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mikaelajane's review
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
2.5
booksbybindu's review
5.0
‘No Honour’ is a shockingly beautiful book despite the horrific topic it deals with. This is a book that does not hold back and the opening scene let's you know that. This is a powerful fictionalised account of what for the people Pakistan can be a daily occurrence. Honour killings need to be shouted about as there were still over 1000 alone in 2015.
There are no embellishments in Khan’s style of writing, he keeps it's crisp, with simple prose in order to get his message across. But yet he also manages to transport you right into the scene he is describing. I honestly had goosebumps when I read the opening scene and throughout the book. I devoured this in one sitting. It's by no means an easy book to read but its compelling, heart wrenching and strangely is a hopeful book despite its emotive subject. It depicts change occurring in the villages and towns against these practices and that is what is needed to defeat the fundamentalists. This isn't just a problem in Pakistan and it's not just about women’s behaviour. It's fundamentalism in general and even occurs in my home of Glasgow. My local corner shop owner was murdered based on his sectoral Muslim views. I know of people who went on their summer breaks and ended up with ‘surprise’ weddings and never returned home.
The character of Abida is one I will remember for a long time. Boy, the journey that poor girl went on is unbelievable. But she is a bastion of strength and power. She heralds change and hope. She is a survivor.
I hope that this novel gets the exposure that it deserves as it's an important topic that needs to be discussed, especially outwith the Asian community. Some readers will pick this book up and be horrified by the subject and not be aware of what is happening. But this needs to change. The diaspora of Pakistanis around the world can help change attitudes within their ancestral home but they also need the help of the nations where they are living. Legislation can be enacted and education needs to be provided not just in their communities but in the wider communities. We can't help unless we know about it. Sorry, this is a topic that makes me emotional so I'm probably rambling now.
You NEED to read this book.
There are no embellishments in Khan’s style of writing, he keeps it's crisp, with simple prose in order to get his message across. But yet he also manages to transport you right into the scene he is describing. I honestly had goosebumps when I read the opening scene and throughout the book. I devoured this in one sitting. It's by no means an easy book to read but its compelling, heart wrenching and strangely is a hopeful book despite its emotive subject. It depicts change occurring in the villages and towns against these practices and that is what is needed to defeat the fundamentalists. This isn't just a problem in Pakistan and it's not just about women’s behaviour. It's fundamentalism in general and even occurs in my home of Glasgow. My local corner shop owner was murdered based on his sectoral Muslim views. I know of people who went on their summer breaks and ended up with ‘surprise’ weddings and never returned home.
The character of Abida is one I will remember for a long time. Boy, the journey that poor girl went on is unbelievable. But she is a bastion of strength and power. She heralds change and hope. She is a survivor.
I hope that this novel gets the exposure that it deserves as it's an important topic that needs to be discussed, especially outwith the Asian community. Some readers will pick this book up and be horrified by the subject and not be aware of what is happening. But this needs to change. The diaspora of Pakistanis around the world can help change attitudes within their ancestral home but they also need the help of the nations where they are living. Legislation can be enacted and education needs to be provided not just in their communities but in the wider communities. We can't help unless we know about it. Sorry, this is a topic that makes me emotional so I'm probably rambling now.
You NEED to read this book.
cs4_0reads's review
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
kellyvandamme's review
5.0
First of all, I would like to propose the motion of having Awais Khan crowned King of the Shocking Opening Chapter! I remember vividly how shook up I felt after listening to the opening chapter of In the Company of Strangers, how those first paragraphs got to me so unexpectedly. Yet silly me hadn’t prepared for the same thing to happen with No Honour. But it did. And I had to remind myself to close my mouth because it had fallen open from the shock of it all. Did I know what No Honour was about before I started it? Yes, I did. Was I prepared for the harrowing story that was waiting for me? No, I was not.
No Honour tells the story of sixteen-year-old Abida and her father Jamil, and the narrative alternates between their points of view. Abida and her family live in a small rural village in Pakistan, where life is lived in accordance with tradition. Boys get to go to school, girls remain at home and are largely illiterate. Boys get a certain amount of freedom, girls are not allowed to have opinions, and they must always safeguard the honour of the family. Men know what’s best, women are to obey or will get beaten within an inch of their lives if they don’t, because real men hit their wives, don’t ya know. This is the toxic environment Abida grows up in.
When Abida gets into trouble, her father must choose between love and honour, will he punish his daughter and save the honour of this family, or will he choose her, consequences be damned? When Abida manages to escape her backwater village, ending up in the city of Lahore, things start to snowball and her new life in the city couldn’t be further from the hopes and dreams she cherished while she was still in her village. Soon she is trapped in the seedy underbelly of Lahore, while her dad is desperately trying to get her out.
