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The Death of Mr. Love
Constructed around the true Nanavati murder case, Indra Sinha's first novel offers a rare and fascinating insight into the psychosexual undercurrents of Indian life. In a family of storytellers, there was one tale never told...The reverberations from the notorious Nanavati society murder in 1950s Bombay - involving a love triangle between an Indian playboy, an Englishwoman and her jealous Indian husband - were so great they reached the offices of Prime Minister Nehru. What is not known is that a second, connected crime, so cruel that it destroyed the lives of two women, went unreported and has remained unpunished. Until now. In present-day London the women's children meet. Driven by grief and anger they return to India to uncover the mystery of the crime that caused their mothers' suffering and exact their cold revenge. But in the bazaars of today's Bombay, a city racked and burned by riots, their adversary still enjoys huge power, and the friends soon find themselves in real, terrifying danger.
592 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2002
16 people are currently reading
279 people want to read
About the author
Indra Sinha
18 books70 followersIndra Sinha (born in 1950 in Colaba, which is part of Mumbai in the state of Maharashtra, India) is a British writer of English and Indian descent. Formerly a copywriter for Collett Dickenson Pearce & Partners, Sinha has the distinction of having been voted one of the top ten British copywriters of all time.
Indra Sinha's books, in addition to his translations of ancient Sanskrit texts into English, include a non-fiction memoir of the pre-internet generation (Cybergypsies), and novels based on the case of K. M. Nanavati vs. State of Maharashtra (The Death of Mr. Love), and the Bhopal disaster (Animal's People). Animal's People, his most recent book, was shortlisted for the 2007 Man Booker Prize and a regional winner of the 2008 Commonwealth Writers' Prize.
Sinha is the son of an Indian naval officer and an English writer. He was educated at Mayo College, Ajmer, Rajasthan in India; Oakham School, Rutland, England and Pembroke College, Cambridge in England, where he studied English literature. After living in England for four decades, he and his wife currently live in southern France. They have three adult children.
Indra Sinha's books, in addition to his translations of ancient Sanskrit texts into English, include a non-fiction memoir of the pre-internet generation (Cybergypsies), and novels based on the case of K. M. Nanavati vs. State of Maharashtra (The Death of Mr. Love), and the Bhopal disaster (Animal's People). Animal's People, his most recent book, was shortlisted for the 2007 Man Booker Prize and a regional winner of the 2008 Commonwealth Writers' Prize.
Sinha is the son of an Indian naval officer and an English writer. He was educated at Mayo College, Ajmer, Rajasthan in India; Oakham School, Rutland, England and Pembroke College, Cambridge in England, where he studied English literature. After living in England for four decades, he and his wife currently live in southern France. They have three adult children.
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September 14, 2020Novel based around a real scandalous murder case about adultery in late 50s India, cleverly developed to create a second mystery including blackmail, family secrets, guilt, and some very complicated and mostly unhealthy kinds of love.
It's quite a slow build, do not read for the mystery, and more of it than I normally have tolerance for is about the struggles of a middle aged married man deciding whether to have an affair. I get this is a subject of immense and abiding fascination to cis male writers, I just think there should be a stickering system or something to warn the rest of us. (It is also a very 'male' book in that Women are a Mystery and male friendship is the quiet saviour ho hum.)
That said, there's enough family secrets, character, and really wonderful description to carry it through, especially of the narrator's childhood in the hills and of Mumbai. It's intensely political as well, with a lot to say about the state of India and colonisation. And the atmosphere of lurking tension and entangled lives really works.
It's quite a slow build, do not read for the mystery, and more of it than I normally have tolerance for is about the struggles of a middle aged married man deciding whether to have an affair. I get this is a subject of immense and abiding fascination to cis male writers, I just think there should be a stickering system or something to warn the rest of us. (It is also a very 'male' book in that Women are a Mystery and male friendship is the quiet saviour ho hum.)
That said, there's enough family secrets, character, and really wonderful description to carry it through, especially of the narrator's childhood in the hills and of Mumbai. It's intensely political as well, with a lot to say about the state of India and colonisation. And the atmosphere of lurking tension and entangled lives really works.
