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Saudade
Very often, the most interesting stories are those that are not told. They need to be felt, heard with the heart and mind, deciphered from between the lines. Saudade, in essence, is a collection of 9 short stories centred around the lives of people from different walks of life, shaped by circumstance and traditional conformance.
These tales are subtle, but can change the way the story ends. As with Che Guevera's Legacy, where a young boy is forced to come to terms with the reality of political idealism. In The Inscrutable Case of a Lilac Saree, Zuhara Ammaye, bogged down by the loneliness of old age, struggles with the reality of her predicament. The shocking tale of sexual abuse of a young boy in My Name is Arif Mushtaq and I am Gay, where happiness is finally found and yet horrifically lost. Or the paranormal powers of a young woman in Beevitha and the mysterious events that unfold.
All the stories are set in Kerala, imbuing the Islamic culture and way of life of the region with the subtle use of language, an understanding of local politics and a sensitivity to tradition.
Husna is a writer, poet and freelance content strategist. She is a dentist by profession, with a journalism degree. She abandoned a lucrative career to follow her dream of being a full time writer. Her first book, My Lyrical Symphony, an anthology of eclectic poems, was published in 2008. Husna currently resides in the picturesque coastal town of Cochin, Kerala, in southern India.
These tales are subtle, but can change the way the story ends. As with Che Guevera's Legacy, where a young boy is forced to come to terms with the reality of political idealism. In The Inscrutable Case of a Lilac Saree, Zuhara Ammaye, bogged down by the loneliness of old age, struggles with the reality of her predicament. The shocking tale of sexual abuse of a young boy in My Name is Arif Mushtaq and I am Gay, where happiness is finally found and yet horrifically lost. Or the paranormal powers of a young woman in Beevitha and the mysterious events that unfold.
All the stories are set in Kerala, imbuing the Islamic culture and way of life of the region with the subtle use of language, an understanding of local politics and a sensitivity to tradition.
Husna is a writer, poet and freelance content strategist. She is a dentist by profession, with a journalism degree. She abandoned a lucrative career to follow her dream of being a full time writer. Her first book, My Lyrical Symphony, an anthology of eclectic poems, was published in 2008. Husna currently resides in the picturesque coastal town of Cochin, Kerala, in southern India.
149 pages, Paperback
Published January 1, 2017
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
March 15, 2018
A series of nine stories, set in God's own country-Kerala, Husna takes us on a picturesque ride through this book. The stories are suffused with the Islamic culture, the quaint towns of Kerala, and conformity to traditions.
For me, Saudade was all about the characters. The author has crafted the characters in a way that seems to be inspired by her own experiences. The myriad subjects(from political idealism to sexual abuse) she touches through this 158 pages long book is commendable. What is interesting is the relatability one finds with some of these characters; you may have met them, you may have observed them, you probably are living with them (Like how Najla reminded me of a mentor I had).
I will quote a line from the book, "but when you write, there has to be that element of emotion that will bind the reader irrevocably to your stories." Saudade is an embodiment of the same; as a reader, if you are able to feel the emotions (maybe not intensely), the author has succeeded. Coming to the language, it's lucid and homely. But, the thing that put me off was the proofreading errors and yes, syntax errors here and there (always a bummer for me).
Saudade is a light and quick read, which has the ability to drive your latent emotions; somehow the experiences could resonate with your own. Apart from that, if you want to breathe in the culture of Kerala, this is a perfect read for cosy Sunday evenings.
Original rating: 3.5
For me, Saudade was all about the characters. The author has crafted the characters in a way that seems to be inspired by her own experiences. The myriad subjects(from political idealism to sexual abuse) she touches through this 158 pages long book is commendable. What is interesting is the relatability one finds with some of these characters; you may have met them, you may have observed them, you probably are living with them (Like how Najla reminded me of a mentor I had).
