A Time Outside This Time: A Novel by Amitava Kumar [Hardcover]

A Time Outside This Time by Amitava Kumar follows Satya, an Indian writer living in New York, who is struggling to find artistic focus at a prestigious retreat in Italy. While the retreat aims to be a refuge for creativity, Satya is unable to ignore the chaotic state of the world: a global virus is spreading, political leaders like Prime Minister Modi and President Trump respond with theatrical and misleading tactics, and the news cycle is a relentless barrage of troubling stories. For Satya, these events are not just distractions—they become the spark for a new novel about truth and deception in the modern age.

As Satya gathers inspiration, he intertwines elements from his life and the world around him: accounts of lynchings in India, Trump’s inflammatory tweets, snippets of his own memories from Patna, an investigation into a killing in Kolkata, and reflections on his personal roles as a husband, father, and teacher. This layered narrative is a profound meditation on the "post-truth" era, examining how lies and half-truths shape our perceptions and relationships. Through an intricate blend of public events and private memories, Kumar creates a vivid portrayal of the contemporary moment, balancing the real and the imagined to reveal insights about human nature and the role of art in unsettling times.