'In this remarkable novel, Mahesh Rao gives voice to the forgotten and the ignored, and my lord, what a voice it is. Half Light is steeped to a sublime perfection, an astonishing literary achievement' Rabih Alameddine, author of The Wrong End of the Telescope
High in the mountains of Darjeeling, a landslide traps the guests and staff of a crumbling hotel. Cooped up inside, two men exchange lingering glances. For Neville, this is one of many thrilling encounters - urgent kisses in stairwells and parked cars. But for hotel employee Pavan, their connection threatens to unravel everything he has kept hidden.
Years later, their paths collide once more, surrounded by the towering skyscrapers and ghostly smog of Mumbai. Neville is now a restless graduate, adrift in the city, while Pavan has started a new life, away from the hills. When Neville strides into his workplace demanding a meeting, their flirtation turns fraught, and long-buried secrets threaten to tumble into the light.
Set on the cusp of India's landmark ruling to decriminalise homosexuality, this is a tender, richly atmospheric and elegantly wry story of outlawed desire -and the fragile hope for a life beyond concealment.
Praise for Half Light:
'A stunning novel, gorgeously written' Kamila Shamsie, author of Best of Friends
'A searing tour de force of shame, sex, love and identity. I was enchanted' Thomas Stewart, author of Real Boys
'Tender and timeless. A quiet story of hope and survival that took my breath away' Soula Emmanuel, author of Wild Geese
'More than meets the expectations aroused by his debut' Patrick Gale, author of Mother's Boy
About the Author :
Mahesh Rao grew up in Nairobi, Kenya. He has worked as a lawyer, academic researcher and bookseller. His debut novel, The Smoke Is Rising, won the Tata First Book Award for fiction and was shortlisted for the Shakti Bhatt First Book Prize, the Crossword Book Award and the Guardian's Not the Booker Prize. His short fiction has been shortlisted for numerous awards, including the Commonwealth Short Story Prize and the Bridport Prize. Mahesh has written for the New York Times, The Baffler, Prospect and Elle. He lives most of the year in Mysore, India.
Review :
A stunning novel, gorgeously written. Rao deeply understands the human heart in all its frailty, cruelty and abundant promise
In this remarkable novel, Mahesh Rao gives voice to the forgotten and the ignored, and my lord, what a voice it is. Half Light is steeped to a sublime perfection, an astonishing literary achievement
An incredible dual coming of age story, set during a (not so distant) time when homosexuality was illegal in India. Half Light is a searing tour de force of shame, sex, love and identity. I was enchanted
Tender and timeless. A quiet story of hope and survival with an ending that took my breath away
Meaning shimmers between the lines . . . His language has a hard-polished gleam and great economy . . .. Witty, moving and powerful
Rao zooms in on forgotten lives - ordinary, extraordinary, absurd, tragic. His writing is subtle, delightfully wry
An auspicious debut - its comedy is dry and biting, its perceptiveness acute, and its picture of India ringingly truthful
