Reviews

Our Lady of Alice Bhatti by Mohammed Hanif

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nainatai's review

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2.0

Nothing compared to A Case of Exploding Mangoes..

essjay1's review

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1.0

There is a reason he did not win any prizes for this book. It does have some very funny and scathing observances in it but not enough to save the novel from being either boring, senseless or both. I had to force myself to finish because he has such a great reputation - I really thought it would all come together in the end. Sadly, not for this reader.

rach_fornow's review against another edition

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adventurous funny tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Loveable characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

I find this novelist to write such interesting and unexpected stories. I really did not expect this book to end the way it did after a lot of interesting and entertaining meandering.
Very much an inspection of gender based violence.
i loved the main character, Alice. and I loved her young friend at the hospital.

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scarletohhara's review

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3.0

I didn't understand if I liked the book or not. I definitely liked the author's style, and the premise of the plot, but the pilot in itself is slightly weak. There wasn't enough in there to carry on for an entire book, and the different aspects of Alice's life that kept on popping up was a confusion.
This book she gave me an idea of how life in Pakistan is for Christians.

katherinew's review

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challenging dark emotional funny sad fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

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_rusalka's review against another edition

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3.0

I read the author's earlier book [b:A Case of Exploding Mangoes|2153793|A Case of Exploding Mangoes|Mohammed Hanif|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1320410538s/2153793.jpg|2159297] a few years ago. I enjoyed the writing but couldn't really connect with the subject matter. I picked this one up, read the blurb and thought "Here we go, I'll be able to this one better than military parade fiction."

And while I can, the story of Alice who has come from a disadvantaged and Catholic background on the outskirts of Karachi, spent some time in prison, and now works as a nurse in a hospital that seems to be eventful, but in a way that can only happen in places like Karachi. She apparently has a supernatural power that isn't explored at all, but is pretty feisty and I appreciate that.

Look. All of that I like. I don't like Teddy and all that goes with him. I don't like the conclusion of the book, while unfortunately believable, I got annoyed with it. The writing is still consistent between the books. If you like Mangoes, you'll probably like this one. I did like this one more, but only slightly. I just felt that places I wanted to explore, weren't at all. And that's okay, just makes it not my book. And I probably won't pick up another.