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Regret
Deeply moving, Ikramullah's two novellas skilfully evoke the long shadow cast by the violence of Partition. 'Regret' brilliantly recreates a childhood shattered by the Partition of India in 1947. And 'Out of Sight' recounts the story of Ismail, who narrowly escaped the carnage of 1947 in his youth.
- GenresHistorical Fiction
264 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2015
59 people want to read
About the author
Mohammed Ikramullah
1 book1 followerMohammad Ikramullah KCMG (hon), CIE (1903 - 1963) was a prominent figure in the administration of Pakistan at the time of independence. As a member of the provisional government of Pakistan, before the independence, he was Secretary and Advisor at the Ministries of Commerce, Information and Broadcasting, Commonwealth Relations and Foreign Affairs. He was also a member of Muslim League partition committee and a close companian of Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah.
After independence, he was appointed the first Foreign Secretary of Pakistan in 1947. He also remained the Ambassador of Pakistan to Canada, France, Portugal and the United Kingdom. He was married to a leading figure of Pakistan independence movement Shaista Suhrawardy Ikramullah, and father of Princess Sarvath of Jordan.
Note: He used ''Ikramullah'' only as his name for literary activities instead of ''Muhammad Ikramullah''.
After independence, he was appointed the first Foreign Secretary of Pakistan in 1947. He also remained the Ambassador of Pakistan to Canada, France, Portugal and the United Kingdom. He was married to a leading figure of Pakistan independence movement Shaista Suhrawardy Ikramullah, and father of Princess Sarvath of Jordan.
Note: He used ''Ikramullah'' only as his name for literary activities instead of ''Muhammad Ikramullah''.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
May 25, 2021
Book Review Regret: Two Novellas by Ikramullah Chaudery
Ikramullah is a senior fiction writer who has hardly attracted the attention of any critic. Even in literary gatherings, he remains aloof, distant, finding peace in mingling with just a close circle of friends. His urdu short stories, novellas and novels thus, garner little recognition. Until, of course, his two novellas under the title Regret (Pashemaani) were translated by the late Raja Faruq Hassan and Professor Muhammad Umar Memon into English by none other than Penguin!!!!
First novella is called Regret and second, Out of sight. Regret describes the journey of two friends, those lazy summers, and how it all ends with Partition of India. Out of sight is a much needed novel about persecution of Ahmadis in Pakistan-something most writers wouldn't dare to write.
Ikramullah is a realist. While describing things he never cares to be romantic. He excels in depicting things as they actually are. This exactness of description brings in its wake a romance of its own kind.
His other novellas that really want to read are Sawa Neze par Suraj ( about a lesbian romance) and Gurg-e Shab ( about life and times of a man born out of incest). These topics are sure delicate, and his books were banned for obscenity. But he captures the slightest vibrations of feeling and unarticulated thought without going into any detail, which is what I like. For example, as a community of Ahmadis learnt that a violent mob is out to get them, they
'..stared helplessly at each other’s faces with questioning looks. Then they began evading each other’s eyes and a strange embarrassment overtook them.'
How brilliant!!! Why do people who are about to be persecuted be ashamed? But then, they are. Self loathing is natural when the world thinks you deserve to die because of your beliefs.
Ikramullah is a senior fiction writer who has hardly attracted the attention of any critic. Even in literary gatherings, he remains aloof, distant, finding peace in mingling with just a close circle of friends. His urdu short stories, novellas and novels thus, garner little recognition. Until, of course, his two novellas under the title Regret (Pashemaani) were translated by the late Raja Faruq Hassan and Professor Muhammad Umar Memon into English by none other than Penguin!!!!
First novella is called Regret and second, Out of sight. Regret describes the journey of two friends, those lazy summers, and how it all ends with Partition of India. Out of sight is a much needed novel about persecution of Ahmadis in Pakistan-something most writers wouldn't dare to write.
Ikramullah is a realist. While describing things he never cares to be romantic. He excels in depicting things as they actually are. This exactness of description brings in its wake a romance of its own kind.
His other novellas that really want to read are Sawa Neze par Suraj ( about a lesbian romance) and Gurg-e Shab ( about life and times of a man born out of incest). These topics are sure delicate, and his books were banned for obscenity. But he captures the slightest vibrations of feeling and unarticulated thought without going into any detail, which is what I like. For example, as a community of Ahmadis learnt that a violent mob is out to get them, they
'..stared helplessly at each other’s faces with questioning looks. Then they began evading each other’s eyes and a strange embarrassment overtook them.'
How brilliant!!! Why do people who are about to be persecuted be ashamed? But then, they are. Self loathing is natural when the world thinks you deserve to die because of your beliefs.
January 7, 2018
Not having read any fiction around Partition from the 'other' side of the border, besides Manto, I was intrigued by this book when I read the blurb at the library.
A set of two novellas, Regret and Out Of Sight, Ikramullah powerfully recreates the memories of childhood as well as the fears of adults in Partition-time undivided India.
Of the two novellas, Regret is the more beautifully written one, bringing alive the heat, dust and laziness of an ordinary childhood in Amritsar of the 1940s - but one that is fated to go through extraordinarily traumatic times.
Out Of Sight is more polemical with the characters taking various ideological stances - as a consequence they feel less real than the ones in Regret. Nonetheless it is an important book that shows how Pakistan has managed to recreate the hatred of pre-Partition India even within the Islamic paradise that was to be created - by recreating that hatred among various Islamic sects.
I am glad I came across this book and author!
A set of two novellas, Regret and Out Of Sight, Ikramullah powerfully recreates the memories of childhood as well as the fears of adults in Partition-time undivided India.
Of the two novellas, Regret is the more beautifully written one, bringing alive the heat, dust and laziness of an ordinary childhood in Amritsar of the 1940s - but one that is fated to go through extraordinarily traumatic times.
Out Of Sight is more polemical with the characters taking various ideological stances - as a consequence they feel less real than the ones in Regret. Nonetheless it is an important book that shows how Pakistan has managed to recreate the hatred of pre-Partition India even within the Islamic paradise that was to be created - by recreating that hatred among various Islamic sects.
I am glad I came across this book and author!
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews