Advertising helps fund Big Issue’s mission to end poverty
Books

Sojourn by Amit Chaudhuri review: Brief encounters with the eclectic life of a city

A novel about a lecturer visiting Berlin and the overwhelming effect of its history, that ultimately fails to leave an impression on the reader.

Berlin cityscape

Berlin cityscape Image: wal_172619 from Pixabay

Sojourn by Amit Chaudhuri
Sojourn by Amit Chaudhuri is out now (Faber & Faber, £14.99)

For his novella Sojourn, Amit Chaudhuri has picked on a theme of the fate of Berlin and the sometimes overwhelming power of a city over those who visit it. As a visiting lecturer, the anonymous narrator captures brief encounters with the eclectic life of the city, becoming dramatically aware of the geography and history that shapes his visit and its visitors. The novel’s aims are worthy, but its short length and, more importantly, a lack of definition in description, mean it doesn’t leave a mark on the imagination.  


You can buy Sojourn from The Big Issue shop on Bookshop.org, which helps to support The Big Issue and independent bookshops.

This article is taken from The Big Issue magazine, which exists to give homeless, long-term unemployed and marginalised people the opportunity to earn an income.To support our work buy a copy! If you cannot reach your local vendor, you can still click HERE to subscribe to The Big Issue today or give a gift subscription to a friend or family member. You can also purchase one-off issues from The Big Issue Shop or The Big Issue app, available now from the App Store or Google Play.

Advertising helps fund Big Issue’s mission to end poverty

READER-SUPPORTED SINCE 1991

Reader-supported journalism that doesn’t just report problems, it helps solve them.

Recommended for you

View all
Top 5 seafaring books, chosen by award-winning writer Carolyn Kirby
Books

Top 5 seafaring books, chosen by award-winning writer Carolyn Kirby

Mother Mary Comes to Me by Arundhati Roy review – words of wisdom
Books

Mother Mary Comes to Me by Arundhati Roy review – words of wisdom

House of Day, House of Night by Olga Tokarczuk review – mushrooming magic
Books

House of Day, House of Night by Olga Tokarczuk review – mushrooming magic

Queer history goes back centuries – even the Georgians questioned their gender and sexuality
LGBTQ+

Queer history goes back centuries – even the Georgians questioned their gender and sexuality