The Illicit Happiness of Other People: A Darkly Comic Novel Set in Modern India
Formats & Editions
Seventeen-year-old Unni has done something terrible. The only clue to his actions lies in a comic strip he has drawn, which has fallen into the hands of his father Ousep - a drunken anarchist and nuclear spy. Ousep begins investigating the extraordinary life of his son, blissfully unaware that his long-suffering wife is plotting to kill him through the perfect murder.
Set in Madras in the 1980s, The Illicit Happiness of Other People is a darkly comic story involving an alcoholic's probe into the minds of the sober, the space and weapons programme of an impoverished nation, the plots of a brilliant housewife to finish off her husband, and the pure love of a boy for a beautiful girl.
Read More
Praise for The Illicit Happiness of Other People
-
Quite an achievement - The Economist
-
Both wittily funny and darkly serious - Daily Mail
-
Joseph's prose is exquisitely phrased without an excess of sentimentality...the confident, immersing voice of ILLICIT HAPPINESS promises readers this is not the last we've heard of Manu Joseph - Daily Telegraph
-
A refreshing read - Time Out
-
There's plenty to enjoy . . . the key revelations are powerful, as a final twist transforms the novel from an offbeat romp to a melancholy take on the age-old story of adolescent desire and its frustrations - Metro
-
Praise for Serious Men:
-
Manu Joseph's first novel elegantly describes collisions with an unyielding status quo, ably counterpointing the frustrations of the powerless with the unfulfilling realities of power. With this astute comedy of manners he makes a convincing bid for his own recognition as a novelist of serious talent, the latest addition to a roster of Indian writers who are creating fine literary art from their country's fearsome contradictions - Peter Carty, Independent
-
Manu Joseph's satirical tale of an ostensibly new India still in thrall to its caste-ridden and sexist traditions is so much more than a mere comic caper . . . Sophisticated entertainment - Catherine Taylor, Guardian
-
The finest comic novelists know that a small world can illuminate a culture and an age...with this sad-funny debut Joseph does just that - Boyd Tonkin, Books to light up lazy days, Independent
Find a book you'll love, get our newsletter
Hachette Australia acknowledges and pays our respects to the past, present and future Traditional Owners and Custodians of Country throughout Australia and recognises the continuation of cultural, spiritual and educational practices of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. Our head office is located on the lands of the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation.
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
© Hachette Australia, All Rights Reserved · Site by Chook