Shehr e Bemisaal / شہر بے مثال

by Bano Qudsia

بانو قدسیہ کا لکھا ایک ناول۔

272 pages, Hardcover

Published January 1, 2015

About the author

Bano Qudsia (Punjabi, Urdu: بانو قدسیه) was a writer, intellectual, playwright and spiritualist from Pakistan who wrote Urdu novels and short stories regarded among the best Urdu novelists and short story writers of modern times. She was best known for her novel Raja Gidh. She wrote for television and stage in both the Urdu and Punjabi languages. Bano Qudsia was recognized as a trendsetter in the realm of television plays. Some of them gained immense popularity across the border because of their vitality, warmth and courage. Strife is one word she wanted banished from the dictionary. She attributed the hostilities raging across the world to the Intolerance and selfishness of the human race. She was married to novelist Ashfaq Ahmed. She also wrote television plays.

Reviews

[Rural Soul]

یاد آتا ہے کہ کبھی بچپن میں بندے کے ہاتھ چڑھ گئی تھی یہ کتاب۔

[Jawad Khan]

A shorter and simpler version of Raja Gidh.

[Abdul Salam]

26 may 2020, by Mazhar to Ammi

[Muhammad Arslan]

This book by Bano Qudsia was a bit tough for me. It's set in 90s Lahore, but the story was slow and had too many details. There wasn't much suspense, and you could pretty much guess what happens next as you read. The ending was surprising, though.

Overall, it's not really my kind of story. It's like a shorter, less bold version of Raja Gidh (you know, with the same psychology students and vulture-like humans). The language is a bit hard to understand.

I wouldn't strongly recommend it, but feel free to experiment if you're inclined.

[Adam.ant Bookeater]

It was very nostalgic and heart wrenching, the setting and everything was extremely sad