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A Case of Exploding Mangoes
Intrigue and subterfuge combine with bad luck and good in this darkly comic debut about love, betrayal, tyranny, family, and a conspiracy trying its damnedest to happen.
Ali Shigri, Pakistan Air Force pilot and Silent Drill Commander of the Fury Squadron, is on a mission to avenge his father's suspicious death, which the government calls a suicide. Ali's target is none other than General Zia ul-Haq, dictator of Pakistan. Enlisting a rag-tag group of conspirators, including his cologne-bathed roommate, a hash-smoking American lieutenant, and a mango-besotted crow, Ali sets his elaborate plan in motion. There's only one problem: the line of would-be Zia assassins is longer than he could have possibly known.
Ali Shigri, Pakistan Air Force pilot and Silent Drill Commander of the Fury Squadron, is on a mission to avenge his father's suspicious death, which the government calls a suicide. Ali's target is none other than General Zia ul-Haq, dictator of Pakistan. Enlisting a rag-tag group of conspirators, including his cologne-bathed roommate, a hash-smoking American lieutenant, and a mango-besotted crow, Ali sets his elaborate plan in motion. There's only one problem: the line of would-be Zia assassins is longer than he could have possibly known.
323 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2008
About the author
Mohammed Hanif
24 books569 followersMohammed Hanif is a Pakistani writer and journalist. He was born at Okara. He was graduated from Pakistan Air Force Academy as a pilot officer but subsequently left to pursue a career in journalism. He initially worked for Newsline, The Washington Post and India Today. In 1996, he moved to London to work for the BBC. Later, he became the head of the BBC's Urdu service in London.
Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mohammed...
Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mohammed...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,245 reviews
May 10, 2013
Fantastic novel for those who like to read Vikas Swarup, or Mohsin Hamid, or Aravind Adiga... Novel that has that something... Interesting story, subtle humor... :)
December 15, 2020
A book like this could never have been written during the lifetime of General Zia ul Haq,Pakistan's dictator for eleven years (1977-88).What Zia would have done to the author,would not have been very pleasant.
So,the author took his time and the book appeared twenty years after Zia's death,at a time when there was unprecdented freedom of expression in the country,and anyone could say anything.
The book is full of vicious invective directed at General Zia,the ruthless strongman is presented as a caricature.The author does not even spare Zia's wife,there are lots of crude jokes.
He mocks everything,Zia's generals,the American ambassador,even Osama Bin Laden makes an appearance.The author also has a lot of fun at the expense of Zia, for his supposed infatuation with American socialite,Joanne Herring.
The book is written in the background of the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan and seems to have been inspired by two other books on the subject,Charlie Wilson's War (by George Crile) and Ghost Wars (by Steve Coll).
The author was a former air force cadet in real life,who didn't manage to graduate.But half the book is the story of a cadet,Ali Shigri,who is planning to kill Zia to avenge his father's death.He falls under suspicion and is arrested before being released.This part of the story bored me,it fills up the pages with impressions from his PAF academy days.
The author re imagines Zia's last days and his increasing worries about his security.That makes for a compelling read,this part of the story is a page turner.
The author certainly seems to take particular delight in Zia's eventual assassination (17 August 1988),when his plane crashed,taking 31 people to their deaths.
It was suspected that gas from a case of mangoes had incapacitated the pilots and caused the crash.What actually happened and who assassinated Zia,remains a mystery to this day.
It is a remarkable work of fiction and vicious political satire.It is another matter that making a mockery of a case of mass murder is not something,which is in good taste.
So,the author took his time and the book appeared twenty years after Zia's death,at a time when there was unprecdented freedom of expression in the country,and anyone could say anything.
The book is full of vicious invective directed at General Zia,the ruthless strongman is presented as a caricature.The author does not even spare Zia's wife,there are lots of crude jokes.
He mocks everything,Zia's generals,the American ambassador,even Osama Bin Laden makes an appearance.The author also has a lot of fun at the expense of Zia, for his supposed infatuation with American socialite,Joanne Herring.
The book is written in the background of the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan and seems to have been inspired by two other books on the subject,Charlie Wilson's War (by George Crile) and Ghost Wars (by Steve Coll).
The author was a former air force cadet in real life,who didn't manage to graduate.But half the book is the story of a cadet,Ali Shigri,who is planning to kill Zia to avenge his father's death.He falls under suspicion and is arrested before being released.This part of the story bored me,it fills up the pages with impressions from his PAF academy days.
The author re imagines Zia's last days and his increasing worries about his security.That makes for a compelling read,this part of the story is a page turner.
The author certainly seems to take particular delight in Zia's eventual assassination (17 August 1988),when his plane crashed,taking 31 people to their deaths.
It was suspected that gas from a case of mangoes had incapacitated the pilots and caused the crash.What actually happened and who assassinated Zia,remains a mystery to this day.
It is a remarkable work of fiction and vicious political satire.It is another matter that making a mockery of a case of mass murder is not something,which is in good taste.
May 18, 2018
I am not sure what this book was all about. General Zia-ul-Haq dies in the end (which is not a spoiler, btw) and someone killed him. The story is about who killed him - I think. It is also a political satire on Pakistan's crazy political figures. It is about the army - I think. In fact, I don't really know what to think.
The book drives the narrative forward by alternating the stories of Zia-ul-Haq and a lowly army person, and then there is some flashback to some completely different and irrelevant story about some American Colonel, there are sweepers and blind women for some inscrutable reason, there are pages spent on what a crow does, people just jump from one situation to the other, and I think Osama Bin Laden made an appearance somewhere. I have no clue what I just read, and I feel like I have taken LSD.
There were some slightly funny moments in the book, but it was by no means a great book on political satire. Or anything. The book was slightly coherent in the first half, but things just become too bizarre in the second half with everyone doing their own thing. Next time, I think I will just order the illegal stuff the author is consuming, and not his book.
The book drives the narrative forward by alternating the stories of Zia-ul-Haq and a lowly army person, and then there is some flashback to some completely different and irrelevant story about some American Colonel, there are sweepers and blind women for some inscrutable reason, there are pages spent on what a crow does, people just jump from one situation to the other, and I think Osama Bin Laden made an appearance somewhere. I have no clue what I just read, and I feel like I have taken LSD.
There were some slightly funny moments in the book, but it was by no means a great book on political satire. Or anything. The book was slightly coherent in the first half, but things just become too bizarre in the second half with everyone doing their own thing. Next time, I think I will just order the illegal stuff the author is consuming, and not his book.
November 4, 2018
A good book about general Zia and his era but not an excellent one..... but it is a nice attempt given there is no attempt at fictionalizing the life of this most hated dictator of Pakistan. It is told through the story of Ali Shigri, his friend Obaid or "Baby O" and Colonel Shigri. It has glimpses of an obscure Major Kiani(I wonder if that major is General Ashfaq Pervez Kiani who knows...),General Akhtar or Brother Akhtar for Zia and Arnold Raphael then US Ambassador to Pakistan with cameo appearance of OBL(Osama Bin Ladin). Overall its narrative is disjointed and sometimes it is discontinued but I can easily forgive Hanif given the immature novel writing in Pakistan, nonetheless novel, to a certain degree convey the message of exposing the follies of, this so called religious dictator, although writer has mentioned more of his domestic life and relations with colleagues than about the political circumstances of the era if a reader is expecting to have socio-cultural glimpses of the era and regime he/she may be disappointed but if he/she expect a comical dictatorial life glimpses this book is a good start..... This book is unique because it has Islamic and religious comic elements in it that i think is its added beauty.
March 16, 2023
Background:
The Pakistani Prez General Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq, died decades ago but I had read in an article that his death was rumored to be a USSR-US-Indian conspiracy against Pakistan's support of the jihadist group - Mujahideen.
I was curious to read this book as it seemed to shed some light on the actual nature of the General's assassination. But when I ordered Hanif's 'A Case of Exploding Mangoes', I did not know what to expect from say, mangoes, a VIP assassination, Pakistan's Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq, an under officer pilot, some average reviews, and oh yes, a crow.
Whether this book really does highlight the question in focus or is meant from a point of entertainment alone, is for the reader to find out. But putting all that together now, I can say this - Mohammed Hanif is a keeper and this book is a pure gem!
The Review:
***There are several reasons why this book; the first I read from this author, hit my favorites shelf right away. And I am going to jump on to a happy rant here. So, if you get tired of reading, I do apologise but you cannot say you hadn't been warned.***
Very early into the story, Hanif introduces Gabriel Garcia Marquez' celebrated short story 'The Chronicle of a Death Foretold' and if you've read that book you know exactly what to expect from this novel. Also, if you've enjoyed that book, you know right off the bat that you'll love this one too, because well, both are brilliantly and very cleverly crafted tales of deaths of a major character.
As the plot unfolds parallel to Ali Shigri's mission of avenging his father's murder, we see the utterly gross picture that was Pakistan's political scenario during General Zia's reign. We learn that it is not only Shigri, but Zia's top officials too in the run to claim the trophy for Zia's murder. What is astonishing is along side human narration, we have a crow who not plays an unconscious role in Zia's killing, but is also a crucial element to add more zing to the satirical drama we see unfold through Hanif's lens. That I felt was a really smart way to depict one's prodigy at sarcasm and satire.
It is also a well-known fact that most curses don't work. The only way they can work is if a crow hears a curse from someone who has fed him to a full stomach and then carries it to the person who has been cursed. Crows, notoriously gluttonous, never feel as if their stomachs are full. They are also wayward creatures, their movement can never be predicted. They never bother carrying anything anywhere.
The narrative runs in two parts divided between the daily developments that of Zia and the pilot. So, as a reader we keep flitting between two parallel universes but never does the reader feel lost. When Shigri's gay chum Baby O disappears from the school, all blame lands on the pilot and he is immediately put under detention and interrogation.
