Book Review: The Remains of the Body by Saikat Majumdar

Namrata reviews Saikat Majumdar’s The Remains of the Body (Penguin India, 2024) exploring how this novel offers a profound and thought-provoking exploration of the immigrant experience in all its complexity.

In The Remains of the Body, author Saikat Majumdar attempts to explore human relationships, sexual identity, and the immigrant experience. These themes are rendered with the kind of sensitivity and nuance that has become the hallmark of Majumdar’s writing. Set against the backdrop of North America, the novel intricately examines the complex dynamics between three Indian immigrants whose lives are intertwined in unexpected and deeply personal ways.

Saikat Majumdar is an accomplished author whose literary works have garnered significant acclaim both in India and internationally. He has penned four novels, including The Firebird/Play House and The Scent of God, the latter of which has been celebrated as one of the major queer novels to emerge from India in the wake of the decriminalization of homosexuality. His most recent work, The Middle Finger, is a contemporary campus novel that reimagines ancient myths, showcasing his versatility as a writer.