Man on Fire (Kelman novel)

Man on Fire is a 2015 novel by English author Stephen Kelman and his second novel. The work was published on 13 August 2015 through Bloomsbury and is set in India.[1] It is a fictional biography of Bibhuti Bhushan Nayak, a multiple Guinness and Limca record holder from Mumbai.

Man on Fire
AuthorStephen Kelman
CountryUnited Kingdom
LanguageEnglish
SubjectBibhuti Bhushan Nayak
Set inIndia
Published2015 (Bloomsbury Publishing)
Media typeprint
Pages296
ISBN978-1408865460
OCLC911550441
823.92
LC ClassPR6111.E524 M36

Kelman was inspired to write the book after watching a documentary about India where the English comedian Paul Merton kicked Nayak in the groin in an attempt to set a Limca World Record for the number of times being kicked in the groin.[2][3]

Plot
Bibhuti Bhushan Nayak, the protagonist of the Book Man on Fire

Summary

The novel follows Nayak and John Lock,[4] an Englishman that has been diagnosed with terminal cancer. He has left his life and spouse behind in order to elope to India under the pretense of committing suicide. Once in India he meets Nayak and decides to help the man break the world record for breaking the most baseball bats on his shin bone.[5]

Ultimately, John's wife Ellen[6] tracks him down in India and there is a confrontation between the two.[7]

Reception

Critical reception has been positive and the Financial Times has called the book an "enthralling novel by a writer of considerable talent".[8] The novel has also received praise from multiple reviewers with The Guardian, with both praising it for its humor.[9][10]

The Washington Post commends the book for being "smartly arranged".[11]

References
  1. "Man on Fire". Bloomsbury Publishing. Retrieved 2015-12-30.
  2. "How a kick in the groin sparked Stephen Kelman's new book". Herald Scotland. Retrieved 2015-12-30.
  3. "Hit me! Hit me below the belt! Owww!". The Hindustan Times. Retrieved 2016-02-04.
  4. "Is it all just a matter of mind over matter?". newstalk.com. Retrieved 2016-05-16.
  5. "How to Fictionalize the World's Greatest World Record Holder". Literary Hub. 2016-02-19. Retrieved 2016-05-16.
  6. Javeri, Dr Sabyn (2016-03-20). "A cold fire". www.dawn.com. Retrieved 2016-05-16.
  7. "Is it all just a matter of mind over matter?". newstalk.com. Retrieved 2016-05-16.
  8. Forbes, Review by Malcolm (2015-08-14). "'Man on Fire', by Stephen Kelman". Financial Times. ISSN 0307-1766. Retrieved 2015-12-30.
  9. Wagner, Erica (2015-08-08). "Man on Fire by Stephen Kelman review – pain means nothing to BB Nayak". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2016-02-04.
  10. Cartwright, Justin (2015-08-23). "Man on Fire by Stephen Kelman review – India through the tale of Bibhuti". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2016-02-04.
  11. Percy, Benjamin (2016-02-16). "'Man on Fire' review: Salvation through extreme record-breaking". The Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2016-05-16.
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