“The gate, probably built to accommodate an elephant procession, opens slowly and reveals an abandoned city dreamed up by a doomed king.”
The narrative takes the true shade of dark when the author portrays the prison degeneration symbolical to that of the inmates. The whole sequence of Shigri's arrest and detention, in fact, was so evocative that it promises to stay with you forever.
"The absence of any prospects of freedom in the near future hangs heavy in the air. Suddenly this plate of rich, hot food seems like the promise of a long sentence. I feel the walls of this dungeon closing in on me."
Coming to the characters, I can't say you'll love them but you won't be able to forget them any time soon. They each take turns to show exactly what they are up to and leave the scene without so much as looking back. You are left to marvel at their cunning and clever.
“What’s with books and soldiers? I wonder. The whole bloody army is turning into pansy intellectuals.”
The spiritual and political aspects of the book have some amazing weightage, so much so that it is hard to tell whether it is truly fiction, because it borders around political non-fiction with rampant advantage.
The mess and mending are rounded off to give a brilliant story with more than one possibilities, and one's forced to stop and wonder at the sheer capability of the power of words and the writer's prowess to bend them to his imagination's fitting, giving us one hell of a political satire called 'A Case of Exploding Mangoes.'
“Let’s have a mango party on Pak One. Let’s bring back the good old days.”
* * * * * *
.
.
.
Finally:
Long after you've finished reading this book, you wish to draw a line between the factual and fictional contribution to the plot, but you sigh with exasperated relief because you don't know when one begins and other ends, and vice versa. Whether Shigri's ends his mission, or someone else gets Zia before him, hardly matters. And it isn't bad either, because you have loved the author's knack at presenting one of the most controversial events in history of the Indian subcontinent in a stellar epic, giving away nothing while holding back nothing.
If you happen to read ‘A Case of Exploding Mangoes’ or have already read it, do share your thoughts below.
The Pakistani Prez General Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq, died decades ago but I had read in an article that his death was rumored to be a USSR-US-Indian conspiracy against Pakistan's support of the jihadist group - Mujahideen.
I was curious to read this book as it seemed to shed some light on the actual nature of the General's assassination. But when I ordered Hanif's 'A Case of Exploding Mangoes', I did not know what to expect from say, mangoes, a VIP assassination, Pakistan's Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq, an under officer pilot, some average reviews, and oh yes, a crow.
Whether this book really does highlight the question in focus or is meant from a point of entertainment alone, is for the reader to find out. But putting all that together now, I can say this - Mohammed Hanif is a keeper and this book is a pure gem!
The Review:
***There are several reasons why this book; the first I read from this author, hit my favorites shelf right away. And I am going to jump on to a happy rant here. So, if you get tired of reading, I do apologise but you cannot say you hadn't been warned.***
Very early into the story, Hanif introduces Gabriel Garcia Marquez' celebrated short story 'The Chronicle of a Death Foretold' and if you've read that book you know exactly what to expect from this novel. Also, if you've enjoyed that book, you know right off the bat that you'll love this one too, because well, both are brilliantly and very cleverly crafted tales of deaths of a major character.
As the plot unfolds parallel to Ali Shigri's mission of avenging his father's murder, we see the utterly gross picture that was Pakistan's political scenario during General Zia's reign. We learn that it is not only Shigri, but Zia's top officials too in the run to claim the trophy for Zia's murder. What is astonishing is along side human narration, we have a crow who not plays an unconscious role in Zia's killing, but is also a crucial element to add more zing to the satirical drama we see unfold through Hanif's lens. That I felt was a really smart way to depict one's prodigy at sarcasm and satire.
It is also a well-known fact that most curses don't work. The only way they can work is if a crow hears a curse from someone who has fed him to a full stomach and then carries it to the person who has been cursed. Crows, notoriously gluttonous, never feel as if their stomachs are full. They are also wayward creatures, their movement can never be predicted. They never bother carrying anything anywhere.
The narrative runs in two parts divided between the daily developments that of Zia and the pilot. So, as a reader we keep flitting between two parallel universes but never does the reader feel lost. When Shigri's gay chum Baby O disappears from the school, all blame lands on the pilot and he is immediately put under detention and interrogation.
“The gate, probably built to accommodate an elephant procession, opens slowly and reveals an abandoned city dreamed up by a doomed king.”
The narrative takes the true shade of dark when the author portrays the prison degeneration symbolical to that of the inmates. The whole sequence of Shigri's arrest and detention, in fact, was so evocative that it promises to stay with you forever.
"The absence of any prospects of freedom in the near future hangs heavy in the air. Suddenly this plate of rich, hot food seems like the promise of a long sentence. I feel the walls of this dungeon closing in on me."
Coming to the characters, I can't say you'll love them but you won't be able to forget them any time soon. They each take turns to show exactly what they are up to and leave the scene without so much as looking back. You are left to marvel at their cunning and clever.
“What’s with books and soldiers? I wonder. The whole bloody army is turning into pansy intellectuals.”
The spiritual and political aspects of the book have some amazing weightage, so much so that it is hard to tell whether it is truly fiction, because it borders around political non-fiction with rampant advantage.
The mess and mending are rounded off to give a brilliant story with more than one possibilities, and one's forced to stop and wonder at the sheer capability of the power of words and the writer's prowess to bend them to his imagination's fitting, giving us one hell of a political satire called 'A Case of Exploding Mangoes.'
“Let’s have a mango party on Pak One. Let’s bring back the good old days.”
* * * * * *
.
.
.
Finally:
Long after you've finished reading this book, you wish to draw a line between the factual and fictional contribution to the plot, but you sigh with exasperated relief because you don't know when one begins and other ends, and vice versa. Whether Shigri's ends his mission, or someone else gets Zia before him, hardly matters. And it isn't bad either, because you have loved the author's knack at presenting one of the most controversial events in history of the Indian subcontinent in a stellar epic, giving away nothing while holding back nothing.
If you happen to read ‘A Case of Exploding Mangoes’ or have already read it, do share your thoughts below.
July 2, 2008
Having read a review of this book in the NYT, we promptly purchased it. Not the kind of thing we normally do but Sorayya needed to read it for professional reasons -- her own current book takes place in an adjacent time period and the same place. I will give you her impressions after I give mine.
I don't think this is a good book but it has to be read.
Its importance is that it fills in a crucial historical period in Pakistan's history and the history of the Afghan resistance to the Soviet Occupation. There is not much about Afghanistan here, but then agian, the story of that resistance can hardly be told without Pakistan's, the US's, and Saudi involvement.
For Pakistanis, the importance of the book lies in its blatant and much needed irreverence towards the country's most powerful institution, namely, the military and state religion. It also mocks the US backed military dictator, Zia-ul-Haq, various Generals and chief intelligence officers, the ISI and the CIA. I am sure that this book will feel like the summer rains after too many years of humid heat in Pakistan. Hanif is currently on tour in Pakistan reading from this book. But I can't help think that he is taking a huge risk.
For my reading, two things were going against this book from the start. I had high expectations, in that reviewers were comparing this book to Catch-22. Second, I have just read everything written in English by Kiran Nagarkar, who in my view is one of the three best writers to come out of India and perhaps the best of the three. (The other two are SIR Rushdie (at #3) and Amitav Ghosh.)
Needless to say, the book didn't live up to the hype. I don't think that Hanif is a particularly good writer. The language is not poetic nor is it rich with deeper social and philosophical issues. The book is designed to get you to turn the pages, which it does exceedingly well. The prose has an easy likability, the main character -- Ali Shigri -- is also easy to like and root for. And, of course, the time, place, and themes are very close to home for us. In addition, three of the five books that Hanif cites in the afterword as inspiration are ones I have read: Ghost Wars, Charlie Wilson's War, and Bear Trap.
The value of the book for me is in its humor. Official Pakistan needs this levity. As do those of us who study the events around the occupation of Afghanistan. But the humor of the book does not match or balance its vacant darkness. I could not find any greater depth or meaning in Hanif's mocking treatment of life on this planet. His characters do not seem to search for meaning in life or a meaningful life.
For Sorayya, the book's brilliance lay in a barely fictionalized reworking of actual history and with actual characters who are named as such. The dictators, generals, ambassadors, political operators (including OBL, who makes a cameo) all retain their names and are embedded within actual events. It is only the unknown characters who are fictionalized. Sorayya found it amazing and liberating that Hanif could write this book as a novel. Hanif himself refers to it as an "alleged novel" (page 325).
Read it and share your thoughts with me. I would be interested in knowing how those have perhaps have not studied this time/space line for the last seven years might respond to this quasi-novel.
I don't think this is a good book but it has to be read.
Its importance is that it fills in a crucial historical period in Pakistan's history and the history of the Afghan resistance to the Soviet Occupation. There is not much about Afghanistan here, but then agian, the story of that resistance can hardly be told without Pakistan's, the US's, and Saudi involvement.
For Pakistanis, the importance of the book lies in its blatant and much needed irreverence towards the country's most powerful institution, namely, the military and state religion. It also mocks the US backed military dictator, Zia-ul-Haq, various Generals and chief intelligence officers, the ISI and the CIA. I am sure that this book will feel like the summer rains after too many years of humid heat in Pakistan. Hanif is currently on tour in Pakistan reading from this book. But I can't help think that he is taking a huge risk.
For my reading, two things were going against this book from the start. I had high expectations, in that reviewers were comparing this book to Catch-22. Second, I have just read everything written in English by Kiran Nagarkar, who in my view is one of the three best writers to come out of India and perhaps the best of the three. (The other two are SIR Rushdie (at #3) and Amitav Ghosh.)
