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lauranoonz's review against another edition
5.0
Great book, some parts easier to read than others but overall it has a very interesting story and it is very well written. A favourite and already planning on on reading it again!
elsiebrady's review against another edition
4.0
The author has an amazing way with words, painting pictures with delicate, descriptive strokes. He captures the tragedies, frustrations and challenges of a transplanted culture.
readingunderpinkskies's review against another edition
4.0
Where do I begin with this one?
From the very first page, the writing takes you in with its stunning metaphors and lush prose.
Aslam portrays the life of Pakistani immigrants settled in an unnamed town, which the residents call 'Dasht-e-Tanhai' (Desert of Loneliness). Most of them are desolate in a foreign land where they are unwanted, where their children are fast moving away from them and the religious ideals they hold close.
At the heart of the novel is Kaukab, an extremely devout woman who never questions her faith, even when she knows how cruel it can be. Her unquestioning devotion creates a widening rift between her children, as they reject the tradition of upholding honour and reputation above everything else.
Through Chanda and Jugnu, the murdered lovers, Aslam puts honour killings into focus, showing how men's obsession with protecting a woman's honour destroys entire families and communities. It is clear Aslam is no fan of religion and all the oppression that happens in its name, and yet he treats Kaukab with incredible dignity, she who overlooks terrible crimes just to avoid criticism of her beloved faith by outsiders.
Aslam also pays homage to the brilliant flora and fauna of England, weaving dazzling descriptions of moths and peacocks within his story of lost lovers.
There is heartbreak, loneliness, and oppression in nearly every page, but there is so much love, too. Love of a mother, a wife, a lover. Love for a lost homeland, its food and its scents and its warmth, love for nature, for family, for God, and for freedom from God.
My only complaint would be the overuse of metaphors to describe nearly everything (a vegetable, or a cup, or a color), though I cannot let that take away from the incredible achievement of this novel and all it tries to capture.
From the very first page, the writing takes you in with its stunning metaphors and lush prose.
Aslam portrays the life of Pakistani immigrants settled in an unnamed town, which the residents call 'Dasht-e-Tanhai' (Desert of Loneliness). Most of them are desolate in a foreign land where they are unwanted, where their children are fast moving away from them and the religious ideals they hold close.
At the heart of the novel is Kaukab, an extremely devout woman who never questions her faith, even when she knows how cruel it can be. Her unquestioning devotion creates a widening rift between her children, as they reject the tradition of upholding honour and reputation above everything else.
Through Chanda and Jugnu, the murdered lovers, Aslam puts honour killings into focus, showing how men's obsession with protecting a woman's honour destroys entire families and communities. It is clear Aslam is no fan of religion and all the oppression that happens in its name, and yet he treats Kaukab with incredible dignity, she who overlooks terrible crimes just to avoid criticism of her beloved faith by outsiders.
Aslam also pays homage to the brilliant flora and fauna of England, weaving dazzling descriptions of moths and peacocks within his story of lost lovers.
There is heartbreak, loneliness, and oppression in nearly every page, but there is so much love, too. Love of a mother, a wife, a lover. Love for a lost homeland, its food and its scents and its warmth, love for nature, for family, for God, and for freedom from God.
My only complaint would be the overuse of metaphors to describe nearly everything (a vegetable, or a cup, or a color), though I cannot let that take away from the incredible achievement of this novel and all it tries to capture.
mattyyreadsbooks's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Sexual content, Islamophobia, Emotional abuse, Death, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, Hate crime, Murder, Pedophilia, Racial slurs, Deportation, and Domestic abuse
Moderate: Cursing and Child abuse
ridaakhtar_'s review against another edition
1.0
One shouldn't be very rude and all but what is this thing with diaspora Pakistani Lit. and absolute oriental crap always in amalgam.
natsomji's review against another edition
2.0
This book took me ages to read. While it is beautifully written and some bits really feel like you're reading poetry, it also moves incredibly slowly and I found my eyes glossing over several times. Also there is an incredible amount of Islam-bashing that happens throughout and it's infuriating to have to see this mainstream view of Islam reinforced in literature.
lazydream's review against another edition
1.0
It's good book but not the book for me. In general I don't like arguments or any sort discussions or topics about any sort of religious thing. Just not my thing. I believe every one has right to their opinion but I just don't want to tell or listen any part of it. that's it. I don't want to agree or disagree. So obviously I could not stomach this book. I should probably explain that the one star I gave was not for story or the writing because that was incredible the one rating was for discrimination and hatred one hold again the society which is not theirs. Muslims against Christianity or Christianity against Hindus etc etc etc.
loveyouforeverb00ks's review against another edition
challenging
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
songmingi's review against another edition
Sad to let this book go as I wanted to support Pakistani authors. However the base issue is I simply did not enjoy reading it. It's incredibly prose heavy and often the central point is lose for 2 or 3 pages making the plot hard to follow. I didn't like characters and the just felt uneasy overall
carrotspi's review against another edition
3.0
I would say that this book is written in a beautiful way, even the simple daily activities are described with much care and attention to every detail. Every character is developed with much detail as well, with psychological background and thought process that leads to their actions. However, I could feel that the author seems to have a bad relationship with Islam and many of the practices done by uneducated people of the Subcontinent are stated as teachings of Islam. This is highly problematic because it gives an inaccurate picture of one religion, influenced mostly by cultural practices of one part of the world. I understand that the story of "Honour Killings" should be told, but this is not the norm in the Muslim world and there should be such a disclaimer in the book.