I’ve never been anywhere near Pakistan, but once again, Awais Khan made me feel like I had been there a dozen times before. His writing is just so supremely evocative, I’ve said this before and I stand by it. Without losing himself in detail he knows how to paint a picture in such a manner that you almost feel like you’re watching a film.
Pakistan is not shown in the most positive light. As I’ve said, it’s a country I’m not very familiar with, I did pick up a few things from In the Company of Strangers and I did know beforehand that it’s not the most woman-friendly country so to speak but bloody hell, I had no idea it was this bad. Regular visitors of my little blog will know I love to learn from reading fiction, and while I’m happy to have learnt more about Pakistan and its customs, it also broke my heart. It is just maddening that in this day and age, stories like No Honour still tell a truth that needs to be told.
Let me just stress that that doesn’t mean that No Honour should be read just because it’s “an important book”. I mean, it is but it is also stunningly beautiful and extremely readable. Which at the end of the day is the most important thing for most of us readers, I think. Sure, we want to read important books, and we want to learn about foreign cultures, but reading fiction, we first and foremost want to be entertained. We might want to escape our own reality by diving into someone else’s, we might want to travel the world without lifting a finger (except to turn the pages), but at the end of the day what we want most is to be drawn into a story, we want to be captivated, kept at the edge of our seats, on our toes, glued to the pages, going from one emotion to the next, feeling the characters’ pain, laughing with them, crying for them. And that, that right there, is what No Honour does.
No Honour broke my heart several times over. I loved Abida, I hated everything that was happening to her, everything that was being done to her. It made for difficult reading, my heart in my throat, my eyes forever on the brink of brimming with tears. However, I think I loved her dad even more. The love for his eldest child so overwhelming, his desperation palpable, throwing caution to the wind to save her, proving that there is hope even in desperate times.
I loved In the Company of Strangers but with No Honour, Awais Khan well and truly knocks it out of the park. Highly recommended.
No Honour tells the story of sixteen-year-old Abida and her father Jamil, and the narrative alternates between their points of view. Abida and her family live in a small rural village in Pakistan, where life is lived in accordance with tradition. Boys get to go to school, girls remain at home and are largely illiterate. Boys get a certain amount of freedom, girls are not allowed to have opinions, and they must always safeguard the honour of the family. Men know what’s best, women are to obey or will get beaten within an inch of their lives if they don’t, because real men hit their wives, don’t ya know. This is the toxic environment Abida grows up in.
When Abida gets into trouble, her father must choose between love and honour, will he punish his daughter and save the honour of this family, or will he choose her, consequences be damned? When Abida manages to escape her backwater village, ending up in the city of Lahore, things start to snowball and her new life in the city couldn’t be further from the hopes and dreams she cherished while she was still in her village. Soon she is trapped in the seedy underbelly of Lahore, while her dad is desperately trying to get her out.
I’ve never been anywhere near Pakistan, but once again, Awais Khan made me feel like I had been there a dozen times before. His writing is just so supremely evocative, I’ve said this before and I stand by it. Without losing himself in detail he knows how to paint a picture in such a manner that you almost feel like you’re watching a film.
Pakistan is not shown in the most positive light. As I’ve said, it’s a country I’m not very familiar with, I did pick up a few things from In the Company of Strangers and I did know beforehand that it’s not the most woman-friendly country so to speak but bloody hell, I had no idea it was this bad. Regular visitors of my little blog will know I love to learn from reading fiction, and while I’m happy to have learnt more about Pakistan and its customs, it also broke my heart. It is just maddening that in this day and age, stories like No Honour still tell a truth that needs to be told.
Let me just stress that that doesn’t mean that No Honour should be read just because it’s “an important book”. I mean, it is but it is also stunningly beautiful and extremely readable. Which at the end of the day is the most important thing for most of us readers, I think. Sure, we want to read important books, and we want to learn about foreign cultures, but reading fiction, we first and foremost want to be entertained. We might want to escape our own reality by diving into someone else’s, we might want to travel the world without lifting a finger (except to turn the pages), but at the end of the day what we want most is to be drawn into a story, we want to be captivated, kept at the edge of our seats, on our toes, glued to the pages, going from one emotion to the next, feeling the characters’ pain, laughing with them, crying for them. And that, that right there, is what No Honour does.
No Honour broke my heart several times over. I loved Abida, I hated everything that was happening to her, everything that was being done to her. It made for difficult reading, my heart in my throat, my eyes forever on the brink of brimming with tears. However, I think I loved her dad even more. The love for his eldest child so overwhelming, his desperation palpable, throwing caution to the wind to save her, proving that there is hope even in desperate times.
I loved In the Company of Strangers but with No Honour, Awais Khan well and truly knocks it out of the park. Highly recommended.
agirlandabook85's review
4.0
“A girl holds her own honour between her legs she had always been told”
No Honour tells the story of 16 year old Abida living in a small Pakistani village. When she finds herself pregnant out of wedlock she faces the fury of her village seeking to restore honour through her and her child’s death.