Needless to say, the book didn't live up to the hype. I don't think that Hanif is a particularly good writer. The language is not poetic nor is it rich with deeper social and philosophical issues. The book is designed to get you to turn the pages, which it does exceedingly well. The prose has an easy likability, the main character -- Ali Shigri -- is also easy to like and root for. And, of course, the time, place, and themes are very close to home for us. In addition, three of the five books that Hanif cites in the afterword as inspiration are ones I have read: Ghost Wars, Charlie Wilson's War, and Bear Trap.
The value of the book for me is in its humor. Official Pakistan needs this levity. As do those of us who study the events around the occupation of Afghanistan. But the humor of the book does not match or balance its vacant darkness. I could not find any greater depth or meaning in Hanif's mocking treatment of life on this planet. His characters do not seem to search for meaning in life or a meaningful life.
For Sorayya, the book's brilliance lay in a barely fictionalized reworking of actual history and with actual characters who are named as such. The dictators, generals, ambassadors, political operators (including OBL, who makes a cameo) all retain their names and are embedded within actual events. It is only the unknown characters who are fictionalized. Sorayya found it amazing and liberating that Hanif could write this book as a novel. Hanif himself refers to it as an "alleged novel" (page 325).
Read it and share your thoughts with me. I would be interested in knowing how those have perhaps have not studied this time/space line for the last seven years might respond to this quasi-novel.
April 7, 2021
انتظر الروائي الباكستاني محمد حنيف 20 عاماً بعد وفاة الجنرال محمد ضياء الحق، رئيس باكستان السادس، ليكتب هذه الرواية في هجاء هذا الديكتاتور، وكأنه كان يريد أن يتأكد بأن موت الجنرال ليس كذبة، وبأنه لن ينهض من قبره ويطقطق عظام رقبته وينفض التراب عن بدلته التي تزينها الأوسمة والميداليات والشرائط .. ليبحث عنه.
هذا الإجراء الاحتياطي قد يبدو مبالغًا فيه ولكنك بعد أن تقرأ الرواية ستجد بأنه كان ضروريًا جدًا، وقد ستتساءل لماذا لم ينتظر أكثر من ذلك ليتأكد فعلاً بأن الجنرال ميت فعلاً .. وشبع موتًا لكي لا ينتقم من هذا الكاتب الباكستاني الذي صور شخصيته بشكل يدعو للضحك والسخري، وأظهره في الرواية كشخص أحمق ومصاب بجنون الارتياب، يشعر دائما بالتهديد من كل شيء وشخص حوله، ويقضي جلّ وقته يفكر في كل أولئك الأشخاص الذين قد يرغبون في قتله .. وما أكثرهم. وللتغلب على هذا الخوف يلجأ لاستخدام القرآن، كما يلجأ البعض إلى قراءة الأبراج، بحثًا عن إشارات تطمئنه وتدله كيف يتصرف، فبعد أن يلتقط المصحف ويقبل كعبه يقوم بفتحه عشوائيا ويتصرف بناء على ما يفهمه من الآية التي يقع بصره عليها.
صحيح أن أسوأ مخاوف الجنرال تحقق في النهاية وقُتل في حادث تحطم طائرة مدبر، إلا أنه لم يدر في خلده بأن شخصًا ما سيأتي بعد عشرين عاما ليضيف إلى موته موتًا آخر .. وأشد وطأة، ويكمل عملية اغتيال شخصه التي جرت في عام 1988، باغتيال شخصيته من خلال الأدب .. أخطر سلاح عرفه البشر، والأداة الأكثر فاعلية لحماية التاريخ من كذب الرواة، أو كما يقول الفيلسوف الفرنسي "بول ريكور" بأن السرد هو حارس الزمن الأمين، وطريقتنا في إخبار من سيأتي بعدنا كيف صرنا ما نحن عليه وكيف آلت الأمور إلى ما هم عليه، لا من خلال التوثيق (فهذه ليست وظيفة الأدب) وإنما من خلال تعرية وفضح المسكوت عنه.
يزيل الراوي منذ الصفحة الأولى عنصر المفاجأة حين يخبرنا بشكل جلي بأن الرجل الذي يروي قصته سيموت في النهاية، وكأنه يقول بشكل ضمني بأنه لا يسعى من خلال الرواية لتقديم عمل إثارة يحبس أنفاس القارئ (مع أنه يفعل ذلك بصورة أو بأخرى) وهنا قد يتساءل القارئ عما يمكن أن ينتظره من قصة عرف نهايتها قبل أن تبدأ؟ يجيب الراوي على هذا السؤال، وكأنه كان يتوقعه، من خلال أحد مشاهد الرواية التي يظهر فيها أحد أبطال الرواية وهو منهمك في قراءة رواية "قصة موت معلن" لماركيز، فيخطف صديقه الرواية من يديه ويقرأ العبارة التالية في الصفحة الأولى "في اليوم الذي كانوا سيقتلونه فيه، استيقظ سانتياغو نصّار في الساعة الخامسة ونصف صباحًا" ويسأل صديقه: إذا كنت تعرف بأن البطل سيموت فلماذا تقرأ الرواية؟ فيجيبه صديقه بتبرم "لأنني أريد أن أعرف كيف سيموت"، وهذا بالضبط ما قام به الراوي هنا، الذي لم يهتم بمقتل الجنرال بقدر اهتمامه بكل ما قام به الجنرال وأدى إلى موته، وكأنه بمعنى آخر يقوم بتقديم تبريرات منطقية لموته وبأنه نتيجة ً لكل ما اقترفه، وبسبب كل خطاياه وآثامه كان الموت مغدوراً نهاية طبيعية له.
تجدر الإشارة أخيرًا إلى أن الرواية، والتي يمكن تصنيفها ضمن أدب نقد الديكتاتوريات كرواية "حفلة التيس" لماريو فارغاس يوسا، تقوم على مزج متقن للواقعي بالخيالي بدرجة تجعل من الصعب التفريق والتمييز بينهما، من خلال إعادة خلق شخصية الجنرال محمد ضياء الحق بطريقة كاريكاتورية ... وكأن الراوي ينتقم منه، باسمه وباسم 130 مليون باكستاني كان يحكمهم، بطريقته الخاصة.
هذا الإجراء الاحتياطي قد يبدو مبالغًا فيه ولكنك بعد أن تقرأ الرواية ستجد بأنه كان ضروريًا جدًا، وقد ستتساءل لماذا لم ينتظر أكثر من ذلك ليتأكد فعلاً بأن الجنرال ميت فعلاً .. وشبع موتًا لكي لا ينتقم من هذا الكاتب الباكستاني الذي صور شخصيته بشكل يدعو للضحك والسخري، وأظهره في الرواية كشخص أحمق ومصاب بجنون الارتياب، يشعر دائما بالتهديد من كل شيء وشخص حوله، ويقضي جلّ وقته يفكر في كل أولئك الأشخاص الذين قد يرغبون في قتله .. وما أكثرهم. وللتغلب على هذا الخوف يلجأ لاستخدام القرآن، كما يلجأ البعض إلى قراءة الأبراج، بحثًا عن إشارات تطمئنه وتدله كيف يتصرف، فبعد أن يلتقط المصحف ويقبل كعبه يقوم بفتحه عشوائيا ويتصرف بناء على ما يفهمه من الآية التي يقع بصره عليها.
صحيح أن أسوأ مخاوف الجنرال تحقق في النهاية وقُتل في حادث تحطم طائرة مدبر، إلا أنه لم يدر في خلده بأن شخصًا ما سيأتي بعد عشرين عاما ليضيف إلى موته موتًا آخر .. وأشد وطأة، ويكمل عملية اغتيال شخصه التي جرت في عام 1988، باغتيال شخصيته من خلال الأدب .. أخطر سلاح عرفه البشر، والأداة الأكثر فاعلية لحماية التاريخ من كذب الرواة، أو كما يقول الفيلسوف الفرنسي "بول ريكور" بأن السرد هو حارس الزمن الأمين، وطريقتنا في إخبار من سيأتي بعدنا كيف صرنا ما نحن عليه وكيف آلت الأمور إلى ما هم عليه، لا من خلال التوثيق (فهذه ليست وظيفة الأدب) وإنما من خلال تعرية وفضح المسكوت عنه.
يزيل الراوي منذ الصفحة الأولى عنصر المفاجأة حين يخبرنا بشكل جلي بأن الرجل الذي يروي قصته سيموت في النهاية، وكأنه يقول بشكل ضمني بأنه لا يسعى من خلال الرواية لتقديم عمل إثارة يحبس أنفاس القارئ (مع أنه يفعل ذلك بصورة أو بأخرى) وهنا قد يتساءل القارئ عما يمكن أن ينتظره من قصة عرف نهايتها قبل أن تبدأ؟ يجيب الراوي على هذا السؤال، وكأنه كان يتوقعه، من خلال أحد مشاهد الرواية التي يظهر فيها أحد أبطال الرواية وهو منهمك في قراءة رواية "قصة موت معلن" لماركيز، فيخطف صديقه الرواية من يديه ويقرأ العبارة التالية في الصفحة الأولى "في اليوم الذي كانوا سيقتلونه فيه، استيقظ سانتياغو نصّار في الساعة الخامسة ونصف صباحًا" ويسأل صديقه: إذا كنت تعرف بأن البطل سيموت فلماذا تقرأ الرواية؟ فيجيبه صديقه بتبرم "لأنني أريد أن أعرف كيف سيموت"، وهذا بالضبط ما قام به الراوي هنا، الذي لم يهتم بمقتل الجنرال بقدر اهتمامه بكل ما قام به الجنرال وأدى إلى موته، وكأنه بمعنى آخر يقوم بتقديم تبريرات منطقية لموته وبأنه نتيجة ً لكل ما اقترفه، وبسبب كل خطاياه وآثامه كان الموت مغدوراً نهاية طبيعية له.
