Partition: Sketches and Stories

by Saʻādat Ḥasan Manṭo

English (translation)

111 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1991

Reviews

[Amrendra · Rating 5 out of 5]

When Partition - a collection of 32 cameos and reflections on the 1947 massacres was first published, it enraged Manto's readership and the leading writers of the day. The author was dismissed as a sensationist and a pornographer who exploitated and trivialised tragedy. Today the work is recognised as a classic.

In this translation (Viking, 1991), Khalid Hasan adds 7 thematically similar short stories (A Girl From Delhi, Yazid, Sharifan, Padhiye Kalima, Sahay, Kali Shalwar, Hatak) to the original collection from the cataclysmic events of 1947. These are beautifully chiselled pieces that capture equally the perversity of religious fanaticism and the ennoblement man is capable of in conditions of adversity.

Finally, Partition is, as Manto himself described it, 'an attempt to retrieve pearls of a rare hue from a man-made sea of blood'. It is an attempt that succeeds brilliantly.

[Purnima · Rating 3 out of 5]

While I'm glad I read this book, having got the taste of the original through a play, I want to read Manto in his language - but in a script I can read. Any chances of Siyaah Haashiye available in Hindi? Please let me know.