The Alchemy of Desire by Tarun Tejpal

A passionate story of obsession, seduction, betrayal and loss set against the brilliantly drawn backdrop of India at the turn of the millennium. Quick-paced and inventive, brimming with ideas and memorable characters, The Alchemy of Desire celebrates the chaotic spirit of India at a time of great change. It also offers, in searing, lucid prose, a deeply sensual and moving account of the complex chemistry between sex, ambition and love. This is a major novel by one of the most significant new voices of his generation. ‘A bold and weighty first novel, sex is practically a character in its own right here, endlessly examined in all its luscious, experimental glory. A memorable and impressive debut’ Sunday Times ‘Throughout, it reveals Tejpal’s eye for characterisation and description’ Guardian ‘The passion in the novel is deeply organic to the characters and the narrative. As an attempt to compel readers to look at desire without the crippling impulse of shame and hypocrisy, it works beautifully’ Independent ‘Throughout the novel, Tejpal’s sensuous language produces moments of breathtaking beauty, and he displays a poet’s joy in catching the feel, odour and appearance of the living world’ Big Issue.