تجدر الإشارة أخيرًا إلى أن الرواية، والتي يمكن تصنيفها ضمن أدب نقد الديكتاتوريات كرواية "حفلة التيس" لماريو فارغاس يوسا، تقوم على مزج متقن للواقعي بالخيالي بدرجة تجعل من الصعب التفريق والتمييز بينهما، من خلال إعادة خلق شخصية الجنرال محمد ضياء الحق بطريقة كاريكاتورية ... وكأن الراوي ينتقم منه، باسمه وباسم 130 مليون باكستاني كان يحكمهم، بطريقته الخاصة.
July 30, 2011
An astonishing book at so many levels and still witty, fast-paced, beautifully-written and thought-inducing.
The first surprise is that a book of the nature can be written about actual, recently deceased politicians in South Asia. I am still surprised that the author was not banished in Pakistan or no major furore was created because of the way it has portrayed an ex-President and other powerful people of the time.
The second surprise - from an Indian angle - is how simple- and petty-minded (and almost idiotic) the leaders who changed the course of the history have been shown. President's daily activities, interactions, his fellow general's trivial rivalries, the US representatives' ignorance etc - even if remotely true - may have led to events with massive global implications.
There are many smaller surprises in the form of degeneration that prisoners go through, the tale of the blind woman, the first woman's troubles etc etc. Overall, the book is likely to stick in the minds of everyone from the sub-continent who lived through the eighties. Even others are likely to enjoy the book for the laughters it evokes.
The first surprise is that a book of the nature can be written about actual, recently deceased politicians in South Asia. I am still surprised that the author was not banished in Pakistan or no major furore was created because of the way it has portrayed an ex-President and other powerful people of the time.
The second surprise - from an Indian angle - is how simple- and petty-minded (and almost idiotic) the leaders who changed the course of the history have been shown. President's daily activities, interactions, his fellow general's trivial rivalries, the US representatives' ignorance etc - even if remotely true - may have led to events with massive global implications.
There are many smaller surprises in the form of degeneration that prisoners go through, the tale of the blind woman, the first woman's troubles etc etc. Overall, the book is likely to stick in the minds of everyone from the sub-continent who lived through the eighties. Even others are likely to enjoy the book for the laughters it evokes.
July 24, 2011
Ah! Where do I begin to write words on a book I have come to adore with every turning of the page? It's full of those little surprises and shocks a growing child gets to see everyday; before he has the ability to distinguish them as good or bad.
Yes, there is an element of wonder when reading about the alleged activities of the bygone President and the Pakistan army itself and why there hasn't been a voice raised against it. But that it all there is to it from my side.
It was interesting to read such a satirical novel on one of the notorious Presidents of Pakistan; which come to think of it, is an irony in itself. Nonetheless, A Case of Exploding Mangoes has a dark side to it. It raised a lot of issues Pakistan faces on almost a daily basis, but almost never has the capability to fight them off completely.
Mohammed Hanif sheds light on the whole mystery and makes it interesting. To look at those days past from the eyes of Ali Shigri, the protagonist, is like looking at a cell from a microscope and realizing how much we were actually missing out on. And yes, the book had a lot of metaphors and witty dialog which I enjoyed reading immensely.
It took me a lot longer than it would normally have to finish the book, yet I found it to be very insightful and somewhat sad. I would gladly grab any other book by Mohammed Hanif if he ever writes again.
Yes, there is an element of wonder when reading about the alleged activities of the bygone President and the Pakistan army itself and why there hasn't been a voice raised against it. But that it all there is to it from my side.
It was interesting to read such a satirical novel on one of the notorious Presidents of Pakistan; which come to think of it, is an irony in itself. Nonetheless, A Case of Exploding Mangoes has a dark side to it. It raised a lot of issues Pakistan faces on almost a daily basis, but almost never has the capability to fight them off completely.
Mohammed Hanif sheds light on the whole mystery and makes it interesting. To look at those days past from the eyes of Ali Shigri, the protagonist, is like looking at a cell from a microscope and realizing how much we were actually missing out on. And yes, the book had a lot of metaphors and witty dialog which I enjoyed reading immensely.
It took me a lot longer than it would normally have to finish the book, yet I found it to be very insightful and somewhat sad. I would gladly grab any other book by Mohammed Hanif if he ever writes again.
February 17, 2020
"A charred page of a slim book, a hand gripping the spine, a thumb with a half-grown nail inserted firmly into the last page"
The guilty commit the crime, the innocent are punished. That's the world we live in."
A Case of Exploding Mangoes
The guilty commit the crime, the innocent are punished. That's the world we live in."
A Case of Exploding Mangoes
December 7, 2016
The death of the dictator of Pakistan General Zia alongside all his high-ranked officers plus the US embassador has intrigued people since the day it happened. The cause for the fall of the plane is still a mystery, becoming excellent material for a writer.
This novel depicts the reasons behind those events, having as a narrator a young soldier who has a grudge with the government, which apparently is the responsible for his father's death. His best friend Obaid disappears with a fight plane and the CIA and the Pakistani Intelligence agency decide that the protagonist must know something about this.
What is unique about this novel is the sarcastic tone which the protagonist/narrator uses to retells his adventures, trying to survive a few more days in order to acomplish his sole purpose on earth: to kill General Zia. At the same time, we learn about this general superstitious mind, his relationship with his officers and the level of corruption and intrigue that surrounds this dictatorial leader.
A truly page-turner, this novel replicates the characteristics of a book that Obaid recommends to the protagonist: 'Tale of a death foretold' by Gabriel Garcia Marquez: you know the end of the narrative from the beginning, but you want to know what has happened to get to that ending. Mohammed Hanif is a marvellous storyteller, creating a suspenseful plot that will keep you alert until the last page of the book.
This novel depicts the reasons behind those events, having as a narrator a young soldier who has a grudge with the government, which apparently is the responsible for his father's death. His best friend Obaid disappears with a fight plane and the CIA and the Pakistani Intelligence agency decide that the protagonist must know something about this.
What is unique about this novel is the sarcastic tone which the protagonist/narrator uses to retells his adventures, trying to survive a few more days in order to acomplish his sole purpose on earth: to kill General Zia. At the same time, we learn about this general superstitious mind, his relationship with his officers and the level of corruption and intrigue that surrounds this dictatorial leader.
A truly page-turner, this novel replicates the characteristics of a book that Obaid recommends to the protagonist: 'Tale of a death foretold' by Gabriel Garcia Marquez: you know the end of the narrative from the beginning, but you want to know what has happened to get to that ending. Mohammed Hanif is a marvellous storyteller, creating a suspenseful plot that will keep you alert until the last page of the book.
June 5, 2010
I picked this book up because it is written by a Pakistani Journalist about Pakistan. I thought it might give me context and cultural insights. I guess it did. And for the few few chapters, I was enthralled. But in the end, I didn't like it. A few reasons. Reason one: maybe because I live here, and I work on policy issues, the book was disturbing enmeshed with reality, and I wasn't equipped to tell the two apart. How much of the story of Zia Ul Haq's plane crash was real? And how much was fiction? Was Ambassador Arnold Raphel really considered the brightest star in America's Foreign Service? I know his house was not a "sprawling colonial mansion with 18 bedrooms" because I've been in the Ambassador's residence. What is truth then? And where does the fiction begin? Plus, while I think the book was written to be a SATIRE of Pakistani politics, prison, and the role of the military, I don't know where to laugh and where to grimmace, so I just grimmaced a lot. Second, although it was generally well written, with nice lyrical, well-done prose, there were the incongruities. Like that the protagonist was on an Air Force Base in the middle of the desert, but then after a short drive he's suddenly in Islamabad. And how did he end up in Lahore? Maybe that was part of the Satire, squeezing the country down to be so small. But I don't get it and it bothered me. There were other inconsistencies and Pakistani-English-isms. But the third thing that bothered me about this book was it's heavy reliance in the second half on gay sex and really bad language. Is this also Pakistan? So after all that, I can't recommend it. I read it to get cultural insights... and came away more confused and disturbed than before.
July 6, 2012
An unlikely revolutionary/assassin narrates a fictionalized (?), ironized and quite funny tale of Pakistan's General Zia-ul-Haq's rise to power, rule and death due to multiple causes. Wondering why there's no fatwa issued against Hanif for this one. Interesting queer twist, and little bits of social commentary poke through the broad strokes of the plot adding resonance and poignancy. Probably a better grasp of the politics would have enhanced the humour, but not necessary for overall enjoyment.
August 12, 2020
قضية المانغا المتفجرة...محمد حنيف
شيء غريب بالنسبة لي ان اول رواية باكستانية، تكون رواية الحدث الاساسي فيها تفجير طائرة للرئيس الباكستاني هو محمد ضياء الحق، ومن خلال الحدث دا بنشوف عرض توثيقي شيّق للقضية بشكل كامل، ومن خلالها بردو بنشوف تصوير مجتمعي حي لباكستان في حقبة الثمانينات، وعمق نفسي رائع للشخصية الرئيسة فيها، بشكل ننسجم معه بشكل ممتع.
رواية لطيفة جدا، وترجمتها موفقة للغاية.
شيء غريب بالنسبة لي ان اول رواية باكستانية، تكون رواية الحدث الاساسي فيها تفجير طائرة للرئيس الباكستاني هو محمد ضياء الحق، ومن خلال الحدث دا بنشوف عرض توثيقي شيّق للقضية بشكل كامل، ومن خلالها بردو بنشوف تصوير مجتمعي حي لباكستان في حقبة الثمانينات، وعمق نفسي رائع للشخصية الرئيسة فيها، بشكل ننسجم معه بشكل ممتع.
