The Empty Room

by Sadia Abbas

In 1970s Karachi, where violence and political and social uncertainty are on the rise, a beautiful and talented artist, Tahira, tries to hold her life together as it shatters around her. Soon after her wedding, her marriage is revealed to be a trap from which there appears no escape. Accustomed to the company of her brother, Waseem, and friends, Andaleep and Safdar, who are activists, writers and thinkers, she struggles to adapt to her new world of stifling conformity.

Tragedy strikes when her brother and friends, are caught up in the cynically repressive regime. Faced with horror and injustice, she embarks upon a series of paintings entitled ‘The Empty Room’, filling the blank canvases with vivid colour and light.

​ Poetic, elegant, and powerful, The Empty Room is an important addition to contemporary Pakistani literature, a moving portrait of life in Karachi at a pivotal moment in the nation's history, and a powerful meditation on art and on the dilemmas faced by all women who must find their own creative path in hostile conditions. 

Genres: Fiction, Pakistan, Historical Fiction

320 pages, Hardcover

Published November 15, 2018

Reviews

[Chitra Ahanthem · Rating 4 out of 5]

With the 70s of Pakistan as the backdrop, The EmptyRoom is an intense look at the personal and political sphere. The focus on the personal is brought to the fore through the life events of Tahira and her progressive family on one side and the conservative patriarchal family she marries into. 

The political tone comes in the setting: the sociocultural and political milieu of Pakistan where Tahira’s brother Waseem, and their common friends Andaleep and Safdar are non conformists and question the status quo around them: of socio cultural mores, of political leadership and chaos. The shift from a country unsure whereto head to slowly spiralling towards one where muscle and power throws off rhyme and reason is captured in the way Tahira’s liberal brother is at odds with her husband who insists his wife obey everything he says or sets his mind on. 

It would be most easy for readers to question: but why does Tahira not walk away? Why does she accept her fate? But does every women in every unfulfilling marriage have the choice and the agency to be able to walk away? Go read this one but only if you are ready to not judge the characters and the situations they find themselves in. 

[Krutika · Rating 4 out of 5]

~ r e v i e w ~
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Set during Karachi's restless times, The Empty Room is a taxing novel that focuses on an artist's trapped life. The period between 1969 to 1979 put Karachi in turbulent waters, as power was transferred multiple times before ending up in the hands of Zia Ul-Haq. During this time, countless people were displaced, assaulted and killed. It is in this timeline that the story is set in and a handful of chapters highlight the plight of people and their defiance against the unfairness of the political situation. Although this story is majorly Tahira's, I did appreciate how cleverly Sadia shed some light on other characters that deserved to be appreciated.
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Tahira is married off in a hurry to Shehzad only to realise that married life isn't what she expected it to be. A subtle sense of menace is evident right from the start, where Tahira is made to feel excluded from her husband's family. Shehzad's parents and his three sisters are clear about their contempt towards her, often throwing insults about her family and not sparing a single opportunity without criticizing her. In spite of being a brilliant painter, she isn't allowed to paint. She struggles to understand her husband who at times displays unexpected gentleness but is mostly miffed at her. She misses the easy banter that she shared with her siblings back home and often seeks solace in the quiet presence of her brother Waseem who urges her to leave behind Shehzad. But Tahira pushes aside the thought when she realises she's pregnant.
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It is only while painting does she truly relax, submitting herself to the beauty of colours. While she receives constant support from Waseem and her childhood best friend Andaleep, she feels obliged to go back to her husband's family due of societal norms. Her in-laws' treatment towards her remain indifferent even after giving birth to two children. For years, Tahira hopes for Shehzad to love her and waits patiently while he seeks pleasure of other women outside of their marriage. It is only at the very end does she find her voice to lay out her terms but it takes something momentous to trigger it.
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There were many characters that I truly loved, Waseem being my favourite of all. His concern edged with helplessness as he witnesses his sister suffering in a loveless and an abusive marriage, his strong opinions as a conformist and also as an avid reader, his eagerness to be a good friend, all of this made him an empathetic supporting character. Then there's Andaleep, with her honesty and unflinching support for Tahira. Tahira's own children who stand up for her against their father's beatings. There's a lot of goodness that makes an appearance to help Tahira float. There's no doubt that many women like Tahira, educated and talented, are trapped in such marriages but we only have the ridiculous rules set by the society to blame.
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Sadia's writing style is unique, making the readers take a bit of time before warming up to her words. Although the story was intense, I couldn't help but feel that few chapters were stretched unnecessarily, slowing down my reading pace. The ending felt a bit rushed but I was nevertheless glad to see how Tahira fared. The Empty Room is a complex but an important read, one that portrays the socio-political side of Karachi back in the '70s.
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Rating : 3.7/5.

