''The Impressionist'' is

Hari Kunzru Hari Mohan Nath Kunzru (born 1969) is a British novelist and journalist. He is the author of the novels '' The Impressionist'', '' Transmission'', ''My Revolutions'', '' Gods Without Men'', ''White Tears''David Robinson"Interview: Hari Kunzru, ...

debut novel A debut novel is the first novel a novelist publishes. Debut novels are often the author's first opportunity to make an impact on the publishing industry, and thus the success or failure of a debut novel can affect the ability of the author to p ...

, first published in 2002. Kunzru received the Betty Trask Award and the

Somerset Maugham Award The Somerset Maugham Award is a British literary prize given each year by the Society of Authors. Set up by William Somerset Maugham in 1947 the awards enable young writers to enrich their work by gaining experience in foreign countries. The awa ...

for the book's publication.

Plot

The novel concerns Pran Nath (known throughout the book by several other names), the child of a one-time affair between an English father and an Indian mother, and his life from birth to roughly the age of twenty-two, as he travels from India to England to Africa while colonialism begins to come to a close. As the narrative evolves, Pran takes on different personalities—some given to him by others, some willingly picked up to his advantage—as he seeks a permanent identity.

Characters

* Pran Nath Razdan – The novel's protagonist, Pran Nath assumes several identities over the course of the plot. These include Rukhsana, the name given to him during his time spent with court eunuchs, Pretty Bobby, his name in Bombay, and Jonathan Bridgeman, his name in England, which he is able to assume through the identification papers of a British man who dies in his presence. * Reverend Andrew Macfarlane – Andrew Macfarlane is a religious man working in Bombay. He pursues phrenology as a hobby, and employs Bobby in measuring skulls and photographing living subjects. * Elspeth Macfarlane – Elspeth is married to Andrew, although she does not interact with her husband. She eschews Christianity in favor of

Theosophy Theosophy is a religion established in the United States during the late 19th century. It was founded primarily by the Russian Helena Blavatsky and draws its teachings predominantly from Blavatsky's writings. Categorized by scholars of religion ...

as a means to communicate with her sons, who both died in

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

. * Astarte Chapel – Referred to as Star after Bridgemen meets her towards the end of the novel, Astarte is the daughter of an Oxford professor of

Anthropology Anthropology is the scientific study of humanity, concerned with human behavior, human biology, cultures, societies, and linguistics, in both the present and past, including past human species. Social anthropology studies patterns of be ...

. Pran, as Jonathan, meets her at a party and the two enter into a relationship.

Reception

The book was well received by critics, with praise for its prose. Kunzru's characterization of Pran was, however, faulted, with some considering him a "hollow" character.

References

2002 British novels Postcolonial novels Novels set in India Novels set in the United Kingdom Novels set in Africa 2002 debut novels Hamish Hamilton books {{postcolonialism-stub