May 14, 2018
Sometimes by happenstance or simply by having a best friend who is as much in love with words, you discover books you otherwise wouldn't have picked up.....you discover authors, whose writing you come to admire. The Death of Mr. Love was one such book for me. A Bombay journey I took; this time, without my best friend, who had already covered this distance and was waiting for me at the end of the road. If you love mysteries and don't mind reading a book that is close to 600 pages in length, this is one trip that will pull you towards itself. Sinha has used a real-life event and built a web of fiction around it to create an engrossing tale. The book alternates between the 1950s and the 1990s, the infamous Kawas Nanavati-Prem Ahuja murder trial of the 50s forming the base for a fictionalized narrative involving well fleshed-out characters. Between Bombay and England, the story oscillates accurately painting a graphic portrait of India and its political environment. Even the minor characters are likeable and relatable making this a book easy to recommend.
May 11, 2021
The Death of Mr. Love is frustrating.
It starts off wonderfully. Sinha uses some beautiful turns of phrase, and slowly unwinds a compelling and magnetic narrative that made me want to put aside my to-read list and dive into his other work. After the first 100 pages or so, I skimmed the reviews here and was surprised at the critiques ... until I continued and finished the novel.
The precision and beauty of the first chapters slowly falls away until what is left is a story of tired gender tropes and muddled drama that is still interesting, but lacking the artistry of its opening. The more characters, societies, dramas, and traumas that Sinha unveils, the more the narrative spins out of control and becomes more pulp than poetry.
It starts off wonderfully. Sinha uses some beautiful turns of phrase, and slowly unwinds a compelling and magnetic narrative that made me want to put aside my to-read list and dive into his other work. After the first 100 pages or so, I skimmed the reviews here and was surprised at the critiques ... until I continued and finished the novel.
The precision and beauty of the first chapters slowly falls away until what is left is a story of tired gender tropes and muddled drama that is still interesting, but lacking the artistry of its opening. The more characters, societies, dramas, and traumas that Sinha unveils, the more the narrative spins out of control and becomes more pulp than poetry.
June 30, 2020
I have not read Mr Sinha’s work before but I have nothing but praise! It is based on a scandal that happened years ago in India which he has cleverly woven a story around. The protagonist pulls at your heart as you go through a wild ride of intrigue. That’s all I’m going to say, no spoiler alerts. Fabulous read!
January 20, 2022
2.5 ⭐️
This is the book that I read for the January prompt of The Unread Shelf Project 2022 - The book you’ve been putting off reading.
The premise was excellent. I’m familiar with the infamous Nanavati Case that was mentioned in the blurb and was excited about a promised second mystery intertwined with it. The beginning was promising - I enjoyed Sinha’s descriptive prose and his allusions to the culturally recognisable milieu and references of Mumbai from the 50s…song snippets, references to movies, places and events. He brought the cultural scenes in Maya’s home to life. There were a few one liners that I liked…
She could flavour betel paans and conversation with equal subtlety.”
“ A pulse of nothingness split the world and made a hole in time. Then everything was as before, and everything had changed.”
“ Such a thirst for gnosis. People plundering each other’s cultural middens. Bric-a-brac paraded with magpie pride.”
I’m never great with multiple timelines and initially found it hard to keep track of events since Sinha divides the book primarily based on people and places while including years. My favourite parts in the books and the ones I consider best written are parts of the narrative based in Ambona, the village where our protagonist Bhalu spent three idyllic childhood summers with our other main characters, Phoebe and Jula, his best friends, until a tragedy changes the direction of their lives forever. So far so good.
However, as the story progresses - slowly but steadily, and we move between the past and present in Bombay, Ambona and London, the promised mystery is copiously hinted at but never actually delivered! We get intriguing diary entries that reveal engaging facts but instead of the expected follow up to these, Sinha shifts focus on to Bhalu’s personal life - his rather staid marriage to Katy and his extremely juvenile infatuation with Phoebe. In both relationships, Bhalu comes out looking not only like a fool but frankly like a moron! Truth be told, it isn’t unexpected. Sinha builds up Bhalu as a sorry excuse of a man with a failed career and a faded personality - like a Mamma’s boy who forgot to grow up! Maya his mother is a dominating woman - unafraid to speak her mind, revelling in her religious ambiguity while indulging her social conscience to its fullest. She’s a storyteller who unsurprisingly keeps secrets and is a fiercely loyal friend to the hapless Sybil, Phoebe’s mother and her best friend.
