The English Problem Audiobook By Beena Kamlani cover art

The English Problem

A Novel

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The English Problem

By: Beena Kamlani
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About this listen

In this stunning debut novel, a young Indian man comes to England in 1931, determined to overthrow British rule back home—but the insidiousness of colonialism as well as a sexual awakening get in his way.

“Grand, sweeping, mesmerizing . . . a richly detailed, politically profound story of love, of migration, of individuals caught up in the great convulsions of history.”—Joseph O’Neill, PEN/Faulkner Award-winning author of Godwin

Shiv Advani is an eighteen-year-old growing up in India. But he is no ordinary young man. Shiv has been personally chosen by Mahatma Gandhi to come to England, learn their laws, and then return home and help drive the British out of India. Before he leaves, his family insists he fulfill his arranged marriage, and he is hastily betrothed to a young woman he hardly knows.

He arrives in London and soon discovers a world he is both repelled by and drawn to. Shiv knows his duty: get in, learn the letter of the law, get out. But as anyone who has ever lived in a British colony can tell you, “the English Problem” is multifaceted. The racist colonialism of “the empire on which the sun never sets” seeps into everything—not just landed territories, but territories of the mind: literature, language, religion, sexuality, self-identity. Soon the people Shiv sought to be liberated from will be the people he desperately wants to be a part of. In the end, Shiv must fight not only for his country’s liberation but also his own.

Set against the backdrop of the Indian independence movement, with appearances by historical figures such as Virginia and Leonard Woolf and Mahatma Gandhi, The English Problem is so self-assured and ambitious, it is hard to believe it is a debut.

©2025 Beena Kamlani (P)2025 Random House Audio
Coming of Age Historical Fiction World Literature
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Critic reviews

“Kamlani’s story of one man’s odyssey of discovery contains extensive historical context. Replete with lyrical imagery of rivers, the saga confronts issues of racism, class disparities, parenthood, and sexual acceptance. . . . Kamlani’s ambitious debut packs an important dose of relevant history into a very human story.”—Kirkus Reviews

“A dynamic character portrait as well as a nuanced depiction of India’s struggles against British rule. It’s a triumph.”Publishers Weekly

“What a grand, sweeping, mesmerizing book this is: a richly detailed, politically profound story of love, of migration, of individuals caught up in the great convulsions of history. Wow.”—Joseph O’Neill, PEN/Faulkner award-winning author of Netherland

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