This is Adiga’s second book which is a compilation of short stories. All these stories are based in a small town called Kittur, which is modeled on Mangalore.
For those who are weak in geography and haven’t been following the news closely, Mangalore is a coastal town in Karnataka, adjacent to the Arabian Sea. It is a melting pot of various religions, languages and cultures.
It is indeed a small town, the population of which consists of Hindus, Muslims, Christians, Jains, etc and they speak varied languages ranging from Kannada, Tulu, Konkani, Malayalam, Urdu and a language called “Baire” or “Malabari”, which is a mix of Kannada, Malayalam and Urdu.
Why am I talking only of Mangalore? Because you cannot separate Mangalore and this book. The short stories here are of different people in that sleepy town - from a half-casteboy who explodes a bomb in his class to a quack sexologist trying to help a dying stranger. These stories map the time between the assassinations of Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi.
I could relate to it more because I have lived in Mangalore. Also, this book is very much relevant in today’s context, when there are so many unwanted events happening in Mangalore. This book might give you a better perspective on the demography of the place and help you understand the present events. Kittur is like any other small town with its variety of people, its beliefs and its problems. The book is a good read for those who like reading Indians writing about India, full of wit and keen observations.