This isn’t a short book, and yet the Nanavati case that I was expecting to be at the heart of the story makes a surprisingly late entry into the narrative. The second promised crime does eventually materialise only to fizzle out disappointingly as Sinha once again meanders into Bhalu’s obsession with Phoebe and vignettes of reunions with friends Jula and Dost! I have no idea why he chooses to do this! It detracts from what could have been an intriguing finale and makes for an extremely tame, unsatisfying finish.
Although I enjoyed parts of this book immensely, it didn’t live up to its potential. Instead of the tightly plotted mystery I was expecting, I got a haphazardly told half-baked tale of a middle aged man and his frustrations. Although Jula and Dost were likeable, Bhalu & in particular Phoebe appeared shallow and silly despite Sinha’s best efforts at making them deep and beguiling. So very disappointing.
I have another book by the same author on my shelves - Animal’s People which is also unread. This experience makes me reluctant to pick it up in the near future. Or ever. Pity.
This is the book that I read for the January prompt of The Unread Shelf Project 2022 - The book you’ve been putting off reading.
The premise was excellent. I’m familiar with the infamous Nanavati Case that was mentioned in the blurb and was excited about a promised second mystery intertwined with it. The beginning was promising - I enjoyed Sinha’s descriptive prose and his allusions to the culturally recognisable milieu and references of Mumbai from the 50s…song snippets, references to movies, places and events. He brought the cultural scenes in Maya’s home to life. There were a few one liners that I liked…
She could flavour betel paans and conversation with equal subtlety.”
“ A pulse of nothingness split the world and made a hole in time. Then everything was as before, and everything had changed.”
“ Such a thirst for gnosis. People plundering each other’s cultural middens. Bric-a-brac paraded with magpie pride.”
I’m never great with multiple timelines and initially found it hard to keep track of events since Sinha divides the book primarily based on people and places while including years. My favourite parts in the books and the ones I consider best written are parts of the narrative based in Ambona, the village where our protagonist Bhalu spent three idyllic childhood summers with our other main characters, Phoebe and Jula, his best friends, until a tragedy changes the direction of their lives forever. So far so good.
However, as the story progresses - slowly but steadily, and we move between the past and present in Bombay, Ambona and London, the promised mystery is copiously hinted at but never actually delivered! We get intriguing diary entries that reveal engaging facts but instead of the expected follow up to these, Sinha shifts focus on to Bhalu’s personal life - his rather staid marriage to Katy and his extremely juvenile infatuation with Phoebe. In both relationships, Bhalu comes out looking not only like a fool but frankly like a moron! Truth be told, it isn’t unexpected. Sinha builds up Bhalu as a sorry excuse of a man with a failed career and a faded personality - like a Mamma’s boy who forgot to grow up! Maya his mother is a dominating woman - unafraid to speak her mind, revelling in her religious ambiguity while indulging her social conscience to its fullest. She’s a storyteller who unsurprisingly keeps secrets and is a fiercely loyal friend to the hapless Sybil, Phoebe’s mother and her best friend.
This isn’t a short book, and yet the Nanavati case that I was expecting to be at the heart of the story makes a surprisingly late entry into the narrative. The second promised crime does eventually materialise only to fizzle out disappointingly as Sinha once again meanders into Bhalu’s obsession with Phoebe and vignettes of reunions with friends Jula and Dost! I have no idea why he chooses to do this! It detracts from what could have been an intriguing finale and makes for an extremely tame, unsatisfying finish.
Although I enjoyed parts of this book immensely, it didn’t live up to its potential. Instead of the tightly plotted mystery I was expecting, I got a haphazardly told half-baked tale of a middle aged man and his frustrations. Although Jula and Dost were likeable, Bhalu & in particular Phoebe appeared shallow and silly despite Sinha’s best efforts at making them deep and beguiling. So very disappointing.
I have another book by the same author on my shelves - Animal’s People which is also unread. This experience makes me reluctant to pick it up in the near future. Or ever. Pity.
March 23, 2019
Well written, interesting with nice descriptions of time and place - BUT I thought the book was a bit over-packed and lengthy in some places (with a few un-related side stories and loose ends)
Main themes of book are friendship, adultery, blackmail, politics and a bit about Indian culture..
Main themes of book are friendship, adultery, blackmail, politics and a bit about Indian culture..
March 13, 2021
Too long and the ending was a real disappointment.
