- Paperback: 384 pages
- Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC (21 April 2009)
- ISBN-10: 1408804271
- ISBN-13: 978-1408804278
- Product Dimensions: 23 x 15.2 x 3.2 cm
- Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (37 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 139,221 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
Burnt Shadows
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More About the Author
Product Description
Review
'An absorbing novel that commands, in the reader, a powerful emotional and intellectual response Kamila Shamsie is a writer of immense strength' - Salman Rushdie 'A brilliant book she is so extraordinary a writer' - Nadeem Aslam 'I feel that I have travelled the world and spent the past six decades with Hiroko and her family. Burnt Shadows is a beautiful, beautiful book' - Tahmima Anam 'Audacious in its ambition, epic in its scope. One can only admire the huge advances she has made, and helped us to make, in understanding the new global tensions' - Anita Desai
Review
'Burnt Shadows is audacious in its ambition, epic in its scope. A startling expansion of the author's intentions, imagination and craftsmanship. One can only admire the huge advances she has made, and helped us to make, in understanding the new global tensions.'
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
43 of 45 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
One of this year's great reads,
By DubaiReader "DubaiReader" (Dubai United Arab Emirates) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER) (VINE VOICE)
This review is from: Burnt Shadows (Paperback)
I was bowled over by this book, beautifully written from page 1, it was quite simply, wonderful. I can also add that, having just returned from discussing the book at a book group - all 8 of us were unanimous in our praise.
It has a huge canvas - from Nagasaki in 1945, through Partition in India, the 9/11 bombing and war in Afghanistan. Along the way it covers a multitude of subjects. These include the long term effects of radiation damage, training camps for the Muhajideen and the suspicions that fell on Muslim citizens in the US after the Twin Towers were attacked. The characters were well drawn and very cleverly interwoven through several generations and across three continents. I can see why some reviewers felt it attempted too much, the second half is pretty eventful. However, for me, the sheer joy of the beautiful language and (not excessive) descriptions, held me transfixed. Very highly recommended - this could be my favourite book this year!
26 of 28 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Ambitious, but somewhat lacklustre,
By
This review is from: Burnt Shadows (Paperback)
An ambitious yet easy read, Burnt Shadows is a book I find hard to place. Despite dealing with heavy issues of war and politics, there is something strangely leightweight about it. The storyline spans fifty years and a large swathe of the planet. It's original and interesting, but not entirely convincing. The characters are rather flat and it's hard to get emotionally involved. There's a lack of subtlety, the author falling foul of the old adage to 'show and not tell'.
I found the best sections of the book to be those in Pakistan, and the story's conclusion, which was rather courageous and had a twist I wouldn't have expected based on the rest of the novel. The author's attempt to link the topics of modern day Islamic extremism, the atomic bombing of Nagasaki, and the British Raj and Partition, is certainly brave and deserving of credit. Whilst I cannot rave about the book for the reasons described above, I did find it an intriguing read and although not gripped by it, it does move along at a good pace. It would actually be a good holiday read for those who can't bear very light fiction but don't want anything too demanding. Maybe the award nominations and back cover comments gave me overly high expectations; think of it as a historical romance with a literary bent and you're more likely to come away satisfied.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
overambitious but worthwhile,
By maryleopard (London, UK) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Burnt Shadows (Paperback)
'Burnt Shadows' is set in three periods, 1947, 1983, 2001 and in several countries - Japan, Pakistan, Afghaistan and New York in particular, and traces the interconnections between the members of two families against the backdrop of major world events. This an involving and worthwhile read, and the ambition is laudable, but it falls down between too many stools. There seemed to be just too many characters, with little or no attempt to get under the skin of several of them. None of the Burtons convinced: both of the males were ciphers if not cliches, and nothing was made of Ilse's German origins,though the interaction of different nationalities and cultures is a major theme of the book. (I noticed that there were no German nor Japanese names amongst the individuals the author consulted). No particular insights seemed to be given into the major historical events that were encountered. The style seemed rather undistinguished, aspiring to 'fine writing' and imagery at times but often giving us clunky, unrhythmic, and poorly punctuated sentences. The evocation of different countries or cities was patchy, unsurprisingly better at Pakistan than elsewhere. However, Shamsie is an original devisor and manipulator of plots. The complex narrative moves along very efficiently - unlike some reviewers, I was especially gripped by the thriller-like final section and its surprising, if improbable, denoument. And there were a number of memorable images or epigrammatic remarks.
So, worth reading, but not superb, especially when compared with other writers on comparable territory - eg Nadeem Aslan, 'The Wasted Vigil'.
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