This is the first novel of a writer who has so far been well known to Bengali readers as a poet. But her novel is not poetic in the usual sense of the term.
In a style that is cerebral as well as graceful, Nabaneeta Deb Sen writes of a situation uneasily familiar to most of us—the conflict between integrity and expediency. This is done not in terms of simple statement, but is concretized in a situation that has all the unedited and unexpurgated complexity of real life. Contrary to current expectations, her protagonist is neither a common man nor an anti-hero, but a brilliant academic who has succeeded in everything he has done so far. Anupam Roy at the height of his career is a national figure whose weekly broadcast and newspaper column of poetical analysis influences public opinion and sparks off controversies. He is respected not only for his intellect and fearless views, but also because he has refused many lucrative high level jobs in order to maintain his intellectual independence.