November 5, 2012
The Death of Mr Love is based on a real life incident, the Nanavati murder in the late 1950s. The blurb says.. The reverberations from the notorious Nanavati society murder in 1950s Bombay – the fatal consequence of an affair between an Indian playboy and his married English lover – were so great that the reached the offices of Prime Minister Nehru and irrevocably changed the face of the Indian justice system.
The author weaves a fictional tale using the backdrop of the murder case. Bhalu, in modern day London, meets his childhood friend Phoebe, whose mum, Sybil and Bhalu’s mother, Maya were great friends when they were both growing up in India. Bhalu’s mother had just passed away, and reading through her documents he comes across several documents which puzzles and interests him.
Meeting Phoebe results in more revelations and the two of them travel to India in search of the truth. They believe that there is a second unpunished crime which got hidden in the uproar of the murder case. A crime that destroyed 2 families, and exiled them to far-off England. A crime that still seems to be capable of creating an impact in Bhalu and Phoebe’s lives.
The story spans 5 decades, two countries and a bunch of very interesting characters. It feels to believable, so plausible, and makes you wonder – what if that were in case the fact.. The author also transports you to the places(Ambona, Bombay) with some wonderful descriptions. The story also traces the political situations in India, and how old friendships get changed, modified with time and circumstances.
As for the characters, I felt sorry for Bhalu, while Phoebe just evoked irritation in me. Somehow, despite the life that she had, she as a character, did not evoke much sympathy, probably because she remains quite a mysterious figure till the end. Other characters like Maya, Jula, Katy(Bhalu’s wife) are quite well fleshed out.
Would I recommend it? I certainly would. There are places where the narrative gets a little slow, and you almost want to give up, but all in all, it is an interesting book. I was fascinated by how well fact and fiction were interwoven. An interesting, but bulky book.
The author weaves a fictional tale using the backdrop of the murder case. Bhalu, in modern day London, meets his childhood friend Phoebe, whose mum, Sybil and Bhalu’s mother, Maya were great friends when they were both growing up in India. Bhalu’s mother had just passed away, and reading through her documents he comes across several documents which puzzles and interests him.
Meeting Phoebe results in more revelations and the two of them travel to India in search of the truth. They believe that there is a second unpunished crime which got hidden in the uproar of the murder case. A crime that destroyed 2 families, and exiled them to far-off England. A crime that still seems to be capable of creating an impact in Bhalu and Phoebe’s lives.
The story spans 5 decades, two countries and a bunch of very interesting characters. It feels to believable, so plausible, and makes you wonder – what if that were in case the fact.. The author also transports you to the places(Ambona, Bombay) with some wonderful descriptions. The story also traces the political situations in India, and how old friendships get changed, modified with time and circumstances.
As for the characters, I felt sorry for Bhalu, while Phoebe just evoked irritation in me. Somehow, despite the life that she had, she as a character, did not evoke much sympathy, probably because she remains quite a mysterious figure till the end. Other characters like Maya, Jula, Katy(Bhalu’s wife) are quite well fleshed out.
Would I recommend it? I certainly would. There are places where the narrative gets a little slow, and you almost want to give up, but all in all, it is an interesting book. I was fascinated by how well fact and fiction were interwoven. An interesting, but bulky book.
June 17, 2013
A tale that alternates between India in the 1950's and present day England. Events in the past have affected lives, and this leads to regret and result in a search for the truth, but can actions be undone and at what expense....
I felt the storyline was great in the beginning, but towards the final 100 pages, dragged out a bit and lost momentum.
Quotable passage:
Karma is such bitter knowledge. No angel waits on the far side of death to slap a writ on me. I shall not be judged before the great white throne of Revelation, or have sentence passed on me in the court of Yama, or the many-pillared hall of Osiris. Karma is not reward or punishment in the next life. It's much worse than that. It's the knowledge here and now of what I have brought into being. The responsibility. And the guilt.
I felt the storyline was great in the beginning, but towards the final 100 pages, dragged out a bit and lost momentum.
Quotable passage:
Karma is such bitter knowledge. No angel waits on the far side of death to slap a writ on me. I shall not be judged before the great white throne of Revelation, or have sentence passed on me in the court of Yama, or the many-pillared hall of Osiris. Karma is not reward or punishment in the next life. It's much worse than that. It's the knowledge here and now of what I have brought into being. The responsibility. And the guilt.
