Ok, yes: in some respects, this is a poor man's Midnight's Children, but I'll take it. It's about the birth of Bangladesh / the death of East Pakistan, the characters are a bit wonderful, the setting is so well drawn that I think I could probably direct a rikshaw from the house to the university and the love story elements are so intoxicating that for the 6 hours you'll spend reading this book, you'll be enraptured. Simples.In truth, I only got this because I read an article about the author's new book, The Good Muslim, about which Helen Garner said:
"What a superb novel. Its delicacy and power and breadth -- the way its compassion and grief keep complicating its anger -- I read it with heart in mouth."
and this one was cheap on ebay. And, on the strength of this, her first novel, I'm going to have to fork out for the new 2011 model. Stay tuned.
Posts
Oh South East Asian fiction, our love-hate-sucks me in-spits me out relationship. I love the SMELL of these books - usually like an over ripe mango with more than a slight hint of fishy political corruption. Remind me what the Swimming Lessons guy's other book was that I should read?
ReplyDelete