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You Can't Go Home Again
Linked stories draw a powerful portrait of young Pakistan, at home and in the world
A group of teenagers in a Karachi high school put on a production of Arthur Miller’s The Crucible-and one goes missing. The incident sets off ripples through their already fraught education in lust and witches, and over the years, the young men and women grow up together and apart, haunted by both home and djinns in these lyrical linked stories.
In the world of Sarvat Hasin’s contemporary seekers, young rakes move between Murree and New York and women own the magic of their inexplicable passions; a failed soap opera star forms a poignant truce of a marriage with an unlikely man who has his own scars; churails are a persistent spectre in the most modern of lives. Here is the real Pakistan of Mohsin Hamid and Kamila Shamsie, one generation younger-and a young storyteller to take on the legacy of Pakistan’s chroniclers.
A group of teenagers in a Karachi high school put on a production of Arthur Miller’s The Crucible-and one goes missing. The incident sets off ripples through their already fraught education in lust and witches, and over the years, the young men and women grow up together and apart, haunted by both home and djinns in these lyrical linked stories.
In the world of Sarvat Hasin’s contemporary seekers, young rakes move between Murree and New York and women own the magic of their inexplicable passions; a failed soap opera star forms a poignant truce of a marriage with an unlikely man who has his own scars; churails are a persistent spectre in the most modern of lives. Here is the real Pakistan of Mohsin Hamid and Kamila Shamsie, one generation younger-and a young storyteller to take on the legacy of Pakistan’s chroniclers.
288 pages, Hardcover
Published February 16, 2018
3 people are currently reading
295 people want to read
About the author
Sarvat Hasin
6 books106 followersSarvat Hasin is from Pakistan. She has a Masters in Creative Writing from the University of Oxford.
Her first novel, This Wide Night, was published by Penguin India and longlisted for the DSC Prize for South Asian Literature. Her second book You Can’t Go Home Again was published in 2018 and featured in Vogue India’s and The Hindu’s end of year lists. She won the Moth Writer’s Retreat Bursary in 2018 and the Mo Siewcharran Prize in 2019. Her essays and poetry have appeared in publications such as Outsiders, The Mays Anthology, English PEN, and Harper’s Bazaar. She lives in London and works at the Almeida Theatre.
Her new novel, The Giant Dark, is a retelling of the myth of Orpheus and Eurydice. It is forthcoming from Dialogue Books on the 8th of July
Her first novel, This Wide Night, was published by Penguin India and longlisted for the DSC Prize for South Asian Literature. Her second book You Can’t Go Home Again was published in 2018 and featured in Vogue India’s and The Hindu’s end of year lists. She won the Moth Writer’s Retreat Bursary in 2018 and the Mo Siewcharran Prize in 2019. Her essays and poetry have appeared in publications such as Outsiders, The Mays Anthology, English PEN, and Harper’s Bazaar. She lives in London and works at the Almeida Theatre.
Her new novel, The Giant Dark, is a retelling of the myth of Orpheus and Eurydice. It is forthcoming from Dialogue Books on the 8th of July
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews
July 13, 2021
"She learns to shed people the way snakes slough off old skin, leaving them behind in houses and schools and jobs she never returns to."
This is the second book by Sarvat Hasin I have read in less than a week. And I found myself loving her writing more the more I read it. She's become one of my instant favourites and I am going to read anything she writes.
The prose is just so fulfilling. It has the capability to keep you hooked in the world that's been made quite accessible for someone willing to get themselves lose in the stories woven with the reality of life yet decorated with the mysterious elements our minds are unwilling to accept yet.
This is the story about a group of friends who went to school together. They linger in and around memories and their lives. Life gets complicated and while reading about them, we are living through their being together, their partings and their most memorable moments.
Dealing with a marriage so different from what would have been the most romantic union as was listed by the sixteen year old to believing in the unknown and to get hold of someone they love, the first part of the story portrays how lives could change so fast yet remaining quite static all the same.
