Family Planning - Softcover

“Karan Mahajan is a natural—a masterful storyteller, an assured stylist and a gentle satirist whose unblinking vision is ultimately tempered by compassion. Family Planning is an incredibly accomplished debut. More than a fine first novel, it’s one of the best comic novels I’ve read in years.” (Jay McInerney, author of Bright Lights, Big City )

“An entertaining expose of a unique family.” (Booklist )

“A delightfully entertaining novel about father-son conflict that readers from just about any culture can appreciate. . . . Mahajan interjects hilarity throughout otherwise tense and poignant moments of family drama. . . . Strongly recommended.” (Library Journal )

“An excellent debut. . . . A portrait of family that is both comical and heartbreaking. . . . Mahajan’s effortless blending of comedy and tragedy is irresistible.” (Publishers Weekly )

“Mahajan is only 24 years old, but he has a mature and impressive grasp of poignant comedy and has opened up Delhi to western readers in a way that a more overtly politicised novel may not.” (The Observer (London) )

“Sharply written, bracingly funny, and unexpectedly moving—Karan Mahajan combines ‘take no prisoners’ satire with haunting insights into the human condition.” (Manil Suri )

“The truest portrait of modern New Delhi I’ve read, and the funniest book of the year.” (Suketu Mehta, The Daily Beast )

“Brave, breackneck, and amusing. . . . A fearless cultural domestic tour. . . . Irreverent, fresh, and sometimes, given its author’s youth, preternaturally wise.” (The San Francisco Chronicle )

“A spot-on satire of Indian family life, globalization, and intergenerational strife.” (The New York Post )

“Comic novels, full of loveable eccentrics and sly social commentary, seem to be one of ‘new’ India’s main exports; this is one of the sharpest and funniest examples.” (The Times (London) )

“Mahajan’s sprightly first novel portrays India’s capital—10 million strong—in all its explosive fecundity. . . . Mahajan is only 24 years old, but he has already developed an irresistible voice with a rich sense of humor fueled by sorrow.” (Ron Charles, The Washington Post Book World )