Man on Fire - Hardcover

Man on Fire is astonishingly moving in its heartbreak and humour . About 50 pages into this enchanting book, I discovered that it is a true story and Bibhuti is a real man . Man on Fire does what a novel at its best can do; underneath the humour and pathos and Bibhuti's hopes and dreams, we find an account of India itself. Out of this unlikely material, Stephen Kelman has written a book of profound beauty and deep empathy ( Justin Cartwright Observer )

Kelman gives an intoxicating picture of Mumbai in all its chaos, which is a neat contrast to Bibhuti's mindfulness ( The Sunday Times Ireland )

Man on Fire, in essence, is like a buddy movie with a spiritual bent; that this spirituality comes from the most unlikely source is its strength, and not a weakness ( Erica Wagner Guardian )

An enthralling fictionalised part-biography of Bibhuti, is Kelman's moving tribute to the Times of India journalist . Kelman - no relation to James, although he shares the great Glaswegian's ability to write dark, gut-wrenching books full of life and energy, and that are often very funny ( Jackie McGlone Sunday Herald )

This confirms his ability to evoke deep emotion. Its hybrid fact-and-fiction subject probably won't attract as many readers as his first book, but those who venture will be richly rewarded ( Daily Mail John Harding )

In a glorious opening monologue that manages to be hilarious and sympathetic, Bibhuti recounts his inaugural boundary-buster: receiving 43 kicks to his unprotected groin . Whatever the result, Bibhuti is certainly a wonderful creation who resists prat-falling into reductive buffoonery thanks to Kelman's nicely measured portrait . Man on Fire is a strange, arresting novel that is borne aloft by two vivid protagonists, and threated together by a delicate chain of imagery . the novel offers a salutary meditation on time: how we fill it, how we waste is and the tricky challenge of telling the difference ( James Kidd Independent )

He has a fine eye for sketching delightful scenes: a shipment of snow globes saves during the monsoon; a group of monks dedicated to table tennis ( Jeffrey Burke Irish Mail on Sunday )

An original tale about faith, friendship and determination . an enthralling novel by a writer of considerable talent (Financial Times)

One of the most quirky books I have ever read ... A revelatory and very touching book (Observer, Books of the Year 2015)