Most parts of the writing try to showcase the cultural differences between someone who's tried to adjust in the western society and the place where they came from.
The later half talks about a few other female characters who are in the glamour world as well as about female friendship; the complexities of adult relationships and how life could be what we might make it to end as.
Somehow the ending surprised me. Something like peek-a-boo out of nowhere and it got the reaction it wanted I say!
This is the second book by Sarvat Hasin I have read in less than a week. And I found myself loving her writing more the more I read it. She's become one of my instant favourites and I am going to read anything she writes.
The prose is just so fulfilling. It has the capability to keep you hooked in the world that's been made quite accessible for someone willing to get themselves lose in the stories woven with the reality of life yet decorated with the mysterious elements our minds are unwilling to accept yet.
This is the story about a group of friends who went to school together. They linger in and around memories and their lives. Life gets complicated and while reading about them, we are living through their being together, their partings and their most memorable moments.
Dealing with a marriage so different from what would have been the most romantic union as was listed by the sixteen year old to believing in the unknown and to get hold of someone they love, the first part of the story portrays how lives could change so fast yet remaining quite static all the same.
Most parts of the writing try to showcase the cultural differences between someone who's tried to adjust in the western society and the place where they came from.
The later half talks about a few other female characters who are in the glamour world as well as about female friendship; the complexities of adult relationships and how life could be what we might make it to end as.
Somehow the ending surprised me. Something like peek-a-boo out of nowhere and it got the reaction it wanted I say!
March 21, 2018
You can't go home again is a collection of interrelated stories that are dispersed in time and told through the POVs of different characters. I loved seeing this structure of narration play beautifully in showing the reader how the characters have changed with age, their similarities and differences with their younger selves; often greeting the reader in a tinge of surprise.
I enjoyed some of the stories but some didn't intrigue me. I love that there are no cliches or stereotypes in the book which is a huge relief. It is a nice story (stories) of friends in different stages of their personal and professional lives. I think Sarvat Hasin has a nice style of writing and captures the momentary emotions of the characters in the context of each of the stories. However the book did not stay with me after I finished the read.
Disclaimer : Much thanks to Penguin India for a copy of the novel. All opinions are my own.
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I enjoyed some of the stories but some didn't intrigue me. I love that there are no cliches or stereotypes in the book which is a huge relief. It is a nice story (stories) of friends in different stages of their personal and professional lives. I think Sarvat Hasin has a nice style of writing and captures the momentary emotions of the characters in the context of each of the stories. However the book did not stay with me after I finished the read.
Disclaimer : Much thanks to Penguin India for a copy of the novel. All opinions are my own.
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March 4, 2018
You Can’t Go Home Again by Sarvat Hasin is a collection of interrelated stories that is bound to haunt you with its fluid narrative and ambiguous endings. Mostly set in Pakistan, it explores a thread of friendship and mysticism in the lives of a group of Pakistani men and women. Within the span of its 164 pages, it delves into the insecurities and desires of its diverse characters, painting an alluring picture with reality and surrealism.
When I read the synopsis, I knew I had to read the book! It spoke of a kind of mystery within a high school setting and promised stories of friends over the course of their lives. The first two stories, Dark Room and And You, the Sun were my absolute favourites. The sense of a mystery was palpable and kept you eagerly awaiting the end. But I soon realized that none of the conclusions were going to leave me at peace. They were the kind of ambiguous endings that teased you and refused to let you forget the story. One other thing that quickly piqued my interest is that one of the stories is in second person. The dialogues aren’t in quotation and so they fuse with the narration to form an intriguing style of story telling.
