{"product_id":"english-august-an-indian-story-1","title":"English august: an indian story by Upamanyu Chatterjee","description":"\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv data-cel-widget=\"bookDescription_feature_div\" data-csa-c-id=\"8x9zti-bnr4id-27k55p-tpq4jz\" data-csa-c-is-in-initial-active-row=\"false\" data-csa-c-asin=\"0571218768\" data-csa-c-slot-id=\"bookDescription_feature_div\" data-csa-c-content-id=\"bookDescription\" data-csa-c-type=\"widget\" data-feature-name=\"bookDescription\" class=\"celwidget\" id=\"bookDescription_feature_div\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"a-expander-collapsed-height a-row a-expander-container a-spacing-base a-expander-partial-collapse-container\" data-a-expander-collapsed-height=\"140\" data-a-expander-name=\"book_description_expander\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"a-expander-content a-expander-partial-collapse-content\" aria-expanded=\"false\"\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"40\" data-end=\"116\"\u003e\u003cstrong data-start=\"40\" data-end=\"116\"\u003eBook Summary – \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"118\" data-end=\"390\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"relative -mx-px my-[-0.2rem] rounded px-px py-[0.2rem] transition-colors duration-100 ease-in-out\"\u003e\u003cem data-start=\"0\" data-end=\"17\" data-is-only-node=\"\"\u003eEnglish, August\u003c\/em\u003e (1988) is a satirical and introspective novel that follows Agastya Sen, affectionately known as August, a young Indian civil servant who is posted to the small town of Madna.\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"relative -mx-px my-[-0.2rem] rounded px-px py-[0.2rem] transition-colors duration-100 ease-in-out\"\u003eA product of elite urban education, August is ill-prepared for the bureaucratic inertia and rural isolation he encounters.\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"relative -mx-px my-[-0.2rem] rounded px-px py-[0.2rem] transition-colors duration-100 ease-in-out\"\u003eDisillusioned by the inefficiency of government work and the cultural shock of his new environment, he spends his days in a haze of marijuana, masturbation, and aimless wandering.\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"relative -mx-px my-[-0.2rem] rounded px-px py-[0.2rem] transition-colors duration-100 ease-in-out\"\u003eDespite his apathy, he becomes entangled in a minor development project involving a neglected village, which brings him into contact with local Naxalites, adding a layer of political complexity to his otherwise mundane existence.\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"relative -mx-px my-[-0.2rem] rounded px-px py-[0.2rem] transition-colors duration-100 ease-in-out\"\u003eChatterjee's narrative is marked by sharp wit and a keen eye for the absurdities of bureaucracy and the contradictions of modern Indian society.\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"\" data-state=\"closed\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"392\" data-end=\"434\"\u003e\u003cstrong data-start=\"392\" data-end=\"434\"\u003eAbout the Author –\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"436\" data-end=\"714\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"relative -mx-px my-[-0.2rem] rounded px-px py-[0.2rem] transition-colors duration-100 ease-in-out\"\u003eUpamanyu Chatterjee was born in 1959 in Patna, Bihar, and graduated from St. Stephen's College, Delhi University.\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"relative -mx-px my-[-0.2rem] rounded px-px py-[0.2rem] transition-colors duration-100 ease-in-out\"\u003eIn 1983, he joined the Indian Administrative Service (IAS), a career choice that deeply influenced his writing.\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"relative -mx-px my-[-0.2rem] rounded px-px py-[0.2rem] transition-colors duration-100 ease-in-out\"\u003eHis debut novel, \u003cem data-start=\"17\" data-end=\"34\"\u003eEnglish, August\u003c\/em\u003e, offers an insider's perspective on the Indian bureaucracy, drawing from his own experiences.\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"relative -mx-px my-[-0.2rem] rounded px-px py-[0.2rem] transition-colors duration-100 ease-in-out\"\u003eChatterjee's subsequent works include \u003cem data-start=\"38\" data-end=\"55\"\u003eThe Last Burden\u003c\/em\u003e (1993), \u003cem data-start=\"64\" data-end=\"100\"\u003eThe Mammaries of the Welfare State\u003c\/em\u003e (2000), which won the Sahitya Akademi Award, \u003cem data-start=\"146\" data-end=\"159\"\u003eWeight Loss\u003c\/em\u003e (2006), and \u003cem data-start=\"172\" data-end=\"183\"\u003eWay to Go\u003c\/em\u003e (2011).\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"relative -mx-px my-[-0.2rem] rounded px-px py-[0.2rem] transition-colors duration-100 ease-in-out\"\u003eIn 2008, he was honored with the French distinction of Officier des Arts et des Lettres for his contribution to literature.\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"\" data-state=\"closed\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"716\" data-end=\"794\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"relative -mx-px my-[-0.2rem] rounded px-px py-[0.2rem] transition-colors duration-100 ease-in-out\"\u003e\u003cem data-start=\"0\" data-end=\"17\" data-is-only-node=\"\"\u003eEnglish, August\u003c\/em\u003e remains a seminal work in Indian English literature, celebrated for its candid portrayal of the disillusionment and ennui of the urban elite, and its critique of the Indian administrative system.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Best of used books","offers":[{"title":"Used","offer_id":44273760403713,"sku":"2SADGMGHT-Used","price":150.0,"currency_code":"INR","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0421\/4299\/0495\/files\/eng_37b7931f-ea34-4f3c-9773-8908ba1adfa1.jpg?v=1773124007","url":"https:\/\/bestofusedbooks.com\/products\/english-august-an-indian-story-1","provider":"Best Of Used Books","version":"1.0","type":"link"}