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secre's review against another edition
dark
informative
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
The Khan is one of those novels that has a gem of an idea behind it but is generally poorly executed. The idea of a Godfather style Mob Syndicate in Britain could have been an excellent one, but it felt lacking. It's a shame because the writing itself is lyrical and powerful. But the actual execution of the narrative and the building of characters felt disappointing.
Part of this was the lacklustre setting. The way both London and Yorkshire were described was... bland. They could have been virtually any city in any country. I often found myself confused as to where I actually was and - partially due to my lack of reading the blurb - it took me a while to realise that Jai hadn't gone back to Pakistan. I didn't get a sense of local or place at all.
The pacing was also problematic; there's too much back story and exposition for a thriller and is doesn't go anywhere fast. There are long sections dedicated to Jia's relationships with her ex-husband, her family, and to a much lesser degree her old colleagues. There's a lot of repetition and a lot of info dumping; some of it interesting info dumping, but there are better ways to do it.
The action is often seen from afar or even just as an aftermath, when you are in the centre of it then it's over quickly. This isn't helped by the fact that some of it is so unbelievable that you can't suspend your disbelief; come on, if a guy gets run over by one car there are going to be broken bones and internal injuries, but multiple cars over a prolonged period?!
This wasn't helped by the volume of characters and the character switching; you rarely stay on the same aspect long enough to become invested and there were too many characters to keep track of. Whilst some of the characters are well drawn and individualistic, others simply blur into the background and trying to remember how they slotted in when their name came back up chapters later was a problem. The antagonist was a two dimensional cut out who'd have been caught by the law long before the plot could unravel, he isn't even an intelligent criminal.
And there was a distinct lack of character development or progression. There are several sudden character switches, where a character changes direction at the speed of light with little logical progression as to how. I found myself typically peeved by the occasion at the end, which I guess counts as a twist and that's a particular pet peeve of mine; sudden shock twists just strike me as cheap. I saw at least part of it coming, but that was less due to character development and more due to the sinking feeling in my stomach, so the point stands.
At the end of this rant, it's a miracle we're still at a two star rating. And yet we are. Partially because there is real potential here and it's just a pity the execution lets it down. But it's also because I did enjoy the writing style and the exposition about Pashtun culture was often fascinating. It's a pity that a lot of this was done in info dumps, but I was still caught all the same. I can't really recommend it on that basis alone though.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for my free review copy of this title.
Part of this was the lacklustre setting. The way both London and Yorkshire were described was... bland. They could have been virtually any city in any country. I often found myself confused as to where I actually was and - partially due to my lack of reading the blurb - it took me a while to realise that Jai hadn't gone back to Pakistan. I didn't get a sense of local or place at all.
The pacing was also problematic; there's too much back story and exposition for a thriller and is doesn't go anywhere fast. There are long sections dedicated to Jia's relationships with her ex-husband, her family, and to a much lesser degree her old colleagues. There's a lot of repetition and a lot of info dumping; some of it interesting info dumping, but there are better ways to do it.
The action is often seen from afar or even just as an aftermath, when you are in the centre of it then it's over quickly. This isn't helped by the fact that some of it is so unbelievable that you can't suspend your disbelief; come on, if a guy gets run over by one car there are going to be broken bones and internal injuries, but multiple cars over a prolonged period?!
This wasn't helped by the volume of characters and the character switching; you rarely stay on the same aspect long enough to become invested and there were too many characters to keep track of. Whilst some of the characters are well drawn and individualistic, others simply blur into the background and trying to remember how they slotted in when their name came back up chapters later was a problem. The antagonist was a two dimensional cut out who'd have been caught by the law long before the plot could unravel, he isn't even an intelligent criminal.
And there was a distinct lack of character development or progression. There are several sudden character switches, where a character changes direction at the speed of light with little logical progression as to how. I found myself typically peeved by the occasion at the end, which I guess counts as a twist and that's a particular pet peeve of mine; sudden shock twists just strike me as cheap. I saw at least part of it coming, but that was less due to character development and more due to the sinking feeling in my stomach, so the point stands.
At the end of this rant, it's a miracle we're still at a two star rating. And yet we are. Partially because there is real potential here and it's just a pity the execution lets it down. But it's also because I did enjoy the writing style and the exposition about Pashtun culture was often fascinating. It's a pity that a lot of this was done in info dumps, but I was still caught all the same. I can't really recommend it on that basis alone though.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for my free review copy of this title.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism
Moderate: Torture, Murder, Violence, and Drug use
Minor: Police brutality
emma6544's review against another edition
challenging
dark
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
I saw this book described as having “hints of the Godfather” in it and since The Godfather is one of my favourite books I thought I would read The Khan.
Saima Mir’s characters can verge on being very unliveable at times but, because their perspective is brilliantly done, you cannot help but root for their success despite the fact that their business is illegal. For example, we know that Jia Khan, the protagonist, has done a lot of bad things attempting to strangle her child, Ahad, when he as first born and framing an innocent person on behalf of her client . Despite these things, Jia has risen up to become successful, which isn’t an easy feat being a British-Muslim women.
I also appreciated the fact that this book did not shy away from the current racial issues in Britain today by setting this book in North England, in a dying city where unemployment and crime is common, adding an understanding that Jia and her family are just helping their community succeed by any means.
If you want to read a book similar to The Godfather, I would highly recommend The Khan as it takes the plot that makes The Godfather great (crime family saga, character study and an exploration of clan-run organised crime) and modernises it into something that readers in the 21st century are familiar with (a justice system that favours white people, tensions between British people & Asian immigrants who have lived in the UK for generations but treated horribly).
There is many more points of comparison between these two books but i hope that I have provided enough ideas to encourage you to read this fantastic book.
Saima Mir’s characters can verge on being very unliveable at times but, because their perspective is brilliantly done, you cannot help but root for their success despite the fact that their business is illegal. For example, we know that Jia Khan, the protagonist, has done a lot of bad things
I also appreciated the fact that this book did not shy away from the current racial issues in Britain today by setting this book in North England, in a dying city where unemployment and crime is common, adding an understanding that Jia and her family are just helping their community succeed by any means.
If you want to read a book similar to The Godfather, I would highly recommend The Khan as it takes the plot that makes The Godfather great (crime family saga, character study and an exploration of clan-run organised crime) and modernises it into something that readers in the 21st century are familiar with (a justice system that favours white people, tensions between British people & Asian immigrants who have lived in the UK for generations but treated horribly).
There is many more points of comparison between these two books but i hope that I have provided enough ideas to encourage you to read this fantastic book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence
Moderate: Drug use and Torture
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