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A review by hscoop_
The Centre by Ayesha Manazir Siddiqi
adventurous
dark
informative
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
A perverse conceptualisation of ‘the power of storytelling’. Leaning heavily on the cultural/ancestral power of the story, The Centre explores what it means to learn, and how that process can be twisted & co-opted by, can you believe it, men. I don’t think this is necessarily a critique of men, nor colonialism, but more of our understanding of greed - the type of greed that satiates the body & the mind.
I was under the impression that this book would be quite dark & grotesque, like, as I was halfway through I was wondering if I was being catfished (bookfished?), but the horrors were revealed and I was left disappointed. The tension building was incredible, but it felt like the author was unable to push the narrative over the edge. I thought it was tame.
Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed the metaphor of storytelling, as well as the discussion around India/Pakistan and British colonialism. The scene setting and the relationship building was thorough, but the conclusion was just a bit underwhelming.
Although, I will say, this is the second book I’ve read while being in holiday, in a country where I am woefully ignorant of the language, and both books have discussed the power, infidelities, and significance of translation & language learning. Needless to say, I’ve heard the message loud and clear.
I was under the impression that this book would be quite dark & grotesque, like, as I was halfway through I was wondering if I was being catfished (bookfished?), but the horrors were revealed and I was left disappointed. The tension building was incredible, but it felt like the author was unable to push the narrative over the edge. I thought it was tame.
Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed the metaphor of storytelling, as well as the discussion around India/Pakistan and British colonialism. The scene setting and the relationship building was thorough, but the conclusion was just a bit underwhelming.
Although, I will say, this is the second book I’ve read while being in holiday, in a country where I am woefully ignorant of the language, and both books have discussed the power, infidelities, and significance of translation & language learning. Needless to say, I’ve heard the message loud and clear.