A Strange Kind of Paradise

Sam Miller has written a wonderfully witty, wise, idiosyncratic and properly hybrid book that achieves the near-impossible. It is at once a touching personal memoir, a droll and discursive travelogue and an erudite work of literary criticism which somehow manages to be, at the same time, a hugely entertaining history of the world's often confused dialogue with South Asia over three thousand years. It is also, almost as an after-thought, a most moving love letter to India. -- William Dalrymple, author of City of Djinns [Miller] is a congenial guide. He has a fantastically sharp eye… Amid a torrent of sparkling details, what stands out is Miller's heartfelt love for the country. -- Alex Von Tunzelmann * Evening Standard * Delightfully eccentric… A very readable account… Miller is the master of the must-read footnote, while matching the travel writer Eric Newby in his acute descriptions of contemporary life in India. -- Victor Mallet * Financial Times * Laconic and engaging… [An] attractive book. -- David Gilmour * Literary Review * Fascinating. -- Tarquin Hall * Sunday Times * Wide-ranging and hugely entertaining. -- Peter Parker * Spectator * Fresh and forthright… Miller has a fantastically sharp eye for quirky details. -- Alex Von Tunzelman * Scotsman * Those who know India will find his account sensitively reflects most aspects of that complex land; those who do not know it could hardly do better than to start here. -- John Ure * Country Life * Far more than a simple narrative of experiences… A fascinating mixture of detailed descriptions spiced by revealing anecdotes, wild untruths and misunderstood behavior. * The Bay (Swansea) * Dry, funny and curiously British. * Wanderlust Magazine *