- Hardcover: 196 pages
- Publisher: Andre Deutsch Ltd (18 Feb 1993)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0233988122
- ISBN-13: 978-0233988122
- Product Dimensions: 22.2 x 14.6 x 1.3 cm
- Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 2,021,264 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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Product Description
OBSERVER
'A model of compact, unadorned storytelling'
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
EVENING STANDARD
'Vivid and poignant'
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Winner of a Betty Trask Award for best first novel a decade ago, this remains Aslam's only book. Set in a small town in contemporary Pakistan, the novel contains a number of dramatic hooks—most notably the murder of the town judge, and the reappearance of a bag of mail missing for almost twenty years. Despite expectations, these actually don't really pay off in any huge revelations, but rather serve as catalysts for Aslam's examination of a town filled with undercurrents of political, religious, and ethnic tension. The novel flows into and out of various homes, from the town's feudalistic ruling family, that of a the town's main Muslim clergyman, to a widowed woman's, that of a Christian family, and of the district commissioner, as well as the barbershop and post office. What slowly emerges is the portrait of a community largely isolated from the outside world, under the heel of the military dictatorship and the local ruling elite, and culturally caught between tradition and modernity. It doesn't whack the reader over the head with any particular message, but rather offers a glimpse into rural Pakistani life.
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I am surprised that no one has yet written a review for this wonderful novel. It seems that every month or so, another Asian writer is releasing another novel which is compared to the work of Salman Rushdie or V.S. Naipaul. With so many novels it can be hard to sort the dross from the sublime.
However, this novel is no mere marketing exercise. In 'Season of the Rainbirds', Nadeem Aslam has created an unbearably tense yet exotic and timeless tale of tragedy, loss, and betrayal. It doesn't read like any contemporary novel I've read in recent times.
The central character would be Maulana Hafeez, an ageing Muslim cleric living in small town in Pakistan. On the opening morning of the novel, he is summoned to the house of the local Judge in order to perform the last rites, the judge was murdered and his killers are still at large.
Yet instead of making the murder mystery the central part of his novel as some writers would, Nadeem Aslam draws an exquisite portrayal of a small Pakistani town in turmoil. The assassination of the country's President, a mysterious sack of letters, and a scandalous local affair, Aslam manages to intricately weave several plots points, resonant characters and themes into the book. He also lets his characters dictate the pace of the story which is languid and could be off-putting for those who lack the patience for this type of work. The resolution is shattering and it has one of the most moving closing lines I have ever read.
Salman Rushdie calls it 'one of the most impressive debut novels of recent years' and I would wholeheartedly concur. (One last point, the book was published in 1992 and the inside cover says that Mr. Aslam is at work on his second novel, I hope that after ten years, a release is forthcoming. He is certainly a writer for our times).
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
1 review
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Impressive Portrait of Rural Pakistan
10 Oct 2003
Format:Paperback
Winner of a Betty Trask Award for best first novel a decade ago, this remains Aslam's only book. Set in a small town in contemporary Pakistan, the novel contains a number of dramatic hooks-most notably the murder of the town judge, and the reappearance of a bag of mail missing for almost twenty years. Despite expectations, these actually don't really pay off in any huge revelations, but rather serve as catalysts for Aslam's examination of a town filled with undercurrents of political, religious, and ethnic tension. The novel flows into and out of various homes, from the town's feudalistic ruling family, that of a the town's main Muslim clergyman, to a widowed woman's, that of a Christian family, and of the district commissioner, as well as the barbershop and post office. What slowly emerges is the portrait of a community largely isolated from the outside world, under the heel of the military dictatorship and the local ruling elite, and culturally caught between tradition and modernity. It doesn't whack the reader over the head with any particular message, but rather offers a glimpse into rural Pakistani life.
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