[Mridula Gupta · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sadia Abbas is brutal with her narration in 'The Empty Room'. This book took a toll of my mental health and that's mainly because of the sheer brilliance of the writing.
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Tahira, a newly wed is trying to adjust to her new life. But conniving and greedy in-laws don't make it any easier for her. To make matters worse, her husband sides with his family each time, inflicting emotional and physical pain.
Tahira's individuality is under attack as she can no longer freely express herself or do the one thing she loves the most-paint.
Karachi, in the 1970s saw a drastic shift in its political ideologies, accompanied by riots and destruction. All this information is conveyed to the reader through these two families.
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'The Empty Room' has so many elements in it. The characters are ordinary and yet, their stories resonate with a stronger force. The rich narration, Abbas's eye for details and her detached narration of emotions makes the reader's a puppet to the brutality and happiness she subjects up on us. There's rage and grief, relief and happiness, a book that is a ride in itself. One can draw parallels between Tahira's journey and the country's, a radical change in their lives and the subsequent hostility. Abbas doesn't shy away from describing her elements too, be it the country or the characters. Pakistan is brought to life, with luscious descriptions of its streets, houses, people and politics. The characters are explored to the extent that you tend to develop a kinship with a few of them.
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I however, feel that this book was a bit inaccessible to readers. It takes a while to get used to the author's writing and even then, I found myself struggling to keep up and fully grasp the story.
But nevertheless, I would recommend this book with all my heart. Absolutely worth the effort and deserves the nomination it received for @thedscprize.

[Areeb Ahmad (Bankrupt_Bookworm) · Rating 4 out of 5]

"The poems she loved so often celebrated the beauty of silence and suffering, the power of apocalypse granted to soldered lips, the vitality of blood becoming alive only when shed as tears. She thought now that she had been the worst kind of dabbler, naïve, playing at life, thinking she understood what they meant."

One thing that we all agreed about during discussions was how well Abbas depicts the standard fractious South Asian household, the general elements common to middle-class families as well as the specificities of Muslim homes. It is certainly not a pretty picture, especially with a controlling husband & malicious in-laws, but it's very true to real life for most of us. Abbas shows how hard it is to escape abusive relationships without support systems and societal scorn. It's a story of autonomy & freedom during changing times.

I found it perhaps a tad too melodramatic as well as drawn out. While it's touted as a book where the personal and the political join, it doesn't move out of the domestic space a lot and only superficially. Politics does have a big effect on the characters' lives but it is not explored to the fullest extent. A twist that happens in the last third is unforeseen to say the least and it would have been best avoided. Still, it is quite a competent, engaging debut debut novel full of artistic and literary references, an aesthetic sensibility and lush writing.

[kiana · Rating 1 out of 5]

dnf

- because I was halfway through and nothing had happened
- because I can't stand omniscient POV
- because I didn't like any of the characters
- because I just didn't vibe with the writing style
- Tahira's personality was like an empty room, Shehzad is a misogynist hypocrite POS, all of the sisters suck, etc.

[Ananya thefoodandbooklife · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had forgotten how wonderful it can be to read a story with family drama rather than the mystery thrillers and fantasies that I have been reading of late. The Empty Room reminds you of a time that was simpler in terms of what was expected of people but it was also a time where the society was undergoing radical changes. This makes it a time of turmoil and heartbreak for the people at the cusp of change.
Tahira is one such character who has grown up in a house that encouraged her talents and gave her the freedom needed to pursue her passion. But it was also a house that expected her to put all of it down and become a 'good' wife and mother the minute she got married. Her husband is the typical male who believes that a wife must be educated and talented so that she is fit to be paraded in front of society but she must submit to his will at all times. He and his family are hypocrites who refuse to give their daughter-in-law the same love and opportunities that are given to the daughters of the house. The entire book had me screaming on the inside at all the injustices that a woman is supposed to silently accept. What made it worse was the fact that although this was a book set in the 1970s, the situation is not much better after half a century!
I was enraged at Tahira's parents' inability or unwillingness to help her but was glad to see that her siblings and friends were a source of strength. The political aspect of the story motivated me to do a bit of research on it and I was appalled at how situations have been used for political gain while people that truly want to help the society are silenced by any means necessary. The descriptions of Tahira's art were vivid and it was one of the things that I kept waiting to read more of. The only thing that I wish had been better was the pace of the book. Some areas seemed a bit too long and unnecessary but I chalked it up to the author's creative process.

[Shumaila Taher · Rating 4 out of 5]

Art connects. Art brings you back from the depths of the earth, shakes you and makes you step outside of your little world, and create something you didn’t think you were capable of. The beauty & power of art is infinite, it’s capacity limitless. It transforms and recreates and gives birth to revolution, to freedom, the ability to defy. Art is all encompassing.

The Empty Room by Sadia Abbas takes us through Pakistan’s tumultuous political scenario between 1969-1979 where power and state sanctioned brutality displaced, killed and tortured thousands of people. While the prolonged civil war and formation of Bangladesh as an independent country took shape, we see the union of two separate individuals belonging to wealthy Karachi family unfold, and how the societal demands and expectations are loaded on Tahira, who ultimately surrenders but finds solace in art; her precious paintings.

From the start, you can feel the bitterness, the uncalled criticism meted out to Tahira by her husband and in-laws. Tahira, a young, educated girl withers away under constant jarbs and marital expectations, realizing with growing contempt that her life has been snatched away, reduced to dust. The only solace given to her by her in-laws was the freedom to paint only because it would add to their status obsessed image. It was infuriating to see Tahira undergo so much trauma, injustice and disrespect at the hands of her in-laws.

The beauty of this book lies in the creation of other characters who I was equally fond of. We have Tahira’s childhood friend, Andaleep, who encourages her to take up painting with renewed gusto. Always looking after his sister, Waseem, defines masculinity in a new light. He considers himself a socialist distressed by the unfortunate path his country was heading towards. Both Waseem and Andaleep grappled and disappointed by Tahira’s submissiveness distance themselves for fear of losing her completely.

It’s commendable how Sadia Abbas has encapsulated the internal and external activities of Pakistan and its people, delving into the political and social constraints, of personal and private lives being uprooted, and has brilliantly captured the intimate and most vulnerable of human emotions.

[Aisha · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Empty Room opens in 1970s Karachi, on the morning after painter protagonist Tahira's wedding to the burgeoning businessman Shehzad. Right away, Shehzad's four sisters lock Tahira out of her bedroom to speak with their brother, and the humiliation, as well as the establishment of her place in the family dynamic, brings the dawning realisation that she has been tricked into an intolerable fate.
Abbas's prose is vivid and unrelenting in its brutality and colour. It's a novel of contrasts, the depths of the ugliness of human character against the beauty of art, love, familial bonds, culture and literature. Though it shows violence in an arranged marriage situation, I don't think it generalises that this is always the case, especially in light of the period this is set in and the conditions that bring this about, jealousy and class inferiority Tahira's domineering in-laws. Even paced, it's a powerful and insightful read. From its consideration of the interior and external appearance of relationships to the oft helplessness and futility of family and friends to extricate victims from such situations, as well as a critique of mercifully changing societal expectations of marriage and a woman's worth following a divorce and finally how violence consumes and breaks character. It's also a glimpse of politics in Pakistan in an era that changed the country.


If I had one critique is that the connection between the politics and personal aspects seemed unnecessary at times but worth it for the historical insight it adds even though the relevant conflicts are not named

[Saurabh Sharma · Rating 4 out of 5]

In a stunning debut, Sadia Abbas tells the story of a determined artist and a woman who finds herself trapped in a marriage that seems to be bittersweet. She's torn between the choice of her freedom to do things the way her in-laws want and the rebellion, of breaking away from marriage, that will not be a promising thing for her siblings. But anyway, she decides to let the marriage be and embarks on a journey, a life of a painter, which her husband supports and urges her to take.

Her brother Waseem and friend Safdar are part of the Left of Pakistan. They frequently collaborate with other writers, thinkers and philosophers and stage protests against the establishment. The establishment, no surprise here, attacks them. And it results in the loss of Gul Khan, one of their comrades. Eventually, Tahira, the determined artist and woman, is yet to make sense of her life after losing her best friend Andaleep and her brother Waseem. It's a story of her relationship with the dead and the living. With the personal and political. With the known and unknown.

The poetic tone of this prose, the understanding of contemporary Pakistan - its literature and art scene, the presence of its political background and the meditation of the "origin" of a nation - its people struggling to find who they're, where they belong, this book is a must read for anyone who's looking for a cocktail of classics and contemporary fiction merged into one.

A stunning book!