رواية لطيفة جدا، وترجمتها موفقة للغاية.
July 13, 2019
"You can blame our men in uniform for anything, but you can never blame them for being imaginative"
A Case Of Exploding Mangoes is a Pakistani journalist's extremely witty fictional spin on his country's politics, army (which have, throughout its history, often been the same thing) and its de-facto head of state, General Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq. As one may often note, good fiction is often just a tool to shed light on the truth, and this book, in many ways, does just that.
Which is not to say — especially from across the border — that the state of affairs described in the book must necessarily ring true. But one thing Hanif conveys far too powerfully and quite mimetically is public opinion regarding the state of affairs.
A Case Of Exploding Mangoes essentially talks of a corruption of the Pakistani Military-Political Complex, employing Zia-ul-Haq's mysterious death in a plane crash and the numerous conspiracy theories surrounding it as the locus. While it is chiefly narrated by the irreverent Ali Shigri — a cadet at the Pakistani Air Force Academy;
whose colonel father's suicide was staged by an ISI official under General Zia's orders — the book takes up many perspectives and narrators; including General Zia himself; to tell a story of corruption, violence, jealous ambition, political imprisonment and the idiosyncratic nature of the top brass.
Shigri wants to kill the General — the most powerful man in the country — and is picked up for interrogation when his bunk-mate (and, as is eventually revealed, lover) Obaid goes missing with a military-issue aircraft.
Hanif's characters in this book are all impeccably purposeful to his plot — there are no dead ends, even if they appear to be. Obaid's character, or 'Baby O', explores what happens to the divergent in the masculinist sphere of defence: Obaid is quite imaginative, what some may call 'feminine' or 'pansy', and is interested in books and poetry. He is hence a misfit — in fact, Shigri often, and recurringly so, talks about the incompatibility of literacy and a role in the military. The cross-eyed bundle of paranoia that the author imagines General Zia as reduces the formidable figure into a subject of easy criticism and ridicule, highlighting that power doesn't necessarily make wise — especially autocratic, theocratic power. Hanif also makes a comment on the mixing of dogmatic religious authority with political authority with Blind Zainab, who is the first woman to be ordered death by stoning in the country under its archaic laws on fornication — Zainab was raped.The figure of Major Akhtar highlights the pitfalls of political ambition. The figures of Bannon and the American Ambassador, Raphel, reveal the helplessness of diplomatic personnel and even the ignorant nature of political negotiation and war (here, the Afghanistan war).
Even the minor, flitting characters — such as the operator Akhtar Masih, who is a surprise appearance in the Intelligence for Major Akhtar since most Christians are only sweepers — tells loads about the oppression of minorities in the country. The book also sheds light on how much of political power is showbiz, for both General Zia and General Akhtar spend considerable time obsessing over their speeches and public addresses.
There is yet another important character in the book — a crow, the figure of the incidental; something that is tried to be kept out of the airbase, for it can wreck havoc in it, a little like knowledge (especially civilian knowledge) in such a system — who, along with the General's general inclination towards a certain summer fruit, brings the title of the book into perspective.
However, the most important character (in its own right) has to be the author's striking, piercing and witty style of writing. Muhammad Hanif's satire gives structure to the many threads that he weaves throughout the book, and gives coherence to what public opinion often is, but seldom is reflected as, in a military dictatorship. Hanif also seems to have a penchant for ending his paragraphs and chapters with memorable (and memorably contextual) lines such as this one:
"You want freedom and they give you chicken korma"
A Case Of Exploding Mangoes is a comic, witty and well-written story about things that should very often be written about. The fact that it was also Hanif's debut novel really blows my mind.
August 3, 2014
This book has mouldered at the #1 spot on my to-read list for four years. It exited in that unhappy limbo of not being available from the library yet not being exciting enough to make me want to buy it. Since moving to England, I’ve started trying to work my way through the oldest books on my list, so I gave in and bought this cheaply. It’s hard to remember why I wanted to read it in the first place—I think I saw it at the bookstore, thought it was interesting, but tried to exercise some self-control and not buy it.
A Case of Exploding Mangoes takes place during a period of time about which I have little knowledge: the late half of the twentieth century. Actually, it’s set a year before my birth. I enjoy reading historical fiction from this period, precisely because I like learning more about the events that preceded me. Mohammed Hanif weaves two parallel narratives. Ali Shigri is the son of a famous, now deceased, officer in the Pakistan Army, and he has a plan to kill the President, General Zia. The second half of the story follows Zia himself, with brief interludes that expose the perspectives of the First Lady and Zia’s right- and left-hand men. Everything builds towards a final, climactic chapter in which Zia boards a booby-trapped plane, gets poisoned, and suffers from a tapeworm eating his internal organs. Yeah. It’s intense.
This book took me longer to read than it should have. It took me longer to appreciate than I would have liked. Trouble is, Hanif takes a while to show us what’s so fascinating about these characters. At first glance, Ali is a self-entitled, somewhat cocky young man who thinks he has it all figured out. At first glance, Zia is a slightly crazy military dictator with pretensions of piety. But rather than being humourous, A Case of Exploding Mangoes is mediocre at first.
Thankfully, it doesn’t stay mediocre. As the story develops, Ali and Zia’s stories become more fascinating—Zia’s in particular. I found myself yearning to learn what crazy decision Zia would make next. I was less enthralled with Ali’s arc, but I still wanted to find out what would happen to him, and how he ended up nearly on the same plane as General Zia.
In both stories, the principal themes are ones of isolation and meditation upon corruption. Pakistan, barely 40 years into its existence, groans beneath the military bureaucracy driving the country forward. Ali is trapped within a system just as oppressive as the Soviet government against which Pakistan fights. Zia, despite being the leader of that system, is trapped by it as well. At one point he attempts to go among his people in disguise, and his sojourn is an epic fail. He barely makes it out of the gates of his compound before running into trouble.
In Ali’s case, he is isolated by his role as a cadet in Pakistan’s army. He is disconnected from his past as a peasant growing up in the hills, something reminded to him by fellow prisoner the Secretary-General. Since following his father’s footsteps, Ali has become the sort of person who shouts at “strength 5”, practises silent drills, and salutes on command. The Secretary-General accuses him of “selling out” and collaborating. Ali denies this vociferously, and to some extent I’d side with him—he is planning to kill General Zia, after all. Nevertheless, there’s a definite sense that he has lived outside the sphere of reality too long, firmly ensconced in the denial of the military.
Similarly, Zia is in the ineviable position of being so powerful that no one wants to tell him the truth. Everyone feeds him the information they think will make him happy. His intelligence service and propaganda puppets spread paranoid conspiracy theories whenever they feel the need to discredit the latest attacks against him. I also love how Hanif portrays the corrupt and complicated relationship between the United States and Pakistan, particularly when it comes to the CIA’s involvement in Pakistan and Afghanistan.
Hanif’s approach to the ending of the story—and therefore its beginning as well—mirrors this sense of uncertainty, this inability to distinguish between realities and fictions because of poor information. The book begins by asking how Zia actually died. His plane exploded, yes, but was that the cause? Perhaps it was something else—poison, or a tapeworm, or a bomb planted by the CIA? Hanif admirably demonstrates how even events that history seems to have recorded a certain way have wiggle room for conspiracies, alternatives, and wild speculation. He does it all in jest, however, avoiding any overtones of wild-eyed conspiracy theorizing.
Overall, I can safely say I enjoyed A Case of Exploding Mangoes, but that reading it after leaving it to languish for four years probably contributed to a mild case of anticlimactic ennui. It’s just not remarkable enough to live up to any expectations that lingered in my mind. I’m not sorry I read it, though, and depending on your tastes, this might suit you even better than it did me.
A Case of Exploding Mangoes takes place during a period of time about which I have little knowledge: the late half of the twentieth century. Actually, it’s set a year before my birth. I enjoy reading historical fiction from this period, precisely because I like learning more about the events that preceded me. Mohammed Hanif weaves two parallel narratives. Ali Shigri is the son of a famous, now deceased, officer in the Pakistan Army, and he has a plan to kill the President, General Zia. The second half of the story follows Zia himself, with brief interludes that expose the perspectives of the First Lady and Zia’s right- and left-hand men. Everything builds towards a final, climactic chapter in which Zia boards a booby-trapped plane, gets poisoned, and suffers from a tapeworm eating his internal organs. Yeah. It’s intense.
This book took me longer to read than it should have. It took me longer to appreciate than I would have liked. Trouble is, Hanif takes a while to show us what’s so fascinating about these characters. At first glance, Ali is a self-entitled, somewhat cocky young man who thinks he has it all figured out. At first glance, Zia is a slightly crazy military dictator with pretensions of piety. But rather than being humourous, A Case of Exploding Mangoes is mediocre at first.
Thankfully, it doesn’t stay mediocre. As the story develops, Ali and Zia’s stories become more fascinating—Zia’s in particular. I found myself yearning to learn what crazy decision Zia would make next. I was less enthralled with Ali’s arc, but I still wanted to find out what would happen to him, and how he ended up nearly on the same plane as General Zia.
In both stories, the principal themes are ones of isolation and meditation upon corruption. Pakistan, barely 40 years into its existence, groans beneath the military bureaucracy driving the country forward. Ali is trapped within a system just as oppressive as the Soviet government against which Pakistan fights. Zia, despite being the leader of that system, is trapped by it as well. At one point he attempts to go among his people in disguise, and his sojourn is an epic fail. He barely makes it out of the gates of his compound before running into trouble.