Sarvat Hasin’s writing style is graceful, peppered by cultural references (some of which I couldn’t grasp). It is not all that wordy and doesn’t follow a chronological structure of narration. You’ll be reading about instances in the lives of Shireen, Naila, Karim, Rehan, Sabah and Maliha from different timelines. Some of the stories were a bit lackluster and didn’t captivate me. So I found myself getting distracted. Although this book is a short read, the author brings out essential traits in all the characters, allowing you to form an opinion about them. Another brownie point for their characterization is that they are not burdened by stereotypes or cliches; are entirely realistic and relatable. Themes of witches, kidnapping, sexuality can be found in the book. Overall, I really enjoyed some of the stories, whereas some others were a little bland. I’m just very impressed with the way it’s written.
What do you get out of it? A set of stories featuring young Pakistani individuals as they grapple with the direction their lives are taking.
Thank you Penguin India for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
When I read the synopsis, I knew I had to read the book! It spoke of a kind of mystery within a high school setting and promised stories of friends over the course of their lives. The first two stories, Dark Room and And You, the Sun were my absolute favourites. The sense of a mystery was palpable and kept you eagerly awaiting the end. But I soon realized that none of the conclusions were going to leave me at peace. They were the kind of ambiguous endings that teased you and refused to let you forget the story. One other thing that quickly piqued my interest is that one of the stories is in second person. The dialogues aren’t in quotation and so they fuse with the narration to form an intriguing style of story telling.
Sarvat Hasin’s writing style is graceful, peppered by cultural references (some of which I couldn’t grasp). It is not all that wordy and doesn’t follow a chronological structure of narration. You’ll be reading about instances in the lives of Shireen, Naila, Karim, Rehan, Sabah and Maliha from different timelines. Some of the stories were a bit lackluster and didn’t captivate me. So I found myself getting distracted. Although this book is a short read, the author brings out essential traits in all the characters, allowing you to form an opinion about them. Another brownie point for their characterization is that they are not burdened by stereotypes or cliches; are entirely realistic and relatable. Themes of witches, kidnapping, sexuality can be found in the book. Overall, I really enjoyed some of the stories, whereas some others were a little bland. I’m just very impressed with the way it’s written.
What do you get out of it? A set of stories featuring young Pakistani individuals as they grapple with the direction their lives are taking.
Thank you Penguin India for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
August 8, 2018
I was really impressed by this collection of interlinked short stories – which read like a novel– by a young Pakistani author.
In an interview with The Hindu, Hasin talks about her desire to move beyond the usual themes tackled in South Asian diaspora fiction:
“The Pakistani national adds that in regards to an ‘East versus West’ discussion, there are a lot of salvation stories in the publishing world pertaining to South Asian people, who are largely of the generation above us, moving abroad. While these stories are important to discourses today, she finds there are a trope and narrative to them which are recognisable. So Sarvat moved away from that stream and observed characters who only go abroad for work or education and come back to Karachi.”
This is what makes Hasin’s collection so delicious: it features people who are equally comfortable in Lahore or London or whenever in the world. It rises above the whole hapless immigrant narrative: people who struggle to fit in, people who are neither here nor there, people who whiten themselves (through marriage or rejection of their heritage and culture), people who are ridiculously successful. (Here’s looking at you Jhumpa Lahiri – wonderful writing but oh so predictable with all her Bengali immigrants who are oh so dissatisfied with everything or just lost because their parents moved over to another continent and that they are ethnically Bengali even if they are American).
Hasin’s characters on the other hand are complex people who have personal demons. Not because they are Pakistani. Not because they are Muslim. But because they are human. Pakistan – along with a host of ex colonies and developing countries (unsurprisingly these categories tend to overlap) – is often reduced to a single horrendously stereotypical dehumanised image in media. Hasin does not set out to humanise her nation for a “western” audience – she does not write for anyone in particular. These are stories of ordinary Pakistanis in Pakistan and elsewhere. This is (post) post-postcolonial fiction that is indifferent to the coloniser/colonising forces. Wow.
