Book Details

• Author: Abhijit Gupta

• Publisher: Niyogi Books

• Language: English

• Edition: First Edition

• ISBN: 9789383098637

• Pages: 408

• Binding: Paperback

• Dimensions: 8.7 x 5.6 x 1.0 inches

• Release Date: 03-11-2014

About The Book

Set in 1950s London, The Foreigners by Abhijit Gupta follows the journey of Amar Das, a naive young man from India who arrives at the London School of Economics to pursue his studies. The aftermath of the Second World War has brought an era of unrestrained pleasure-seeking, and as Amar navigates through the city's vibrant yet permissive society, he finds himself caught between the intellectual freedom that excites him and the moral disarray that confounds him. The once rigid English society has shed its Victorian prudery, a stark contrast to the India he left behind, leaving Amar to struggle with the new mores and customs.

While relishing the academic opportunities around him, Amar is haunted by the bitterness of British colonial rule and the memories of being treated as a second-class citizen in his own homeland. His resentment toward the colonizers occasionally spills over into his interactions, complicating his emotional and intellectual journey.

Amidst the cultural clash, Amar encounters a variety of characters, including a lonely wife offering ambiguous friendship, a passionate single mother, a manipulative student, and an enigmatic girl who captures his romantic attention. As he grapples with these new relationships and the challenges of adulthood, Amar must confront the complexities of autonomy, love, and identity in a world radically different from what he knew back home.

This thought-provoking novel explores the turmoil of post-colonial identity, personal growth, and the exploration of freedom in a society at the crossroads of change.