[Apurva Nagpal · Rating 4 out of 5]

1970s, Karachi. Tahira, a young talented painter is hurriedly married off and soon discovers it to be a mistake which she cannot go back from. Trying to put together her life and find a way for herself, she’s trying to adjust to the new ways reminiscing about her life before marriage; the company of her brother Waseem, and friends Andaleep and Safdar, a more liberal and free life.

Political violence and riots are at a rise and when her brother and friends are caught up with the nation’s growing change, Tahira is struck with one tragedy after another. She creates a series of paintings titled “The Empty Room” as a way of freeing her mind and trying to find a way for herself.

Beautifully told with a cast of ordinary but unforgettable characters, the story is rich in narrative and details that’ll stay with you for a long time. I found it both heartbreaking and sometimes uplifting, telling the story of so many women caught up between their marital duties and their longing for passion, during the rise of a new nation and some, may be even today.

I loved it, highly recommend this one and give it 4/5.

[Mridula · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a story of part everyday, part exceptional struggles. How each choice comes with dire trade-offs but they define us and we must be respectful towards ourselves to recognise them.

[Saburi Pandit · Rating 5 out of 5]

This amazing book, that has the most rhythmic prose, well fleshed out characters, and the most comforting parts is to witness the narrative of imperfect feminists. The protagonist is a conservative-progressive woman who is well-read, educated and knows her mind and opinions yet has been staggered by the internal and external misogyny and patriarchy that not only demands that she place herself second but also that she bears witness to her husband's high handedness, casual physical assault and constant demeaning of her existence by her in-laws. I have grown up watching Ekta Kapoor serials which in their manner centralized this universe as both dramatic, emotional, and overly exaggerated instead of maybe critiquing it, maybe even highlighting is a baby step in a better direction. This book has read as one of those (better serials) that stories of a woman lost in the battles of life especially when she had some other plans, better plans for herself. The writing of Sadia Abbas is so deeply enriching and poetic that I'd say this is a perfect book to pick up at this time because she offers so much more than characters and plot. She offers poetry! And relief through the careful descriptions of visuals that fall lightly in place through soft prose and your mind's eye is more than just happy. It's satisfied to be able to carry itself away from the visuals of four white walls. I'd say my intense desire to read brown women is doing pretty well!
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What remains of the book with me more than anything else is the use of visual art & the strength of Sadia Abbas’ writing. She weaves rich, meaningful sentences and creates both poetry, and visual imagery, filled with emotions, depth, and life. It’s a rare feat in a contemporary setting to be able to fill each character with a personal and collective struggle. Everything in the book is so relatable and freeing it almost feels like I'm reading of a woman I know or have known a story I've grown up listening to, witnessed on the threshold of my own house, in the house of neighbors and relatives. And on my television screen. Yet we haven't managed to critique it or overcome this entire setting where the pride of the family is above and beyond an individual’s life.

There is moving poignancy even in the harshest of scenes, and deliberate melancholy in the most heartwarming of scenes. Sadia Abbas has a way with words but more than that she has an understanding of her characters, from the child to the young man in love to the parents entrapped in their own conditioned lives. Abbas knows them deeply, empathizes with them, and projects their limitations and strengths as if it's part of some great grand puzzle. It’s true that you’d want to stop reading at certain places, overwhelmed you’d hug the book, and realize that there are some things you can only understand through intense observation of the world, meditation in its own right.
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You cannot come to part ways with the way Tahira has been emancipated, you might never fully agree with her choices, but you know she has fought and stood her ground in ways only she could have without bringing her world to an end. The richness of language, the poetry, and the philosophy, along with the political setting of 70’s Pakistan forms a labyrinth of the plot that is easy to navigate and deeply satisfying to witness, only because of its a wholesome novel. In life, this becomes a drudgery, a mundane tragedy. Only in a good novel and in retrospect does a life read like a wholesome narrative moving from a place of pure innocence to demanding cruelty, the kind the world demands you have to save your skin.
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Highly Recommended.

[Prerna Mishra · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting mix of home and national unrest

I picked this one up from the @thedscprize short list.

In Karachi, the youth is restless. This is not the country that the founding fathers had hoped for and their generation had been promised. Waseem and Safdar are two such young men, itching for a revolution, but not sure how to shape it. Tahira, Waseem’ sister is trapped in a loveless marriage with the mercurial and philandering Shehzad, and despite being in the company of revolutionaries, she is not able to break free. She is a talented painter, but the conundrum in her head makes even the colors betray her. Andaleep, Tahira’s friend knows that she is not the kind of girl who was raised to marry, but in a society with very set gender roles, she doesn’t really know where she fits. The turmoils in the society, tangled with the complexities of Tahira’s marriage circuitously build up towards a dramatic climax.