In an interview with The Hindu, Hasin talks about her desire to move beyond the usual themes tackled in South Asian diaspora fiction:
“The Pakistani national adds that in regards to an ‘East versus West’ discussion, there are a lot of salvation stories in the publishing world pertaining to South Asian people, who are largely of the generation above us, moving abroad. While these stories are important to discourses today, she finds there are a trope and narrative to them which are recognisable. So Sarvat moved away from that stream and observed characters who only go abroad for work or education and come back to Karachi.”
This is what makes Hasin’s collection so delicious: it features people who are equally comfortable in Lahore or London or whenever in the world. It rises above the whole hapless immigrant narrative: people who struggle to fit in, people who are neither here nor there, people who whiten themselves (through marriage or rejection of their heritage and culture), people who are ridiculously successful. (Here’s looking at you Jhumpa Lahiri – wonderful writing but oh so predictable with all her Bengali immigrants who are oh so dissatisfied with everything or just lost because their parents moved over to another continent and that they are ethnically Bengali even if they are American).
Hasin’s characters on the other hand are complex people who have personal demons. Not because they are Pakistani. Not because they are Muslim. But because they are human. Pakistan – along with a host of ex colonies and developing countries (unsurprisingly these categories tend to overlap) – is often reduced to a single horrendously stereotypical dehumanised image in media. Hasin does not set out to humanise her nation for a “western” audience – she does not write for anyone in particular. These are stories of ordinary Pakistanis in Pakistan and elsewhere. This is (post) post-postcolonial fiction that is indifferent to the coloniser/colonising forces. Wow.
April 25, 2022
somehow whenever i go back to this book after reading it in one day last summer i still feel very fkn empty although i know what happens
the book doesn’t even have a plot that is so developed or ends in a way which would leave me distressed for a couple of days but the characters
the characters and sarvat hasin’s writing god it’s too good
idc for punctuation👍
the book doesn’t even have a plot that is so developed or ends in a way which would leave me distressed for a couple of days but the characters
the characters and sarvat hasin’s writing god it’s too good
idc for punctuation👍
May 17, 2018
I had never heard of this book or for that matter, the author, Sarvat Hasin, before I picked up this book (on a whim, simply because I liked the cover and blurb!)
It is a very well-written collection of interwoven short stories with characters that felt utterly real to me. The common themes across the stories are of love, loss and the curious kind of dissatisfaction that comes with not knowing quite what one is seeking. There is very little black and white here, and the interwoven nature of the collection means that you keep coming across the same characters, seen through different prisms.
A less talented writer could have ended up making this feel gimmicky, but Sarvat Hasin is skilful enough to pull it off seemingly effortlessly.
It is a very well-written collection of interwoven short stories with characters that felt utterly real to me. The common themes across the stories are of love, loss and the curious kind of dissatisfaction that comes with not knowing quite what one is seeking. There is very little black and white here, and the interwoven nature of the collection means that you keep coming across the same characters, seen through different prisms.
A less talented writer could have ended up making this feel gimmicky, but Sarvat Hasin is skilful enough to pull it off seemingly effortlessly.
December 19, 2022
I couldn’t appreciate this book fully as I always felt as if I’ve missed something. May be it was the writer’s style, but this book was a little too ambiguous for me.
November 10, 2021
// BOOK REVIEW //
You Can't Go Home Again by Sarvat Hasin. (4/5)
"In the brightly lit bathroom, he saw his wife in the mirror. Her eyes glowing like a Djinn's.
What are you afraid of?"
The book ends with these spine-chilling lines.
☯
You Can't Go Home Again is a quite short book having 164 pages that consists of the lives of six teenagers living in Karachi, Pakistan, and outside of it. The book is divided into eight interlinked short stories that follow two timelines - the past which is formed around the dreadful events that occurred in their teenage years and the present which tells about them being grown up.
☯
The story begins with the group gathering for an Authur Miller act of "The Crucible" when a tormenting event thwacks one of them and which sort of changes their lives and not for good. It doesn't only affect their past but chases them in their present as well.
