Solo – Rana Dasgupta

A blind chemist lives alone in Sofia. He is old – he has witnessed a whole century of Bulgarian war and setback – and the years have proved a disappointment. Wondering if he has anything to leave the world, he immerses himself in a spectacular reimagining of his life.

Set in a country that has belonged sometimes to Asia and sometimes to Europe, Solo is a book about lost roots, broken traditions and wasted human endeavours – and the exquisite ways in which human beings overcome them.