In Ali’s case, he is isolated by his role as a cadet in Pakistan’s army. He is disconnected from his past as a peasant growing up in the hills, something reminded to him by fellow prisoner the Secretary-General. Since following his father’s footsteps, Ali has become the sort of person who shouts at “strength 5”, practises silent drills, and salutes on command. The Secretary-General accuses him of “selling out” and collaborating. Ali denies this vociferously, and to some extent I’d side with him—he is planning to kill General Zia, after all. Nevertheless, there’s a definite sense that he has lived outside the sphere of reality too long, firmly ensconced in the denial of the military.
Similarly, Zia is in the ineviable position of being so powerful that no one wants to tell him the truth. Everyone feeds him the information they think will make him happy. His intelligence service and propaganda puppets spread paranoid conspiracy theories whenever they feel the need to discredit the latest attacks against him. I also love how Hanif portrays the corrupt and complicated relationship between the United States and Pakistan, particularly when it comes to the CIA’s involvement in Pakistan and Afghanistan.
Hanif’s approach to the ending of the story—and therefore its beginning as well—mirrors this sense of uncertainty, this inability to distinguish between realities and fictions because of poor information. The book begins by asking how Zia actually died. His plane exploded, yes, but was that the cause? Perhaps it was something else—poison, or a tapeworm, or a bomb planted by the CIA? Hanif admirably demonstrates how even events that history seems to have recorded a certain way have wiggle room for conspiracies, alternatives, and wild speculation. He does it all in jest, however, avoiding any overtones of wild-eyed conspiracy theorizing.
Overall, I can safely say I enjoyed A Case of Exploding Mangoes, but that reading it after leaving it to languish for four years probably contributed to a mild case of anticlimactic ennui. It’s just not remarkable enough to live up to any expectations that lingered in my mind. I’m not sorry I read it, though, and depending on your tastes, this might suit you even better than it did me.
March 28, 2020
No wonder dictators fear humour: it can reduce formidable people to caricatures you just can't take seriously. Anyone who could reign for long in Pakistan's turbulent political waters and double up as America's "front line ally in the fight against communism" must be a force to reckon with, but in Mohammad Hanif's fictionalized retelling of facts, General Zia-ul-Haq cuts a rather sorry figure. He comes across as a hapless dictator holed up in his house, stewing in paranoia for most of the book and infested with worms by the end. In how many ways can you possibly kill a dictator? Many, as the book would tell you, and then a few more. Hanif borrows the more popular theories surrounding General Zia's death, and adds a couple more for fun.
Although A Case of Exploding Mangoes is based on actual people and incidents, for much of the book nothing happens that probably really happened. But the book soldiers on with a narrative rich with details, and a constant undertone of irreverent humour which never lets up (reminiscent of Catch-22, only a lot less mad). The laconic style of writing subdues the more distressing scenes - a blind girl, gang-raped, waits to be stoned for adultery; a familiar character reappears with his forehead branded with hot iron. The writing is so fine that several depictions stand out in my memory - the regimented discipline of cadet life with inventive releases (holes in mattresses), the General's wife standing in a queue of widows to confront her husband's roving eye, the delicacy of Ali's affection for Baby O.
I'd recommend it to anyone who enjoys military satire, dark humour, and digs at the fervently pious.
Ending with a couple of quotes I loved (off the top of my head):
"You can blame our men in uniform for anything, but you can never blame them for being imaginative."
"He always felt a holy tingling in the marrow of his bone when surrounded by people who were genuinely poor and needy."
Although A Case of Exploding Mangoes is based on actual people and incidents, for much of the book nothing happens that probably really happened. But the book soldiers on with a narrative rich with details, and a constant undertone of irreverent humour which never lets up (reminiscent of Catch-22, only a lot less mad). The laconic style of writing subdues the more distressing scenes - a blind girl, gang-raped, waits to be stoned for adultery; a familiar character reappears with his forehead branded with hot iron. The writing is so fine that several depictions stand out in my memory - the regimented discipline of cadet life with inventive releases (holes in mattresses), the General's wife standing in a queue of widows to confront her husband's roving eye, the delicacy of Ali's affection for Baby O.
I'd recommend it to anyone who enjoys military satire, dark humour, and digs at the fervently pious.
Ending with a couple of quotes I loved (off the top of my head):
"You can blame our men in uniform for anything, but you can never blame them for being imaginative."
"He always felt a holy tingling in the marrow of his bone when surrounded by people who were genuinely poor and needy."
March 10, 2017
Wow. A comic novel on the partition of East Pakistan (Bangladesh) from Pakistan in 1971, in first person narration by a gay Pakistani Air Force officer. Hard to top that. Never mind the slow start--the pace picks up, and you'll learn plenty of South Asian history besides.
November 10, 2019
A good political satire. Mohammed Hanif has torn into the corruption of the army and General Zia’s dictatorship. He has in-depth taken the world through the minutes and the depths of the state of affairs prevailing in the country at that time. This book tells the story of a Pakistani Air Force officer, Ali, who wants to avenge the death of his father. The official story is that his father committed suicide but Ali believes the official story to be a lie. He knows that his father was murdered. So he plots the ultimate revenge: the assassination of the President of Pakistan, Zia-ul-Haq.
The humor is crazy, sometimes sophomoric, always amusing. The novel spends much time exposing the stupidity, brutality and hypocrisy of Pakistan's military rulers.
The humor is crazy, sometimes sophomoric, always amusing. The novel spends much time exposing the stupidity, brutality and hypocrisy of Pakistan's military rulers.
September 5, 2008
Before I read this book, I'd never even heard of Zia ul-Haq, the president of Pakistan who was killed in the crash of a C-130 airplane, along with the American ambassador Arnold Raphel and others. Hanif's wonderful book presents some theories (albeit some needed to be taken tongue-in-cheek) as to what may have actually caused the death of the president. They range from tapeworms to a crow; deadly gas, snake venom given to the main character by a laundry worker named Starchy, a blind woman in prison for being sexually assaulted or even a case of mangoes put on the plane for all to enjoy. Here's the thing: after I finished this novel, I looked up Zia ul-Haq on various sources on the internet and found the following in an article in the Times online (http://timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/wor...
"Phosphorus-covered mango seeds amid the wreckage sparked the theory that the CIA had spiked the fruit with VX gas to eliminate Zia because of his unstable commitment to a more democratic government and his loyalty to Afghan extremists."
And now, it seems, according to this article of August, 2008, that lots of interest has been sparked in exactly what did cause the president's death.
Hanif, a former air force officer for Pakistan, has got a winner of a book here. Some of it is actually funny, and you may find yourself laughing out loud in some parts. At the very beginning of the book we find out that the president dies in an airplane crash; the rest of the book looks back at part of his tenure in office and the people surrounding him, as well as people who see him as an enemy who not only needs ousting, but needs to be dead. Set during the time of the Soviet-Afghan conflict, there's even a visit from a shady character who goes by the initials of OBL, the head of Laden Construction Company during the course of a somewhat garish barbeque party given by the Americans for a fourth of July.
A Case of Exploding Mangoes is a wonderful book and it will definitely keep you reading. The characters are true to life (even the shadier ones), the prose is amazing and the story itself is fantastic. The fact that it has a basis in fact adds another element to the reader's enjoyment.
Definitely recommended, and recommended highly.
"Phosphorus-covered mango seeds amid the wreckage sparked the theory that the CIA had spiked the fruit with VX gas to eliminate Zia because of his unstable commitment to a more democratic government and his loyalty to Afghan extremists."
And now, it seems, according to this article of August, 2008, that lots of interest has been sparked in exactly what did cause the president's death.
Hanif, a former air force officer for Pakistan, has got a winner of a book here. Some of it is actually funny, and you may find yourself laughing out loud in some parts. At the very beginning of the book we find out that the president dies in an airplane crash; the rest of the book looks back at part of his tenure in office and the people surrounding him, as well as people who see him as an enemy who not only needs ousting, but needs to be dead. Set during the time of the Soviet-Afghan conflict, there's even a visit from a shady character who goes by the initials of OBL, the head of Laden Construction Company during the course of a somewhat garish barbeque party given by the Americans for a fourth of July.
A Case of Exploding Mangoes is a wonderful book and it will definitely keep you reading. The characters are true to life (even the shadier ones), the prose is amazing and the story itself is fantastic. The fact that it has a basis in fact adds another element to the reader's enjoyment.
Definitely recommended, and recommended highly.
July 27, 2010
Political satire.
I am an avid reader of both 'Global' and Historical fiction so this book should have been right up my street. Instead it took me weeks to read and I omly completed it because I was discussing it in a book group.
I did not enjoy it at all. It was certainly not 'very, very funny', as advertised.
I was not alone in my views either; 6 out of 8 other readers at the discussion felt the same way.
Although I hate to categorise books, we felt that this was a book that would be more appealing to male readers.
The central character is Ali Shigri, an officer in the Pakistani army, like his father before him.
Ali knows his father did not commit suicide and he is determined to settle the score with President Zia.
Several other characters are involved including his gay room mate, certain American CIA officials and folk from high up the Pakistani political ladder. Even Osama bin Ladin makes a brief appearance as the obnoxious OBL. No characters were likeable, all were crooked and I didn't really care who came down in the plane by the end of the book.
Well suited to lovers of political satire but not at all my choice of book.
I am an avid reader of both 'Global' and Historical fiction so this book should have been right up my street. Instead it took me weeks to read and I omly completed it because I was discussing it in a book group.
I did not enjoy it at all. It was certainly not 'very, very funny', as advertised.
I was not alone in my views either; 6 out of 8 other readers at the discussion felt the same way.
Although I hate to categorise books, we felt that this was a book that would be more appealing to male readers.
The central character is Ali Shigri, an officer in the Pakistani army, like his father before him.