☯
The writing style is brilliant and lyrical enough to keep you tied up with it till you read the last word of this book. The story is intriguing and dark sometimes to give you a shiver. Characters are written very well that you think about them even when you are not reading and you literally feel their pain, their fear, what they are going through, how hard it is for one to lose the other.
☯
If you are a short story person, go for it without any skepticism and I bet it won't disappoint you a bit.
You Can't Go Home Again by Sarvat Hasin. (4/5)
"In the brightly lit bathroom, he saw his wife in the mirror. Her eyes glowing like a Djinn's.
What are you afraid of?"
The book ends with these spine-chilling lines.
☯
You Can't Go Home Again is a quite short book having 164 pages that consists of the lives of six teenagers living in Karachi, Pakistan, and outside of it. The book is divided into eight interlinked short stories that follow two timelines - the past which is formed around the dreadful events that occurred in their teenage years and the present which tells about them being grown up.
☯
The story begins with the group gathering for an Authur Miller act of "The Crucible" when a tormenting event thwacks one of them and which sort of changes their lives and not for good. It doesn't only affect their past but chases them in their present as well.
☯
The writing style is brilliant and lyrical enough to keep you tied up with it till you read the last word of this book. The story is intriguing and dark sometimes to give you a shiver. Characters are written very well that you think about them even when you are not reading and you literally feel their pain, their fear, what they are going through, how hard it is for one to lose the other.
☯
If you are a short story person, go for it without any skepticism and I bet it won't disappoint you a bit.
December 10, 2019
You Can’t Go Home Again by Sarvat Hasin captures a snapshot of the lives of the upper class Pakistani youth of today. It is a series of interconnected stories where the protagonists try to balance their Western leanings with their Eastern beliefs. This tug of war at times conflicts them deeply and results in terrible angst. At times, the protagonists lack the courage needed to make the right decisions due to social conditioning and as a result are left deeply disappointed with their choices. In a world where djinns and men jostle to find their place, modernity is challenged by the iron claws of antiquity at every step. The book is essentially a collage of short stories where the characters cross paths at different points in life and influence the chain of subsequent events. It is a portrayal of the Western educated youth, who struggle to fit into the mainstream Pakistani society.
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Overall a good read. Long review available in blog HTTPS://bongbooksandcoffee.com
.
Overall a good read. Long review available in blog HTTPS://bongbooksandcoffee.com
December 9, 2021
“I forgot the difference between morning and night, he goes on. He laughs, a shadow sound. Isn’t that one of the signs of qayamat? You will forget the difference between morning and night.
Naila frowns. I thought maybe it was eternal night.
Rehab shakes his head. That’s death.
Clearly, Karim says, None of us knows that much about scripture. Let’s move on.”
There is a quiet confidence with which Sarvat Hasin has written You Can’t Go Home Again. She writes seven interconnected stories about a bunch of upper middle class Pakistanis who attended the same school, each story focusing on one or more friends at different stages of their lives. Featured in these stories are Karachi, London, Arthur Miller, Pink Floyd, Pakistani Television industry and even djinns.
“Rehan! Djinns aren’t something to make fun of. They’re in scripture.
He rolls his eyes.
Naila, some day you’ll have to stop believing everything you’re told.
So suddenly you’re not a Muslim?
I didn’t say that.
I don’t think I am, Karim says…
Oh Karim, she shakes her head. This is just some burger shit of yours to look cool. You’re not really agnostic.”
Unlike what most Asian authors are expected to do and invariably end up doing.. there is no search for Pakistani identity in the world in this one, nor does Hasin exoticize the everyday lives of Pakistanis. And there sure was an opportunity to get carried away when writing about djinns and witches, but the djinns in this book exist menacingly in the silences of a very contemporary, urban and relatable world, leaving one wondering whether they come from the world on the other side of the mirror or the minds of the characters.
