The City of Devi is a 2013 novel by Manil Suri. In 2013, it won the Bad Sex in Fiction Award and the Bisexual Book Award for Fiction.

The City of Devi
AuthorManil Suri
PublisherW. W. Norton & Company
Publication date
February 4, 2013
Pages352
ISBN978-0-393-08875-5
Preceded byThe Age of Shiva (2008) 

Plot

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Reception

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Reviews

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Kirkus Reviews described The City of Devi as "part international thriller, part romantic soap opera". They indicated that the "novel's driving force" is the "melodrama of romantic intrigue" and that the novel is "less satisfying than the author’s previous works".[1] On behalf of Booklist, Donna Seaman wrote, "By daringly yoking erotic longing with terrorism in a trinitarian tale of amped-up mythology and end-of-world chaos, Suri forges an incendiary love story and provocative improvisation on India's monumental epics."[2]

Library Journal's Shirley N. Quan described Suri's writing as "smartly and fluidly written".[3] Publishers Weekly also discussed Suri's writing style, calling it "dynamic" and "unabashed". They further indicated that the novel is "for the most part happily, perpetually off-balance and, though the tone is too unbound at times [...] the vibrancy and compelling plot carry through the occasional sag or inconsistency".[4]

Quan concluded, "The strong plot and character development make the novel a page-turner, while insight into the taboos of interfaith and same-gender relationships in India and commentary on what true love really is add substance."[3]

Awards and honors

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Awards for The City of Devi
Year Award Result Ref.
2013 Bad Sex in Fiction Award Winner [5]
Bisexual Book Award for Fiction Winner [6]
2014 Lambda Literary Award for Gay Fiction Finalist [7]

References

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  1. ^ "The City of Devi". Kirkus Reviews. November 18, 2012. Archived from the original on May 25, 2024. Retrieved May 24, 2024.
  2. ^ "The City of Devi". Booklist. December 15, 2012. Archived from the original on May 25, 2024. Retrieved May 24, 2024.
  3. ^ a b Quan, Shirley N. (February 1, 2013). "The City of Devi". Library Journal. Archived from the original on May 25, 2024. Retrieved May 25, 2024.
  4. ^ "The City of Devi by Manil Suri". Publishers Weekly. November 12, 2012. Archived from the original on May 25, 2024. Retrieved May 25, 2024.
  5. ^ "Awards: Bad Sex in Fiction Winner, MWA Grand Masters". Shelf Awareness. December 5, 2013. Archived from the original on April 11, 2023. Retrieved May 25, 2024.
  6. ^ "2013 Bisexual Book Awards Winners". Locus Online. June 4, 2014. Archived from the original on November 1, 2023. Retrieved May 24, 2024.
  7. ^ "26th Annual Lambda Literary Award Finalists Announced". Lambda Literary. March 6, 2014. Archived from the original on February 13, 2022. Retrieved February 9, 2022.
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