Honour killings occur due to the belief the victim has brought dishonour upon the family or community and the act will restore reputation and honour to their family.
Pakistan has the highest number of documented and estimated honour killings per capita of any country in the world; about one-fifth of the world's honour killings are committed in Pakistan (1,000 out of the 5,000 per year total recorded in 2018). Despite numerous legislation reform they continue to this day.
Khan in writing No Honour bravely seeks to shine a light into the dark and harrowing parts of his country. This book is violent, abhorrently shocking, difficult to read and left me feeling angry. The treatment of Abida will leave you questioning the humanity in this world but her strength, determination and courage due to the love of her father was inspiring.
“It was like a drop of kindness in an ocean of violence”
Khan’s complexity of characters provided much needed balance to this story, it could without this given the subject matter proven too difficult to read. Not all men are portrayed as evil but they hold their own struggles with societal expectation and appearing weak. In contrast few women are sympathetic to the plights of girls like Abida their judgement is deeply ingrained by their own fear and long standing prejudices.
This is not a book that you can easily say was enjoyable to read but it is an important book to read, educate and continue the conversation regarding women’s rights. Reading this whilst watching news reports in Afghanistan shows just how much more needs to be done.
No Honour tells the story of 16 year old Abida living in a small Pakistani village. When she finds herself pregnant out of wedlock she faces the fury of her village seeking to restore honour through her and her child’s death.
Honour killings occur due to the belief the victim has brought dishonour upon the family or community and the act will restore reputation and honour to their family.
Pakistan has the highest number of documented and estimated honour killings per capita of any country in the world; about one-fifth of the world's honour killings are committed in Pakistan (1,000 out of the 5,000 per year total recorded in 2018). Despite numerous legislation reform they continue to this day.
Khan in writing No Honour bravely seeks to shine a light into the dark and harrowing parts of his country. This book is violent, abhorrently shocking, difficult to read and left me feeling angry. The treatment of Abida will leave you questioning the humanity in this world but her strength, determination and courage due to the love of her father was inspiring.
“It was like a drop of kindness in an ocean of violence”
Khan’s complexity of characters provided much needed balance to this story, it could without this given the subject matter proven too difficult to read. Not all men are portrayed as evil but they hold their own struggles with societal expectation and appearing weak. In contrast few women are sympathetic to the plights of girls like Abida their judgement is deeply ingrained by their own fear and long standing prejudices.
This is not a book that you can easily say was enjoyable to read but it is an important book to read, educate and continue the conversation regarding women’s rights. Reading this whilst watching news reports in Afghanistan shows just how much more needs to be done.
jillian_roach's review
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
3.0
kiriamarin's review
3.0
"No honour" ,o nome do livro se refere a uma prática homicida cultural de algumas regiões do Paquistão,cometida contra mulheres , onde os parentes homens desta se acham no direito de acusar, condenar e mata-las ,por "cometer atos desonrosos e vergonhosos" à família,chamada "Karo-Kari" ou crime de honra. Na verdade é um ato bárbaro e irracional.
O livro começa com a descrição de um destes terrível crimes, ato que cai ecoar na estória de Jamil ,pai de Abida, 16 anos, que necessitara de coragem pra se opor a toda esta tradição, assim como dos vizinhos , para proteger a filha desse fatídico destino. Esta relação de pai é filha é bem bonita e forte durante todo o livro.
Por ser um tema tão delicado, eu esperava,uma exploração mais complexa dos aspectos sócio-cultural e psicológico dos personagens e estória. .Comecou interessante mas acabou terminando num tom mais "hollywoodiano, com reviravoltas,vilões, herói e final feliz de novela. Além do estilo narrativo ser fraco e previsível que não conseguiu me sensibilizar com os sofrimentos da protagonista.
Enfim... ainda é um livro com mensagem moral positiva e informativa sobre algo que infelizmente ainda é recorrente no Paquistão.
O livro começa com a descrição de um destes terrível crimes, ato que cai ecoar na estória de Jamil ,pai de Abida, 16 anos, que necessitara de coragem pra se opor a toda esta tradição, assim como dos vizinhos , para proteger a filha desse fatídico destino. Esta relação de pai é filha é bem bonita e forte durante todo o livro.
Por ser um tema tão delicado, eu esperava,uma exploração mais complexa dos aspectos sócio-cultural e psicológico dos personagens e estória. .Comecou interessante mas acabou terminando num tom mais "hollywoodiano, com reviravoltas,vilões, herói e final feliz de novela. Além do estilo narrativo ser fraco e previsível que não conseguiu me sensibilizar com os sofrimentos da protagonista.
Enfim... ainda é um livro com mensagem moral positiva e informativa sobre algo que infelizmente ainda é recorrente no Paquistão.