Naila frowns. I thought maybe it was eternal night.
Rehab shakes his head. That’s death.
Clearly, Karim says, None of us knows that much about scripture. Let’s move on.”
There is a quiet confidence with which Sarvat Hasin has written You Can’t Go Home Again. She writes seven interconnected stories about a bunch of upper middle class Pakistanis who attended the same school, each story focusing on one or more friends at different stages of their lives. Featured in these stories are Karachi, London, Arthur Miller, Pink Floyd, Pakistani Television industry and even djinns.
“Rehan! Djinns aren’t something to make fun of. They’re in scripture.
He rolls his eyes.
Naila, some day you’ll have to stop believing everything you’re told.
So suddenly you’re not a Muslim?
I didn’t say that.
I don’t think I am, Karim says…
Oh Karim, she shakes her head. This is just some burger shit of yours to look cool. You’re not really agnostic.”
Unlike what most Asian authors are expected to do and invariably end up doing.. there is no search for Pakistani identity in the world in this one, nor does Hasin exoticize the everyday lives of Pakistanis. And there sure was an opportunity to get carried away when writing about djinns and witches, but the djinns in this book exist menacingly in the silences of a very contemporary, urban and relatable world, leaving one wondering whether they come from the world on the other side of the mirror or the minds of the characters.
November 2, 2018
4.25 stars.
Now, I can't really believe that I, Ashish Kumar Singh giving this book 4.25 stars because when I picked this book for my train journey of 6 hours, I wanted to reading something easy and simple. I thought it will be 2 or 3 star read for me ( so prejudice of me) but nah....its exceeded my expectation as well as shattered my prejudice ( which i simple formed from the cover- very Asian).
Its a very short book..around 160 pages approx and follows the lives of six Pakistani people, each chapters told from different character's perception. Its basically interlinked short stories with little bit of black magic and unexpected twist.
The writing style is brilliant and lyrical... all the stories intriguing and dark ( like something bad is going to happen ) and a sense of dread lingers throughout.
Highly Highly recommend it.
Now, I can't really believe that I, Ashish Kumar Singh giving this book 4.25 stars because when I picked this book for my train journey of 6 hours, I wanted to reading something easy and simple. I thought it will be 2 or 3 star read for me ( so prejudice of me) but nah....its exceeded my expectation as well as shattered my prejudice ( which i simple formed from the cover- very Asian).
Its a very short book..around 160 pages approx and follows the lives of six Pakistani people, each chapters told from different character's perception. Its basically interlinked short stories with little bit of black magic and unexpected twist.
The writing style is brilliant and lyrical... all the stories intriguing and dark ( like something bad is going to happen ) and a sense of dread lingers throughout.
Highly Highly recommend it.
December 21, 2018
I bought it in the hope of learning something more about Pakistan and I guess that wasn't the best idea. The book has its moments, the stories seemingly random but aren't. Each character is an amalgamation of the traditions of yesteryears and philosophies of modern way and life. Some scenes are a bit overdrawn but maybe that's what many enjoy these days. The themes of rationality, mysticism, beliefs and magic keeps one woven and there are no easy answers to all that transpires. Read it if you want to experience how it feels to be young in a South Asian country still grasping to its old values in the face of western influence on them.
February 21, 2023
While reading Hasin's book, I completely imagined all the events taking place at my own Karachi high school. The characters, their behaviours and dialogues were enjoyable and believable. This was the sort of read I would crave at the end of an exhausting day, when I don't have the energy to do anything except lie down on my couch with a cup of tea. My main critique is that I wish the last leg of the story had a better resolution through entanglement of the different short storylines. Overall, I wouldn't read the book again but I am pushed to pick up another one of Hasin's books.
