Manil Suri Books

Shortlisted for the 2023 PEN/E.O. Wilson Literary Science Writing Award, this engaging and imaginative exploration delves into the fundamental mathematical concepts—from arithmetic to infinity—that underpin our universe. It poses a provocative question: starting from nothing—no matter, no cosmos—can we create a universe using only math? With irreverence and rich illustrations, the narrative invites readers to embark on this journey. The author, a mathematician and novelist, presents a natural progression of ideas essential for designing our world, beginning with numbers and advancing through geometry, algebra, and more. He uncovers the hidden lives of real and imaginary numbers, showcasing their interplay through abstract games with practical applications. Unexpected patterns emerge, linking simple life forms to vast galaxies, while the mathematical foundations of randomness and beauty are explored. Through evocative examples, from multidimensional crochet to the asymmetrical smile of the Mona Lisa, complex concepts like infinity and relativity are illuminated. The work charts a playful and inventive path to existence, suggesting that mathematics is not merely a tool for explaining Nature but the very source of creation itself. This narrative offers fresh perspectives for math enthusiasts and an accessible introduction for those intimidated by numbers, demonstrating that everyone can develop a love for math.

Young Ramchand rushes through the dusty streets of Amritsar, once again late for work. Chastised by his boss, he takes his place among the cottons and silks of the sari shop, selling yards of cloth to the wealthy and fashionable women of the town. Offered a glimpse of a more opulent world, Ranchand is seduced by the idea that he might somehow better himself. But making dreams real will come at a price that a poor shop assistant might not be able to pay.

“Enchanting. . . . Suri’s novel achieves an eerie and memorable transcendence.”—TimeIn Manil Suri’s debut novel, Vishnu, the odd-job man, lies dying on the staircase of an apartment building while around him unfold the lives of its inhabitants: warring housewives, lovesick teenagers, a grieving widower. In a fevered state, Vishnu looks back on his love affair with the seductive Padmini and wonders if he might actually be the god Vishnu, guardian of the entire universe.

India,1955: as the scars of Partition are just beginning to heal, in Ramjas College, Delhi, seventeen-year-old Meera is enraptured. In a spotlight, a handsome young man, Dev, is singing a song that is redolent with a longing, a hunger, that is thrillingly new to her. Beside her sits her older sister Roopa: the favourite, the beauty, her fairness tonight enhanced by clusters of gold at her ears, and a glossy streak of forbidden lipstick. Later, jilted by Roopa, it is to Meera that Dev turns for comfort. Though their hasty marriage enrages her father, who has always been ambitious for his daughters, Meera takes on her new role without a murmur, suppressing her bitter regret, obedient to her new in-laws, fasting according to Hindu ritual and tolerating Dev's drunken night-time fumblings. A move to Bombay, so Dev can chase his dream of success as a Bollywood singer, seems at first like a fresh new start, but as that dream - and their marriage - turns to ashes, he is more often to be found gazing into the bottom of a glass at Auntie's Place than in a recording studio. But when their son Ashvin is born, everything changes. A sweeping epic that follows the fortunes of one family as it follows the fortunes of India in the violent aftermath of Partition, The Age of Shiva is the powerful story of a country in turmoil and an extraordinary portrait of maternal love.

Armed only with a pomegranate, Sarita ventures into the empty streets of Mumbai, on the eve of its threatened nuclear annihilation. She is looking for her physicist husband Karun, who has been missing for over a fortnight. She is soon joined on her quest by Jaz - cocky, handsome, Muslim, gay, and in search of his own lover. Together they traverse the surreal landscape of a dystopia rife with absurdity, and are inexorably drawn to the patron goddess Devi ma, the supposed saviour of the city. Groundbreaking and multilayered, The City of Devi is a fearlessly provocative tale of three individuals balancing on the sharp edge of fate.