March 17, 2013
Most of what I knew about the Nanavati love-triangle murder trials in 1950s India were based on Salman Rushdie's fictionalized Sabramati family in Midnight's Children; I had no idea the real-life wife was English, for example, or more significantly, that it undermined the jury trial in the Indian justice system. Sinha's novel, which exists on the borders of the Nanavati murders with the the aftermath the case causes in the life of the family and friends of another of "Mr. Love"'s mistresses, is engaging and surprisingly fast-moving. Although Bhalu is a sympathetic, if sometimes frustrating, narrator, his childhood friend Phoebe comes across as a bit of a fantasy, but this may suggest as much the filters he has in perceiving her through the mists of time and place.
July 1, 2016
Mr. Sinha has done something interesting here...he's started with a real historical event and then added a few fictional layers to come up with an interesting read. The characters are well-drawn,the plot convoluted and the ending satisfying.
However, the central plot points pivot around some of the worst of human behavior- betrayal, sexual infidelity, blackmail, murder...and all of the psychological ramifications that follow. There is some rancid evil at the core of this book's mystery and it is therefore not for everyone.
Did Indra capture India well as his story unfolded? I'd say yes. There was plenty of texture in his literary tapestry.
However, the central plot points pivot around some of the worst of human behavior- betrayal, sexual infidelity, blackmail, murder...and all of the psychological ramifications that follow. There is some rancid evil at the core of this book's mystery and it is therefore not for everyone.
Did Indra capture India well as his story unfolded? I'd say yes. There was plenty of texture in his literary tapestry.
March 2, 2009
A very long mystery! I loved the stories and intrigue; this was more about the characters than India (or England), though the landscapes and backgrounds were a big plus for me. I also enjoyed the history and the contrast between city life and village life in India. Not my favorite "India" novel, but a great one on its own.
February 15, 2016
An intriguing tale set around the real life Nanavati murder trial which rocked the country back in the 1950's. Indra Sinha weaves a delicately gripping and emotionally resonant story of the consequences and mystery behind a second crime which arose from the famous case and which was never punished. Tracing the lives of the protagonists from England to India, this is a great read.
February 14, 2008
very rarely do i pick up a bargain book and it's actually good. this one i got for, like, a dollar, and i was pleasantly surprised. it could be my unending interest for books about india though. this one melds urban legend, fidelity, and a mystery together to make a good soup.
April 7, 2010
I loved this book! What an intricate web the author weaved! The characters are so human - flawed, good, bad etc. The story line was good, it was an actual court case, with this story woven around it. Very well written, quick read and definitely engaging with the characters of the book!
March 22, 2011
A family intrigue based around the true Nanvati murder trials for the murder of Prem Ahuja.
Bahlu was quite sypmathetic but grown up Phoebe just annoyed me.
I loved the childhood reminisences but not so much modern day India.
Bahlu was quite sypmathetic but grown up Phoebe just annoyed me.
I loved the childhood reminisences but not so much modern day India.
January 6, 2012
The book is tough to start seeing its size and does not gain momentum in the beginning. But if you don't quit at that time, it becomes really interesting in the middle.
Though i didn't quite like the end as i was expecting some more clearity but otherwise a nice read.
Though i didn't quite like the end as i was expecting some more clearity but otherwise a nice read.
Want to read
August 12, 2007Author on Booker long list (2007)
November 1, 2007
LOTS about India in this book! Its almost a primer on culture, languages, the country-side itself.
Read
July 25, 2008Really good first book.
Read
August 1, 2008read before die
February 15, 2010
Great story... loved the historical picture it painted.
June 1, 2013
This fictional novel is closely woven around a real-life murder in 1950's India. It paints a vivid picture of the country and its politics. A very worthwhile and informative read.
September 28, 2014
This is the first book I've read from Indra Sinha. I was pleasantly surprised by the development of the story.
January 24, 2016
Love this book, but the ending was a little rush
January 30, 2016
Love this book, but the ending was a little rush.
May 27, 2022
An excellent read !
Read
February 20, 2008i have this book sitting on my shelf... i doubt i will ever get to it!!!
May 5, 2009
An interesting book - I particularly enjoyed the details of life in India in the 1950's.
Read
December 28, 2017Kept putting this book down and then starting it again. Took me a long time to finish this book.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews