The Assassin's Song

* Vassanji is one of the unsung greats of African literature ... Making a general virtue of its own exceptionalism, The Assassin's Song is both particular and universal, which is one of the marks of great literature. Historical novel, bildungsroman and terrorist thriller all rolled into one, it is above all a celebration of religious tolerance, which is something more necessary now than ever in Gujarat and elsewhere. -- Giles Foden Guardian * The book ends and you can't sleep. The characters and tales toss around in dreams. An unforgettable novel. -- Yasmin Alibhai-Brown Independent * Masterful ... MG Vassanji may have been compared to Salman Rushdie by virtue of his subject matter but his clean, detached writing style is much more penetrable. -- Tania Ahsa Metro * Vassanji draws on his own experience ... [and] this spiritual aspect gives The Assassin's Song weight ... the prose is also his most polished and precise. Most of all, the novel recognizes that a cultural or religious inheritance is not a birthright; it must be practised, like a song or a prayer, if it is to refine the crudeness of the world into beauty. -- Sameer Rahim Telegraph * Vassanji writes with great charm and old-fashioned wisdom. -- Kate Saunders The Times * Confident, lyrical writing. Daily Telegraph * It's a compelling story, serious but very human, in which communities are transformed and English metaphysical poets rub against Indian ginans. A fine book, elegant and emotive. -- James Smart Guardian * A grand sweep of Indian history. Metro * Vassanji tells a supremely poetic story of 13th century sufi-mysticism, snake swallowing magic and Hindu-Muslims schisms to make post-colonial writing exquisitely, tragically new. -- Arifa Akbar Independent