Fiction
Verdict: Read it!
My forays into Urdu works thus far have largely been restricted to poetry. While this is delightful to indulge in, I feel I largely miss the important things. Delving into Urdu literature has been an interesting exercise and I look forward to exploring if other Urdu novels have the same flavor - because this one is odd.
I must say, the introduction to the book had me both hooked a little apprehensive about reading it because the person writing the introduction pointed out the author's obsession with tying together the kitchen, eating, and horror at the human condition. It sounded like the perfect formula for a quiet psychological horror fest. And that's exactly what I got.
I'm not saying I didn't like the novel - on the other side, I quite did - but man was it a trip to read. The timeline begins with a classic hook of the author being dead. He goes back to his childhood home and gets metiphorically stuck in the mud as a ghost. We then move on to look back through his life. Most of the book is dedicated to his childhood and there are some left hooks that you may not expect. I won't give them away. There are many odd, obsessive themes that the main character has as a child as well that I would love to get to understand how they originated. The author was so smooht on this I can't understand if it's intentional as a main charachter trait, or if the author himself is similarly obsessed. It's worth reading more Khalid Jawed books if they exist.
I would definitely recommend reading this novel just from the curiosity point of view. There are so many themes to explore and I found myself contemplating this book long after I was done with it.
Read it!
~Becky~
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