KUNAL BASU

In the sumptuous court of the emperor Akbar, in 16th century India, a group of artists begin the painstaking task of chronicling the emperor's life. Bihzad is the son of the chief artist and as such, he is groomed to follow in his father's footsteps. A child prodigy, Bihzad is shielded from life as he grows up in the stunning fortress town of Agra.

But as word of his talent spreads, rumours about the wild, passionate nature of his secret drawings bring his enemies out into the open. When the young artist breaches the rules of the court, they will use his art to destroy him.

  Amazon Flipkart

• Quotes
• Interviews
• Reviews
• Editions

• “A tale of immense originality and intrigue. The Miniaturist is every bit as perfect and detailed as a Mughal painting should be.”
  The Observer
• “The Miniaturist shows Basu to be a master of his craft his novel is a cut-glass superstructure, as sumptuous as the imperial pleasure domes that he describes, and crafted with the miniaturist's wizardry.”
  The Independent on Sunday
• “There are many wonderful sequences in this novel. Basu has a wide and sympathetic mind that enlivens historical research. His prose is light and fragrant, creating a vivid India.”
  The Times Literary Supplement
• “The Miniaturist is an excellent counterpoint to Basu's well-received first novel, The Opium Clerk. By writing about the distant past, he has managed, paradoxically, to say something new.this novel deserves a careful perusal. Basu's every word is carefully chosen, and his every image resonates with meaning.”
  Far Eastern Economic Review
• “Rich and imaginative. It's like strolling through an art gallery for sheer visual power.”
  Elle
• “A lush, beautifully written book.”
  The Sunday Tribune (Dublin)
• “Sensual... of a quiverring kind.”
  Le Monde
• “This novel is a delicious 16th century blend of Mongols, Turks, Persians, Afghans, Christians, Muslims, Hindus, Sufis, wine, opium, friendship, lust and love. A heady brew, definitely worth the calories.”
  India Today
• “The Miniaturist is a little gem, confirming author Kunal Basu.s reputation as a great storyteller, a creator of mood. The Miniaturist must be read. And read again.”
  The Statesman
• “The Miniaturist could easily have been a gaudy period piece, an opulent but synthetic fakery. Few writers can freight their books with a brutal emperor, rampaging elephants, art, perfume and patronage and come up with anything more. Basu has with his first novel, The Opium Clerk and now this, Kunal Basu has proved himself one of the most skilled practitioners of historical fiction writing today.”
  Hindustan Times

• Straight Answers
  The Times Of India
• A fertile mind
  Sunday Herald

• Small but perfectly formed
  The Observer
• Make up and masquerade
  The Independent on Sunday
• The Miniaturist
  The Guardian
• The Miniaturist
  Kirkus Reviews
• The God in the artist
  Far Eastern Economic Review
• Exotic journeys of the heart and mind
  Atlanta Journal Constitution
• Mastering the historic novel
  Hindustan Times
• Portrait of an artist
  India Today
• Exquisite tapestry
  The Statesman
• Portrait of an artist
  Sunday Herald