Cuckold is a 1997 book by Indian author Kiran Nagarkar and his third novel.[1] It is a historical novel set in the Rajput kingdom of Mewar, India during the 16th century that follows the life of Maharaj Kumar, a fictional character based upon the Mewar prince Bhoj Raj whose wife Mirabai thinks of Krishna as her husband and refuses to accept Bhoj Raj.[2]

Cuckold
First edition
AuthorKiran Nagarkar
LanguageEnglish
Published1997 (HarperCollins India)
Publication placeIndia
Media typePrint, ebook
Pages609
ISBN9788172232573

Synopsis

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The book follows the life of Maharaj Kumar and his attempts to win the affections of his wife Mira while war ravages the land around them.

Critical reception

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Cuckold is considered to be one of Nagarkar's most well known novels, and in 2000 he won India's National Academy of Letters Award (Sahitya Akademi Award) for the work.[3][4] The book has been praised for its "blending of traditional narrative against a historical backdrop presented with relentless detail".[5] Makarand R. Paranjape considered it to be part of a canon of Indian English novels.[6] Gore Vidal called it, "a fascinating book, a sort of fantastic marriage between the Thomas Mann of Royal Highness and the Lady Murasaki."[7]

References

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  1. ^ Deshpande, Anirudh (11–17 May 2002). "Interpretative Possibilities of Historical Fiction: Study of Kiran Nagarkar's Cuckold". Economic and Political Weekly. 37 (19): 1824–1830. JSTOR 4412103.
  2. ^ Nagarkar, Kiran (20 October 2015). Cuckold. HarperCollins. ISBN 9789351770107.
  3. ^ Sharma, Kalpana (2006). "The artful storyteller". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 14 March 2006. Retrieved 21 October 2013.
  4. ^ Wiemann, Dirk (2008). Genres of Modernity: Contemporary Indian Novels in English. Rodopi. pp. 131–156. ISBN 978-9042024939.
  5. ^ Sanga, Jaina C. (2003). South Asian Novelists in English. Greenwood. p. 179. ISBN 978-0313318856.
  6. ^ Paranjape, Makarand R. Paranjape (2009). Another Canon: Indian Texts and Traditions in English. Anthem Press. pp. 130–147. ISBN 9781843318040.
  7. ^ "Kiran Nagarkar". New York Review Books. Archived from the original on 29 October 2013. Retrieved 21 October 2013.