An inventive, ambitious interpretation of Don Quixote for our times, Mr Iyer Goes To War is a playful, profound adventure heralding a bold new voice in Indian fiction
When Lalgudi Iyer is sent to a hospice in the sacred city of Varanasi he has only two options: to die or to have his sanity restored. As he awaits his fate, Iyer spends his days immersed in scripture seeking spiritual transcendence.
As he is reveling in a surprising insight from his trusted companion, Bencho the undertaker, Iyer falls, bangs his head and gives himself concussion. When he awakes, everything has finally become clear. A vision of his past incarnation has been revealed - he was the mythological warrior Bhima, sent from the heavens to destroy evil.
Convinced of his need to continue Bhima's mission and revive the noble principles of the Mahabharata, Iyer embarks on an epic adventure down the sacred Ganges with the help of Bencho. His attempts at restoring order to the world - and in the process winning the heart of the oblivious, half-beautiful widow Damayanti - are hampered only by his complete detachment from reason and the reality of contemporary India. Mr Iyer Goes to War introduces a bold, witty new voice of Indian fiction in this playful and profound tale of love, adventure and friendship.