April 5, 2018
You Cannot Go Home Again is almost like a collection of snapshots that are arranged and rearranged so that they fit a pattern and tell a story. It takes a look at young Pakistanis from their school years to later through jobs and marriages, and more than anything, it looks into the minds of the youth. For all the interesting insights, the end is a bit of an anti-climax.
And yet so very beautifully written.
And yet so very beautifully written.
September 12, 2019
When I picked up the book at the airport, i was excited to get reading. Mainly because the author was a junior of her family owned school that I attended.
The book doesn't really disappoint and neither does it wow you. The characters are played in seamlessly without you guessing the plot.
Finishing the book in one go on a 7 hour flight, i’d say its an easy read but nothing that you will actually recommend to your friends.
The book doesn't really disappoint and neither does it wow you. The characters are played in seamlessly without you guessing the plot.
Finishing the book in one go on a 7 hour flight, i’d say its an easy read but nothing that you will actually recommend to your friends.
March 14, 2021
You can't go home again is peoples lives weaved together across time and across relationships starting at School. Possibly being inspired by her school mates and their lives.
There are multiple protagonists whose lives are traced in this book.
Few descriptions about djinns and churyals..
It would be easier to read with double quotes around dialogues, anyhow a good read.
I do not prefer fiction and I am reading this after Kite Runner so please bear with me..maybe I would give a 3 in better days!
There are multiple protagonists whose lives are traced in this book.
Few descriptions about djinns and churyals..
It would be easier to read with double quotes around dialogues, anyhow a good read.
I do not prefer fiction and I am reading this after Kite Runner so please bear with me..maybe I would give a 3 in better days!
January 7, 2024
Sarvat Hasin's writing has flair, and the characters and their actions in these interconnected stories offer a mystique and sexiness for the most part, but there is also a disjointed sense of abruptness and matters left unresolved here that made me a little disappointed.
August 9, 2018
Compelling read. The intricately interwoven series of short stories will keep you turning pages till you’ve reached the end, only to find yourself longing for more. This was an unexpected surprise.
August 25, 2020
It is a book of interconnected stories. These characters meet their fate end up having a different life. This book can easily be read in one day.
September 18, 2020
Interesting read. Enjoyed the reference to magic and Jinns. They are such an integral part of desi life.
November 9, 2020
4.5 stars
May 29, 2021
They’re all pretty basic stories with a touch of black magic
May 7, 2023
desi rooney.
3.75/5
3.75/5
July 1, 2023
The mysteries in this book had the potential to be solved, and the lives of the characters could have been interconnected
January 19, 2024
Loved the writing and the unpunctuated dialogues but the open endings just weren't my thing. 🙄 Need a definite ending to everything or I won't be getting a night's sleep.
February 13, 2025
One of the books you'd pick up for casual reading that grows onto you. It has these intertwined fragments that make it pretty. The characters are relatable. Their stories offbeat.
February 21, 2024
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and often found myself loosing to the flow of mesmerising writing of the book but despite the fact I found it a little difficult to get through it fast. It was a slow read, but each minute spent reading it was worth it. Each story revolved around a different character however all characters were somehow linked. All stories are also from different timelines. Its like we get to read snippets of lives of all friends from their lives at different times.
This at times reminded me of jhumpa lahiri and I utterly enjoyed this lyrical prose. Reading this felt like a breath of fresh air. I would want to read more by the author in future ❤️
[jhumpa lahiri, sarvat haisn, literary fiction, book review, pakistani book]
September 28, 2021
Short, thrilling & the best wtf book I've read this year.
I don't read horror and I particularly don't like books that leave me with unanswered questions. BUT.
I liked that about this book. So that's saying a lot.
The writing style was also super interesting & unique but very easy to get into.
I don't read horror and I particularly don't like books that leave me with unanswered questions. BUT.
I liked that about this book. So that's saying a lot.
The writing style was also super interesting & unique but very easy to get into.
January 22, 2019
A set of interlinked stories that show the desires, fears and doubts one lives with growing in a changing, yet conservative society.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews