with her pop quartet. As a Sephardic jew of Amazigh heritage, Tamar reinterprets the musical legacies of north Africa with an intensely personal and modern voice. The global performer's music fuses gnawa trance, flamenco, Berber rhythms, and Ladino song traditions with contemporary pop, jazz, and electronic elements. For her live act, Tamar will be joined by Ofer Ronen on flamenco Guitar and palmas, Oussama Menay on bass and vocals and Habib Baychou on drums and vocals. At Windmills, Bengaluru, 31 May, 9.30 pm onwards. Tickets on An archival photo of The Great Eastern Hotel, Kolkata in 1865. City Scripts by the Indian Institute for Human Settlements is hosting an online conversation where writer and filmmaker Ruchir Joshi will be discussing his latest novel, Great Eastern Hotel, with Rupleena Bose. Set against the backdrop of World War II, the novel unfolds within the opulent Great Eastern Hotel, where lives of revolutionaries, artists, spies, and colonial officials collide, reads a press note about the book. This session is part of City Scripts' year-long curation Planting Gardens of Public Memories. On 4 June, 6.30pm. For details and registration, visit
Time of India
28-05-2025
- Time of India
Shakira experiences a nasty fall on the stage during 'Whenever, Wherever' at the Montreal concert; sparks concern about her abdominal pain
Shakira , the prolific singer, sparks concern about her health after she experiences a nasty fall on the stage during the 'Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran' concert at Bell Centre in Montreal. The slip might have been unpleasant, but the recovery was gracious, earning appreciation from the internet. Shakira fell on the stage The video surfaced on the internet, where the Colombian singer was performing her iconic song 'Whenever, Wherever.' While vibing to the beats with the classic moves, she slipped on the stage and sat down. However, the recovery was quick and gracious as she turned around with a smile, giving the illusion of a dance step. Shakira grabbed onto the mic that was placed on the stand and continued the performance. The comment section One fan commented on X, 'she handled it like the boss that she is.' Another fan wrote, 'She even has class when falling.' 'She handled it wonderfully!!!' a third fan applauded while the fourth fan was concerned about her, 'This time she hit hard but as always she came out of the accident unscathed.' Shakira opened up about her abdominal pain While there were several appreciation posts and comments all over social media, some of Shakira's fans pointed out that the 48-year-old recently opened up about her tormenting abdominal pain, sparking even more concerns for the musician. In February, the 'Hips Don't Lie' singer posted that her concerts would have to be postponed as she had to visit the emergency room for her abdominal pain. 'I regret to notify everyone that I had to visit the emergency room last night due to an abdominal problem,' Shakira said before adding, 'I am not in good enough condition to perform this evening, according to the doctors whose care I am currently receiving.' by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 중년될수록 딱딱해지는 복부 "똥뱃살·나잇살" 싹~ 녹였다! 신현재 중년 복부비만 개선 더 알아보기 Undo 'I'm really disappointed that I can't be on stage today. Here in Peru, I have been eager to get back together with my amazing fans,' she said in a statement. 'You can only imagine how painful it is for me as an artist after so much effort to come to a country I love and have to reprogram my show for circumstances out of my and my production team's control,' Shakira concluded. Check out our list of the latest Hindi , English , Tamil , Telugu , Malayalam , and Kannada movies . Don't miss our picks for the best Hindi movies , best Tamil movies, and best Telugu films .
