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logastellxus's review
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
4.00 / 5
no words.
this is one of the most complex, gut-wrenching, painful, and anguishing short stories i have read.
no words.
this is one of the most complex, gut-wrenching, painful, and anguishing short stories i have read.
adamjensen's review
dark
emotional
informative
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
analyticalchaos's review
3.0
I really liked the first story. I felt that Pritam told a unique, captivating story of someone who lived through Partition. It felt disjointed at parts, but was still engaging.
The second story (niche [b:The Woman in the Dunes|9998|The Woman in the Dunes|Kōbō Abe|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1361254930l/9998._SY75_.jpg|58336] reference aside) was a hodgepodge of Hindu stories in relation to a ward of the temple. I found this one a bit boring and long winded.
The second story (niche [b:The Woman in the Dunes|9998|The Woman in the Dunes|Kōbō Abe|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1361254930l/9998._SY75_.jpg|58336] reference aside) was a hodgepodge of Hindu stories in relation to a ward of the temple. I found this one a bit boring and long winded.
neethuraghavan676's review
5.0
The story, the skeleton revolves around the people of Punjab, a part that now belongs to Pakistan before the partition. The tension between Hindus and Muslims become the main reason for the very story.
A Hindu girl is abducted by a Muslim guy. Though she is no reason for that, her family abandons her fearing society. Puro, the girl then returns to Rashida who then marries her and they start a new life.
Amrita Pritam's way of storytelling and Khushwant Singh's narration in English makes this one very special.
The second book here, The Man, is a story of a boy who was offered to a temple and bought up there. But he grows up hating his parents and this Guru and with a hatred towards the whole world.
A Hindu girl is abducted by a Muslim guy. Though she is no reason for that, her family abandons her fearing society. Puro, the girl then returns to Rashida who then marries her and they start a new life.
Amrita Pritam's way of storytelling and Khushwant Singh's narration in English makes this one very special.
The second book here, The Man, is a story of a boy who was offered to a temple and bought up there. But he grows up hating his parents and this Guru and with a hatred towards the whole world.
apoorvasr's review
4.0
This book By Amrita Pritam is small but a difficult read. This book talks about unjust plight of women who become the target of a family feud and her whole relationship with her parents is dissolved. Pooro, kidnapped by Rashida right before her betrothal to Ram Singh from the neighboring state is perplexed.
Why will her parents not accept her back?
Why does the man before her wants to forcibly marry her?
Is exacting the family feud all necessary and will lead to her parents lynching?
Does a person die inside but lives to be a shell of a human being?
A remnant perhaps is left behind..
The book is agonizing, and a cry for help. The help never comes.. And the living goes on..
" Who will marry you now? You have lost you religion and your birthright. If we dare to help you, we will be wiped out without a trace of blood left behind to tell of our fate"
Pooro now rechristened as Hamida yearns to feel something for her newborn child and for her husband. She feels kind of a disgust for both and feels at loss.
" I have no desire to divulge anything, but the decaying processes have begun within me."
Will Pooro ever get a chance at redemption?
Another story is That man. I found this story particularly hard to read. Its about a baby which is given to the temple to be taken care of and grows to be a sage. The boy develops absolute hatred for his mother, loses a sense of belonging , does not understand devotion and searches for inner peace. The author delves into the inner machinations of the human soul which get more and more complicated as the layers are peeled back. The inner musings and the torture that overthinking does is palpable in this story.
"Each question is measurable in terms of darkness. The only difference is that if the question is a small one, it crawls and cries like an infant; but if it is a big one, it gropes, hands outstretched in the blinding blackness and strikes its head against the cave walls.''
Why will her parents not accept her back?
Why does the man before her wants to forcibly marry her?
Is exacting the family feud all necessary and will lead to her parents lynching?
Does a person die inside but lives to be a shell of a human being?
A remnant perhaps is left behind..
The book is agonizing, and a cry for help. The help never comes.. And the living goes on..
" Who will marry you now? You have lost you religion and your birthright. If we dare to help you, we will be wiped out without a trace of blood left behind to tell of our fate"
Pooro now rechristened as Hamida yearns to feel something for her newborn child and for her husband. She feels kind of a disgust for both and feels at loss.
" I have no desire to divulge anything, but the decaying processes have begun within me."
Will Pooro ever get a chance at redemption?
Another story is That man. I found this story particularly hard to read. Its about a baby which is given to the temple to be taken care of and grows to be a sage. The boy develops absolute hatred for his mother, loses a sense of belonging , does not understand devotion and searches for inner peace. The author delves into the inner machinations of the human soul which get more and more complicated as the layers are peeled back. The inner musings and the torture that overthinking does is palpable in this story.
"Each question is measurable in terms of darkness. The only difference is that if the question is a small one, it crawls and cries like an infant; but if it is a big one, it gropes, hands outstretched in the blinding blackness and strikes its head against the cave walls.''
anushka_adishka_diaries's review
4.0
5⭐ for Pinjar
3⭐ for That Man
“Could the earth soaked with human blood produce golden corn? Could maize remain fragrant if its roots were fed with stinking corpses?”
3⭐ for That Man
“Could the earth soaked with human blood produce golden corn? Could maize remain fragrant if its roots were fed with stinking corpses?”
seventhbookworm's review
challenging
dark
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
4.0