The Lives of Others (novel)
| Author | Neel Mukherjee |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Publisher | Chatto & Windus (UK); W. W. Norton (US) |
Publication date | 22 May 2014 (UK); 1 October 2014 (US) |
| Publication place | India |
| Media type | Print (Hardback) |
| Pages | 528 pp (UK hardback edition) |
| ISBN | 978-0-7011-8629-6 |
The Lives of Others is a novel by Neel Mukherjee. It was published in 2014 by Chatto & Windus in the UK and W. W. Norton & Company in the US. The novel, the author's second one, was shortlisted for the 2014 Man Booker Prize on 9 September 2014. Bookbinder Tom McEwan was commissioned to make a custom binding for the book at the ceremony at the Guildhall.
The novel is set in Calcutta (Kolkata) in the 1960s and follows a wealthy business family, one of whose members gets involved in extremist political activism. The book deals with the chasm between generations, and is set against a backdrop in which the gulf between the poor and the wealthy has never been wider.