Dispatches from an Opium Den

September 11, 2012 17:09

Jeet Thayil's debut novel Narcopolis opens in the late '70s. The narrator has fallen into trouble in New York City, caught with drugs in his pockets after running from a police officer, shipped to Bombay "to straighten out.' It's difficult to imagine a place less conducive to straightening out than the 1970s Bombay of this novel, however, and the narrator quickly becomes a regular at Rashid's opium den, a place where it's possible to lie still and dream for hours or talk quietly with his fellow addicts. The city is frenetic, but in the opium den time moves very slowly.

Read the review of Jeet Thayil's Narcopolis.

« Back to LIVE

TOP STORIES

Why This PhD Scholar Is Walking Barefoot

The Baramulla Lok Sabha constituency in Jammu and Kashmir will vote on Monday, May 20.

AAP shares new video accusing Swati Maliwal of 'staging drama'

In a video, Swati Maliwal was being escorted out by the police and security guards.

Like Deepti's Gold Look At Cannes?

After making her Cannes debut in an orange gown, Tarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah Actor Deepti Sadhwani picked a gold embellished, custom-made gown by Michael Cinco for her red carpet walk on Day 3.

'Heartening to see Rohit batting the way he has'

Rohit Sharma's return to form might have come too late for Mumbai Indians, but it augurs well for him and the Indian team heading into the T20 World Cup next month, feels the legendary Sunil Gavaskar.

Kejriwal's aide Bibhav Kumar arrested in Maliwal 'assault' case

Kumar was picked up from the chief minister's residence by a Delhi Police team around noon, a senior police officer said.