Ali knows his father did not commit suicide and he is determined to settle the score with President Zia.
Several other characters are involved including his gay room mate, certain American CIA officials and folk from high up the Pakistani political ladder. Even Osama bin Ladin makes a brief appearance as the obnoxious OBL. No characters were likeable, all were crooked and I didn't really care who came down in the plane by the end of the book.
Well suited to lovers of political satire but not at all my choice of book.
May 5, 2017
'I was there.., I was there..., in the initial video clips!' the author, the narrator gloats so as to build the authenticity of his telling and we look at the back of the cover page, only to reassure ourselves, yes, it's a fiction. I think that's a great success for him, as a story teller!
Next, the narrator, combines all possible theories of Zia Ul Haq's plane crash and, like a basket of juicy mangoes, presents to you an option to chose the best one. And there's something more in the offing; you can choose all of them with the assurance that your appetite will be satiated in the best possible way. Still want more, here, keep the basket too! All for just one price- you must hate Zia Ul Haq, the General, the dictator.
I particularly liked the language, the satire, the humour and the unpredictability of a known, documented, historical fact. Mohamad Hanif has attempted a novel version of a historical fact, the account of which has been told many a times. And, I must say, It's a very good attempt!
Next, the narrator, combines all possible theories of Zia Ul Haq's plane crash and, like a basket of juicy mangoes, presents to you an option to chose the best one. And there's something more in the offing; you can choose all of them with the assurance that your appetite will be satiated in the best possible way. Still want more, here, keep the basket too! All for just one price- you must hate Zia Ul Haq, the General, the dictator.
I particularly liked the language, the satire, the humour and the unpredictability of a known, documented, historical fact. Mohamad Hanif has attempted a novel version of a historical fact, the account of which has been told many a times. And, I must say, It's a very good attempt!
December 11, 2017
Enjoyed this one. You know the ending (the fictitious depiction of the real-life death of Pakistan's President General Zia) from the very beginning. The alternate chapters work well of the General and his cohorts mixed with those of the Air Force cadet Shigri who is planning to assassinate the President thereby avenging the death of his father. It's a fast paced satire of the Pakistan-US relationship at the end of the 80s. The cameo of Bill Casey the CIA Director was a highlight as was the ongoing depiction of Zia obsession about his own safety and the scheming of the Generals to replace Zia.
September 19, 2016
A mixture of the genuine historical figures, Pakistan's General Zia through to the fictitious narrator Ali Shigri the author has managed to produce a satire that, along with some genuine laugh out loud comic moments, made this a very good read that should stand the test of time.
May 2, 2023
Rep: Pakistani cast & setting, gay mc, gay side character
CWs: racial slurs, homophobic slurs, torture
CWs: racial slurs, homophobic slurs, torture
September 28, 2020
This book turned out be unexpected and interesting. The satire and with which Pakistan's politics and people are written was fun to read.
At the core is a mysterious death, that of Gen Zia, whose plane crashed when it was on its way to Islamabad. But was it a simple machine error or was a conspiracy behind it all. Writer Hanif makes the reader run through all sorts of theories that even includes a possible CIA hand. It's pretty much movie material.
Since all of it is set in a pre-2000 era, there was this certain nostalgic factor to the book that made it very readable. I do wish that some characters were fleshed out more. But otherwise I enjoyed it!
At the core is a mysterious death, that of Gen Zia, whose plane crashed when it was on its way to Islamabad. But was it a simple machine error or was a conspiracy behind it all. Writer Hanif makes the reader run through all sorts of theories that even includes a possible CIA hand. It's pretty much movie material.
Since all of it is set in a pre-2000 era, there was this certain nostalgic factor to the book that made it very readable. I do wish that some characters were fleshed out more. But otherwise I enjoyed it!
August 10, 2022
A remarkable piece of satirical fiction! Humourous & captivating depiction of Zia's decade-long tyrannical rule over the country. But behind these jokes exists the gloomiest chapter of Pakistan's history, when the LAND OF PURE was snatched of its soul. If such a book would have been written in Zia's lifetime, the writer's name might be on the long list of missing persons. The whole book can be summarized in just one quote:
“You want freedom and they give you chicken korma.”
“You want freedom and they give you chicken korma.”
November 21, 2008
Lucky us--we have a fresh fictional voice of the Pakistani Persuasion, as it were. Mohammed Harif is one very fine writer.
In 1978 General Zia kicked Prime Minister Bhutto out of office, later executing him and "reducing" civil rights under martial law in a harrying ten-year reign until he was mysteriously killed in a plane crash in 1988. Apparently his death spawned lots of conspiracy theories, and in a sense that's Harif's fictional purpose.
His protagonist is the son of a colonel who was instrumental in setting up interrogation and torture facilities in the Zia regime, at least till he was murdered in an officially reported suicide. The kid is at military school, ready to be a chip off the old block, reveling in the silent drill techniques of Major Bannon, on loan from the U.S., and bonding with a roommate who is more poet than soldier.
The action shifts from the pious President and his public relations pony show, to the young soldier, to U.S. officials who hobnob with Zia, to the various targets of the military dictatorship's insistence on total control.
It's an affecting book. Like so many other dictators who've been immortalized in fiction, Harif focuses on the dictator's tools of survival, the loneliness that is the price he pays for control, the ludicrous fantasies he entertains about getting the Nobel Peace Prize(!).
Someday we'll do a display here on Dictators (I work in a library). Harif's work will get top billing.
In 1978 General Zia kicked Prime Minister Bhutto out of office, later executing him and "reducing" civil rights under martial law in a harrying ten-year reign until he was mysteriously killed in a plane crash in 1988. Apparently his death spawned lots of conspiracy theories, and in a sense that's Harif's fictional purpose.
His protagonist is the son of a colonel who was instrumental in setting up interrogation and torture facilities in the Zia regime, at least till he was murdered in an officially reported suicide. The kid is at military school, ready to be a chip off the old block, reveling in the silent drill techniques of Major Bannon, on loan from the U.S., and bonding with a roommate who is more poet than soldier.
The action shifts from the pious President and his public relations pony show, to the young soldier, to U.S. officials who hobnob with Zia, to the various targets of the military dictatorship's insistence on total control.
It's an affecting book. Like so many other dictators who've been immortalized in fiction, Harif focuses on the dictator's tools of survival, the loneliness that is the price he pays for control, the ludicrous fantasies he entertains about getting the Nobel Peace Prize(!).
Someday we'll do a display here on Dictators (I work in a library). Harif's work will get top billing.
May 12, 2021
A case of exploding mangoes - Mohammed hanif
ಪಾಕಿಸ್ತಾನದ ಸರ್ವಾಧಿಕಾರಿ ಜನರಲ್ ಜಿಯಾ ಉಲ್ ಹಕ್ 1977ರಿಂದ 1988ರವರೆಗೆ ಆಳಿದವ. 1988ರಲ್ಲಿ ಒಂದು ವಿಮಾನ ಅಪಘಾತದಲ್ಲಿ ಛಿದ್ರವಾದವ. ಅವನ ಕೊಲೆ ಮಾಡಲಾಯಿತು ಎಂದೂ, ಅದಕ್ಕೆ ಸಿಐಎ,ಅವನ ರಾಜಕೀಯ ವಿರೋಧಿಗಳೂ ,ಅಷ್ಟೇಕೆ ಇಂಡಿಯಾದ ರಾ ಕಾರಣ ಎಂದೂ ಹುಯ್ಯಲೆದ್ದಿತ್ತು. ಆದರೆ ಅದು ಹಾಗೇ ಉಳಿಯಿತು.
ಈ ಕಾದಂಬರಿ ಬ್ರಿಟನ್ನಲ್ಲಿ ನೆಲೆಸಿರುವ ಪಾಕಿಸ್ತಾನದ ಕಾದಂಬರಿಕಾರ ಬರೆದದ್ದು. ಇದು ಕಾಮಿಕ್ ಕಾದಂಬರಿ. ಆದರೆ ಇದನ್ನು ಹೇಗೆ ಬರೆದ ಎಂಬುದೇ ಆಶ್ಚರ್ಯ.
ಇಸ್ಲಾಮಿಕ್ ದೇಶಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ಅಥವಾ ಇಸ್ಲಾಂನಲ್ಲಿ ಹಾಸ್ಯಕ್ಕೆ ಅವಕಾಶ ಇಲ್ಲ. ಅವರು ಪರಿಗಣಿಸುವುದು ಹಾಸ್ಯದ ವ್ಯಾಪ್ತಿಗೆ ಒಳಪಡುವುದಿಲ್ಲ.ಅದು ಹಿಂಸೆಗೆ ಒಳಪಡುತ್ತದೆ.
ಇದು ಜನರಲ್ ಜಿಯಾನ ಸರ್ವಾಧಿಕಾರಿ ಬದುಕನ್ನೂ ಅವನ ಸುತ್ತ ಮುತ್ತಲಿನವರ ಮನಸ್ಥಿತಿಯನ್ನು ತಮಾಷೆಯಾಗಿ ಚಿತ್ರಿಸುತ್ತದೆ.
ಕಥೆಗೆ ಇನ್ನೊಂದು ಆಯಾಮವೂ ಇದೆ. ಪಾಕಿಸ್ತಾನದ ಸೇನೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ಕೆಲಸ ಮಾಡುವ ಒಬ್ಬ ಜೂನಿಯರ್ ಆಫೀಸರ್, ಅವನಪ್ಪನೂ ಸೇನೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ಕೆಲಸ ಮಾಡುತ್ತಿದ್ದವ ಅವನ ಮೂಲಕ ಅದು ಹೇಳಲ್ಪಡುತ್ತದೆ. ಅವನಿಗೆ ತನ್ನಪ್ಪನ ಸಾವು ಆತ್ಮಹತ್ಯೆ ಅಲ್ಲ ಅದಕ್ಕೆ ಜನರಲ್ ಕಾರಣ ಎಂಬ ಊಹೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ಅವನ ಕೊಲೆಗೆ ಪ್ಲಾನ್ ಮಾಡುವವರೆಗೆ ಕತೆ ಹೋಗುತ್ತದೆ.
