A Matter of Rats (A Short Biography of Patna)

It is not only the past that lies in ruins in Patna, it is also the present. But that is not the only truth about the city that the author explores in this vivid, entertaining account of his home town. We accompany him on journeys and memories through many Patnas, the myriad cities locked within the city-the shabby reality of the present-day capital of Bihar; Pataliputra, the storied city of emperors; the dreamlike embodiment of the city in the minds and hearts of those who have escaped its confines... Full of fascinating observations and impressions, A Matter of Rats reveals a challenging and entertaining city which exerts a lasting pull on all those who drift into its orbit.

Amitava Kumar is the author of several works of non-fiction and a novel. His latest book, A Foreigner Carrying in the Crook of His Arm a Tiny Bomb, was judged the Best Non-Fiction Book of the Year at the Page Turner Literary Award. He is Professor of English at Vassar College, New York.