Firstly, men like Shehzad should be skinned alive, but unfortunately there are far too many of them in our society, even to this day. They are reflective of the duplicity in moral standards that prevail in our society where a wife is supposed to follow a strict archetype, but the man has the license to beat, lie and cheat as per convenience. And mothers-in-law like Shireen are messengers from hell; never happy, never satisfied. The helplessness of Tahira has been painstakingly brought out, right from her humiliation to her abject surrender in silence to her fate. The same cannot be said about the plot of Waseem, Safdar and Andaleep. I felt Safdar and Andaleep’s character needed to be developed more, otherwise it’s quite easy to interpret them as rebels without cause, and I am quite certain the writer didn’t want that.

The pacing of the story was great in terms of transitioning from major events, but at times I felt like not much happened in all the time that elapsed. The ending was a bit rushed I felt, specifically the major events that ended up shaping the story. I did like that Tahira did take a stand for herself, even though to women of my generation it would definitely feel too little too late.
#sadiaabbas #dscprize2019 #bookstagram #booksofinstagram #bibliophile #atlanta #atlantablogger #kindle

[Arun · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sadia Abbas’ The Empty Room is a sensuous novel drenched in color and filled with poetry, art, and philosophy. Abbas’ prose is poetic and evocative, summoning a vision of Karachi in the eighties and nineties, a time of political volatility in Pakistani history which saw the loss of Bangladesh and the rise if the tyrant Zia and his Islamicization of Pakistan. It evokes with nostalgia a period when Pakistani women wore saris ( prior to them being labeled an Indian Hindu garment) and when leftist politics had a fragile chance.
Describing the life of Tahira - a painter who is locked in an abusive arranged marriage- and her family and friends, the novel reflects on the status of women in South Asian upper class society where they are frequently regarded as an ornament that enhance their men’s status but not as independent autonomous beings. It also reflects on the role of poetry and art as media for both personal and political resistance and expression. Tahira’s decision to submit to her unhappy marriage is contrasted with the feminism of her friend Andaleeb and the leftist politics of her brother and his circle of friends.
My only criticism of the novel is it’s tendency to use an excessive amount of adjectives and the - at times - overly rich imagery which leave one feeling , as after an overly rich meal of too many courses - bloated and dyspeptic. However overall this novel is well worth the read for its nostalgic snapshot of Pakistan during a time when there was much to hope for in its government and in its society.

[Noor ul Ain · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have been reading SA Literature for a long time and recently I have been utterly disappointed however this book is a breath of fresh air. It is exactly what I have been talking about with my bookaholic friends-an extraordinary story of ordinary characters. Tahira's story is reminiscent of thousands of women of that era, and Waseem represents so so so many youths of that time. I absolutely loved almost everything about this book. I would have actually liked to read more about the political climate (although I realize it would have taken away from the main story) and I would have liked the last 2-3 pages to be smoother. They seemed like a rapid fire round. Overall, definitely worth reading.

[dana brown · Rating 4 out of 5]

The woman on the cover of this book looks bleak - bruised, soiled. That pretty much sums it up. This book is important - it helped me understand extreme patriarchal behavior and misogynistic societies as much as anything I’ve read. The story made me so sad, so frustrated, but I kept reading - it took me a while to work through this book. I understand why Tahira stayed in her nightmare of a marriage. I almost came to understand the harshness and demeaning behavior of her husband - he was a victim of his families value and societal norms as well. But, contrasting him with Tahira’s caring brother lessened my compassion for him. There is much to think about after finishing this book.

[Fatima Ijaz · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Slippery, wondrous ambiguity....variant meaning."

She filled the pot with water and placed it on the stove to boil, watching the flames leap and dance, blue and red and gold, distracting and dangerous and beautiful."

"That sublimity and ordinary happiness can co-exist"

"All she thought was: I must paint. I must."

Some quotes I liked from the book.

[Syed Faraz · Rating 3 out of 5]

Found it to be ok, the writer goes into a lot of depth to explain the surroundings and the feelings, but it slows the pace of the book more. Detail is good but not too much detail that the reader starts getting bored and skips passages.

[Margie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is slow but immersive (maybe even claustrophobic). Really liked it.

[Dhruv Singhal · Rating 4 out of 5]

Absolutely gripping and wonderfully written!