ಇಡೀ ಕಾದಂಬರಿ ಜನರಲ್ ಜಿಯಾನ ಅತಿಯಾದ ರಿಲಿಜಿಯಸ್ ನಂಬಿಕೆ, ತನ್ನ ಕೊಲೆಗೆ ಸಂಚು ನಡೆಯುತ್ತದೆ ಎಂಬ ಭ್ರಮೆ (ಇದು ಇತಿಹಾಸ ಗಮನಿಸಿದರೆ ಎಲ್ಲಾ ಸರ್ವಾಧಿಕಾರಿಗಳಲ್ಲೂ ಕಾಣಬಹುದು), ಪಾಕಿಸ್ತಾನದ ರಾಜಕೀಯ ಸ್ಥಿತಿ ಕುರಿತಾದ ತಮಾಷೆಯ ನಿರೂಪಣೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ಮುಂದುವರೆಯುತ್ತದೆ..
ಅವನ ವಿಧಿಯೋ ಏನೋ ಜನರಲ್ನ ಸಾವು ಸಂಭವಿಸುತ್ತದೆ. ಅದಕ್ಕೆ ಪೂರಕವಾದ ಘಟನೆಗಳ ಹೇಳುತ್ತಾ ಯಾರು ಮಾಡಿರಬಹುದು ಎಂಬುದನ್ನು ನಿರೂಪಕ ನಮ್ಮ ಊಹೆಗೆ ಬಿಡುತ್ತಾನೆ.
ಇದನ್ನು ಪಾಕಿಸ್ತಾನದವ ಹೇಗೆ ಬರೆದ!
ಇದು ಯಾಕೆ ವಿಮರ್ಶೆ ಎದುರಿಸಲಿಲ್ಲ ಎಂದೆಲ್ಲ ಆಶ್ಚರ್ಯ ಆಗುತ್ತದೆ.
ಹಾಗೆಲ್ಲ ಯೋಚಿಸುವಾಗಲೇ ಈ ವರ್ಷ ಇದನ್ನು ಪಾಕಿಸ್ತಾನದಲ್ಲಿ ಬ್ಯಾನ್ ಮಾಡಿದ ಸುದ್ದಿ ಬಂದಿದೆ.
ಪಾಕಿಸ್ತಾನದ ರಾಜಕೀಯದ ಬಗ್ಗೆ ಗೊತ್ತಿಲ್ಲದವರಿಗೆ ಮತ್ತು ಪಾಕಿಸ್ತಾನವ ಹೊಗಳುವವರು ಅಲ್ಲೇ ನೆಲೆಸುವ ಇಚ್ಛೆ ಇರುವವರಿಗೆ ಇದನ್ನ ಓದಿಸಿ ಆಮೇಲೆ ಅಲ್ಲೇ ಕಳಿಸಬಹುದು!
ಪಾಕಿಸ್ತಾನದ ಸರ್ವಾಧಿಕಾರಿ ಜನರಲ್ ಜಿಯಾ ಉಲ್ ಹಕ್ 1977ರಿಂದ 1988ರವರೆಗೆ ಆಳಿದವ. 1988ರಲ್ಲಿ ಒಂದು ವಿಮಾನ ಅಪಘಾತದಲ್ಲಿ ಛಿದ್ರವಾದವ. ಅವನ ಕೊಲೆ ಮಾಡಲಾಯಿತು ಎಂದೂ, ಅದಕ್ಕೆ ಸಿಐಎ,ಅವನ ರಾಜಕೀಯ ವಿರೋಧಿಗಳೂ ,ಅಷ್ಟೇಕೆ ಇಂಡಿಯಾದ ರಾ ಕಾರಣ ಎಂದೂ ಹುಯ್ಯಲೆದ್ದಿತ್ತು. ಆದರೆ ಅದು ಹಾಗೇ ಉಳಿಯಿತು.
ಈ ಕಾದಂಬರಿ ಬ್ರಿಟನ್ನಲ್ಲಿ ನೆಲೆಸಿರುವ ಪಾಕಿಸ್ತಾನದ ಕಾದಂಬರಿಕಾರ ಬರೆದದ್ದು. ಇದು ಕಾಮಿಕ್ ಕಾದಂಬರಿ. ಆದರೆ ಇದನ್ನು ಹೇಗೆ ಬರೆದ ಎಂಬುದೇ ಆಶ್ಚರ್ಯ.
ಇಸ್ಲಾಮಿಕ್ ದೇಶಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ಅಥವಾ ಇಸ್ಲಾಂನಲ್ಲಿ ಹಾಸ್ಯಕ್ಕೆ ಅವಕಾಶ ಇಲ್ಲ. ಅವರು ಪರಿಗಣಿಸುವುದು ಹಾಸ್ಯದ ವ್ಯಾಪ್ತಿಗೆ ಒಳಪಡುವುದಿಲ್ಲ.ಅದು ಹಿಂಸೆಗೆ ಒಳಪಡುತ್ತದೆ.
ಇದು ಜನರಲ್ ಜಿಯಾನ ಸರ್ವಾಧಿಕಾರಿ ಬದುಕನ್ನೂ ಅವನ ಸುತ್ತ ಮುತ್ತಲಿನವರ ಮನಸ್ಥಿತಿಯನ್ನು ತಮಾಷೆಯಾಗಿ ಚಿತ್ರಿಸುತ್ತದೆ.
ಕಥೆಗೆ ಇನ್ನೊಂದು ಆಯಾಮವೂ ಇದೆ. ಪಾಕಿಸ್ತಾನದ ಸೇನೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ಕೆಲಸ ಮಾಡುವ ಒಬ್ಬ ಜೂನಿಯರ್ ಆಫೀಸರ್, ಅವನಪ್ಪನೂ ಸೇನೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ಕೆಲಸ ಮಾಡುತ್ತಿದ್ದವ ಅವನ ಮೂಲಕ ಅದು ಹೇಳಲ್ಪಡುತ್ತದೆ. ಅವನಿಗೆ ತನ್ನಪ್ಪನ ಸಾವು ಆತ್ಮಹತ್ಯೆ ಅಲ್ಲ ಅದಕ್ಕೆ ಜನರಲ್ ಕಾರಣ ಎಂಬ ಊಹೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ಅವನ ಕೊಲೆಗೆ ಪ್ಲಾನ್ ಮಾಡುವವರೆಗೆ ಕತೆ ಹೋಗುತ್ತದೆ.
ಇಡೀ ಕಾದಂಬರಿ ಜನರಲ್ ಜಿಯಾನ ಅತಿಯಾದ ರಿಲಿಜಿಯಸ್ ನಂಬಿಕೆ, ತನ್ನ ಕೊಲೆಗೆ ಸಂಚು ನಡೆಯುತ್ತದೆ ಎಂಬ ಭ್ರಮೆ (ಇದು ಇತಿಹಾಸ ಗಮನಿಸಿದರೆ ಎಲ್ಲಾ ಸರ್ವಾಧಿಕಾರಿಗಳಲ್ಲೂ ಕಾಣಬಹುದು), ಪಾಕಿಸ್ತಾನದ ರಾಜಕೀಯ ಸ್ಥಿತಿ ಕುರಿತಾದ ತಮಾಷೆಯ ನಿರೂಪಣೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ಮುಂದುವರೆಯುತ್ತದೆ..
ಅವನ ವಿಧಿಯೋ ಏನೋ ಜನರಲ್ನ ಸಾವು ಸಂಭವಿಸುತ್ತದೆ. ಅದಕ್ಕೆ ಪೂರಕವಾದ ಘಟನೆಗಳ ಹೇಳುತ್ತಾ ಯಾರು ಮಾಡಿರಬಹುದು ಎಂಬುದನ್ನು ನಿರೂಪಕ ನಮ್ಮ ಊಹೆಗೆ ಬಿಡುತ್ತಾನೆ.
ಇದನ್ನು ಪಾಕಿಸ್ತಾನದವ ಹೇಗೆ ಬರೆದ!
ಇದು ಯಾಕೆ ವಿಮರ್ಶೆ ಎದುರಿಸಲಿಲ್ಲ ಎಂದೆಲ್ಲ ಆಶ್ಚರ್ಯ ಆಗುತ್ತದೆ.
ಹಾಗೆಲ್ಲ ಯೋಚಿಸುವಾಗಲೇ ಈ ವರ್ಷ ಇದನ್ನು ಪಾಕಿಸ್ತಾನದಲ್ಲಿ ಬ್ಯಾನ್ ಮಾಡಿದ ಸುದ್ದಿ ಬಂದಿದೆ.
ಪಾಕಿಸ್ತಾನದ ರಾಜಕೀಯದ ಬಗ್ಗೆ ಗೊತ್ತಿಲ್ಲದವರಿಗೆ ಮತ್ತು ಪಾಕಿಸ್ತಾನವ ಹೊಗಳುವವರು ಅಲ್ಲೇ ನೆಲೆಸುವ ಇಚ್ಛೆ ಇರುವವರಿಗೆ ಇದನ್ನ ಓದಿಸಿ ಆಮೇಲೆ ಅಲ್ಲೇ ಕಳಿಸಬಹುದು!
September 6, 2023
I'm surprised how it took me so long to read this book even though I picked it up everyday, it's a good one though
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