We That Are Young

Praise

“Big, beautiful and most of all bold. . . . A dazzlingly original reading of [King Lear] and a full novel in its own right. A masterpiece.” —The Spectator

“A page-turner that’s also unabashedly political—with the complex, ambiguous, fiercely felt politics of our time.” —The Guardian

“[Taneja’s] landscape bristles with ghosts, Shakespeare flickering in an eerie déjà vu. The bones show through, and the book is all the fiercer for it.” —T Magazine
 
“The absolute mastery of Taneja’s narrative style and the precision of her language is unforgettable.” —Los Angeles Review of Books
 
“Extraordinary. That rare thing—a genuinely new voice. Spellbinding. It does what all the best novels do. It expands the possibilities of the form.” —Mark Haddon, author of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time
 
“Dizzying, dazzling. . . . Taneja has packed her debut novel with so much insight and feeling for contemporary India.” —The Boston Globe
 
“Original and exquisite. . . This is a new voice, vivid, full of imagery and pace, and with a richness to match the vibrancy of its world.” —Alexander Nurnberg, The Sunday Times (London)
 
“Impressive . . . [We That Are Young] uses King Lear as a template but fearlessly carves a territory of its own. . . . [Taneja] offers a portrait of modern India both panoramic and complex. . . . A work of epic scope and depth that’s bracingly of the current moment.” —Publishers Weekly (starred review)
 
“A brilliant first novel. . . . A must-read.” —The Washington Times
 
“[An] inspired modernization of a classic—engaging, relevant.” —Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
 
“We That Are Young is a powerful, engrossing chronicle of family and politics in contemporary India, perfectly constructed, magnificently written.” —Jim Crace, author of Harvest
 
“[Taneja] paints a remarkable picture of contemporary India through the voices of her characters.” —The Irish Times
 
“Every now and then, a writer grabs you in the first paragraph and doesn’t let go. Such is the case with Taneja, whose stunning debut brims with familial jealousy, sexual tension, political turmoil, and shocking violence.” —Library Journal (starred review)
 
“Packed with vivid scenes and powered with prose of terrific vitality.” —Peter Kemp, The Sunday Times (London)
 
“We That Are Young is a masterpiece. I can’t remember when I last read a book so uncompromising, fierce and emotionally vast.” —Omar El Akkad, author of American War
 
“Multilayered and densely structured, We That Are Young offers a fresh take on a timeless tale. . . . Taneja deftly exposes the stark contrast between the Twitter-saturated media narrative surrounding the rich and powerful, and the reality of their actions.” —Booklist
 
“An extraordinary reimagining of King Lear in a culture and a cultural moment that resonates so powerfully it is as exciting for me as coming upon Lear for the first time.” —James Shapiro, author of The Year of Lear