Take a photo of a barcode or cover
A review by doulicia
A Case of Exploding Mangoes by Mohammed Hanif
5.0
I feel a bit sheepish applying a 5 star rating to a book that may be run-of-the-mill for the spy/military genre. But I've never read a John Le Carre or Martin Cruz book to know how this compares. I also suspect this is more literary than their works. In fact, it reminded me more than a little of Garcia Marquez's works, at least those with frustrated generals and peasants.
I gave it five stars because despite its being set in Pakistan, a region of the world which has no appeal to me for its escape value in print, and its concerning military dictatorship with its associated torture, media control and inbred mistrust, I couldn't put it down.
Each scene had all the right details. The story built toward an ending that beautifully wove together its themes and initially unconnected threads. By the time the General dies -- a fact we know from the beginning of the book as well as history -- every character is involved in some way.
I gave it five stars because despite its being set in Pakistan, a region of the world which has no appeal to me for its escape value in print, and its concerning military dictatorship with its associated torture, media control and inbred mistrust, I couldn't put it down.
Each scene had all the right details. The story built toward an ending that beautifully wove together its themes and initially unconnected threads. By the time the General dies -- a fact we know from the beginning of the book as well as history -- every character is involved in some way.