The Impressionist is Hari Kunzru's debut novel, first published in 2003.

[citation needed] The novel concerns Pran Nath (known throughout the book by several other names), the child of a one-time affair between an English father and an Indian mother, and his life from birth to roughly the age of twenty-two, as he travels from India to England to Africa while colonialism begins to come to a close.

As the narrative evolves, Pran takes on different personalities—some given to him by others, some willingly picked up to his advantage—as he seeks a permanent identity.

Kunzru's characterization of Pran was, however, faulted, with some considering him a "hollow" character.

[2] The Daily Telegraph reported on reviews from several publications with a rating scale for the novel out of "Love It", "Pretty Good", "Ok", and "Rubbish": Daily Telegraph, Times, Sunday Telegraph, Literary Review, and TLS reviews under "Pretty Good" and Guardian, Independent, Observer, Sunday Times, and New Statesman reviews under "Ok".