Man on Fire
by Stephen Kelman
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"An enthralling novel by a writer of considerable talent" (FT), an unforgettable story of faith, forgiveness, extreme record-breaking, and second chances, from the Booker Prize-shortlisted author ofPigeon English. John Lock has come to India to meet his destiny, fleeing the quiet desperation of his life in England--decades wasted in a meaningless job, a marriage foundering in the wake of loss, and a terrible secret he cannot bear to share with his wife--to offer his help to a man who has show more learned to conquer pain, a world record-breaker who specializes in feats of extreme endurance and ill-advised masochism. Bibhuti Nayak has survived forty-three kicks to the unprotected groin in ninety seconds, three forty-pound slabs of concrete smashed over his groin with a sledgehammer, and thirty-one watermelons dropped on his stomach in one minute from a height of more than thirty feet. His next record attempt--to have fifty baseball bats broken over his body--will be the crowning moment in a career that has seen him rise from poverty to become a minor celebrity in a nation where standing out from the crowdrequires tenacity, courage, and perhaps a touch of madness. John is welcomed into Bibhuti's family and into the color and chaos of Mumbai, where he encounters Ping-Pong-playing monks, a fearless seven-year-old martial arts warrior, and an old man who longs for the monsoon to wash him away. As he and Bibhuti take their leap of faith together, John sets out to rewrite a brave end to a life poorly lived. show lessTags
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Member Reviews
Man on Fire is a fictionalised account of the feats of Indian record-breaker Bibhuti Nayak. Nayak has dedicated his life to setting Guinness Book of Records records for feats of strength, in order to inspire his fellow Indians.
John Lock is a middle-class Englishman who impulsively travels to India to work with BB Nayak in the hope that he can leave his old life behind and do something meaningful. The book tells of their deepening relationship, from both points of view, and the unswerving course they set towards a final, outrageous record attempt that has BB's family and friends aghast.
The relationship between Lock and BB is never that well-established; there seems to be no real reason for it to have come about, or for BB to accept this show more strange man into his household and his life's work. This lack of a solid start to their friendship undermines the story. Lock's Raj-like patronising of BB's family also sits oddly with his supposed dedication to BB's philosophy and work. Every time he referred to BB's son as "Jolly Boy", it made my teeth itch; such a stupid name for a character.
Beyond Lock and BB, most characters are pretty much pastiche; nothing you wouldn't find in a Bollywood movie, really. Lock and his travails are the focus of the novel. Kelman sets his protagonist up with a heart-breaking and life-changing dilemma, but the resolutions he gives him are pretty unchallenging and bland. As with Pigeon English, Kelman captures the local idiom perfectly; the chapters narrated by BB, as well as the other Indian characters' dialogue, all sound totally authentic.
For men, this book could be wincingly hard to read at times. There is only so much I can read about a man being kicked in the balls for a living before I start to cringe. show less
John Lock is a middle-class Englishman who impulsively travels to India to work with BB Nayak in the hope that he can leave his old life behind and do something meaningful. The book tells of their deepening relationship, from both points of view, and the unswerving course they set towards a final, outrageous record attempt that has BB's family and friends aghast.
The relationship between Lock and BB is never that well-established; there seems to be no real reason for it to have come about, or for BB to accept this show more strange man into his household and his life's work. This lack of a solid start to their friendship undermines the story. Lock's Raj-like patronising of BB's family also sits oddly with his supposed dedication to BB's philosophy and work. Every time he referred to BB's son as "Jolly Boy", it made my teeth itch; such a stupid name for a character.
Beyond Lock and BB, most characters are pretty much pastiche; nothing you wouldn't find in a Bollywood movie, really. Lock and his travails are the focus of the novel. Kelman sets his protagonist up with a heart-breaking and life-changing dilemma, but the resolutions he gives him are pretty unchallenging and bland. As with Pigeon English, Kelman captures the local idiom perfectly; the chapters narrated by BB, as well as the other Indian characters' dialogue, all sound totally authentic.
For men, this book could be wincingly hard to read at times. There is only so much I can read about a man being kicked in the balls for a living before I start to cringe. show less
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Lists
International Dublin Literary Award Longlist 2017
147 works; 3 members
Dublin Literary Award Longlist 2017
147 works; 2 members
Author Information
3 Works 1,031 Members
Awards and Honors
Awards
Distinctions
The Guardian Book of the Day (2015-08-08)
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- Members
- 31
- Popularity
- 906,232
- Reviews
- 2
- Rating
- (3.38)
- Languages
- English
- Media
- Paper, Ebook
- ISBNs
- 10
