Reviews

The Crooked Line: Terhi Lakir by Tahira Naqvi, Ismat Chughtai

maira17's review

adventurous reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

samants's review

emotional reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

An incredibly interesting character story that I would never have read if not for the reading challenge, so I'm grateful for that much.

This book revolves around Shaman, a Muslim girl, following her from birth to adulthood. It was published in 1945 (before WW2 was resolved!) and is a remarkably modern and forward-thinking text for its time. It gives an incredible glimpse into the psyche of Muslim women in Hindustan (pre-Partition India/Pakistan) and candidly discusses female sexuality and colonialism. I found the translation to be good, if with occasional typos, but did dock it a star for being a little hard to read sometimes (probably mostly because I don't normally read a lot of books from this time period) and slow (this is very much not my usual genre of book). I appreciated the read and recommend it to anyone looking for something meditative.

orithyia's review

challenging emotional reflective slow-paced

• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0