I will quote a line from the book, "but when you write, there has to be that element of emotion that will bind the reader irrevocably to your stories." Saudade is an embodiment of the same; as a reader, if you are able to feel the emotions (maybe not intensely), the author has succeeded. Coming to the language, it's lucid and homely. But, the thing that put me off was the proofreading errors and yes, syntax errors here and there (always a bummer for me).
Saudade is a light and quick read, which has the ability to drive your latent emotions; somehow the experiences could resonate with your own. Apart from that, if you want to breathe in the culture of Kerala, this is a perfect read for cosy Sunday evenings.
Original rating: 3.5
December 24, 2017
This year, I am have read very few short stories collections. Recent addition being Saudade written by creative Indian Writer, Husna Mohammad. Saudade is a collection nine different stories that cover a variety of topics but every one of them share same geographical location: Kerela, Southern India. Thus, the first thing mentioned by the author is the meaning of the word Saudade, which mostly sums up this collection of stories.
Short stories certainly mean different plots and these stories are centred around the lives of people from different walks of life and shaped by their own fate and circumstance. Starting from local political idealism where a young boy is forced whose sole inspiration is Che Guevera's legacy is forced to come to terms with reality. Then moving on to a story full of illusions and probably witchcraft, with the stories covering themes like loneliness of old age, struggles with reality, sensitivity of a tradition and the last one (one of my favourites from this book) is about a young boy who is sexually molested.
I have to compliment the author of the book on her understanding of variety of themes and then transforming them with her creative imagination into written pieces such that we, readers, could feel those emotions that the author wrote with. The writing style is smooth and highly appreciable. The narrative voice is a mixture of third and first person but mostly third. The formation of characters in these stories are at their best but again, I will put much emphasis on the vastness of storylines and how realistic they are.
My favourite picks from this book are Che Guevera's Legacy because of the historical point of view and conflicting political ideologies, Beevitha, for the imaginative touch, The Diary of an Insomniac and My name is Arif Mushtaq and I am Gay. These written pieces are a must read for any reader. Not only these pieces provide an outlook of Indian society as a whole but also they are well written with a flow and showcase different yet important themes.
4 out of 5
Short stories certainly mean different plots and these stories are centred around the lives of people from different walks of life and shaped by their own fate and circumstance. Starting from local political idealism where a young boy is forced whose sole inspiration is Che Guevera's legacy is forced to come to terms with reality. Then moving on to a story full of illusions and probably witchcraft, with the stories covering themes like loneliness of old age, struggles with reality, sensitivity of a tradition and the last one (one of my favourites from this book) is about a young boy who is sexually molested.
I have to compliment the author of the book on her understanding of variety of themes and then transforming them with her creative imagination into written pieces such that we, readers, could feel those emotions that the author wrote with. The writing style is smooth and highly appreciable. The narrative voice is a mixture of third and first person but mostly third. The formation of characters in these stories are at their best but again, I will put much emphasis on the vastness of storylines and how realistic they are.
My favourite picks from this book are Che Guevera's Legacy because of the historical point of view and conflicting political ideologies, Beevitha, for the imaginative touch, The Diary of an Insomniac and My name is Arif Mushtaq and I am Gay. These written pieces are a must read for any reader. Not only these pieces provide an outlook of Indian society as a whole but also they are well written with a flow and showcase different yet important themes.
4 out of 5
July 3, 2022
This year, I am have read very few short stories collections. Recent addition being Saudade written by creative Indian Writer, Husna Mohammad. Saudade is a collection nine different stories that cover a variety of topics but every one of them share same geographical location: Kerela, Southern India. Thus, the first thing mentioned by the author is the meaning of the word Saudade, which mostly sums up this collection of stories.
Short stories certainly mean different plots and these stories are centred around the lives of people from different walks of life and shaped by their own fate and circumstance. Starting from local political idealism where a young boy is forced whose sole inspiration is Che Guevera's legacy is forced to come to terms with reality. Then moving on to a story full of illusions and probably witchcraft, with the stories covering themes like loneliness of old age, struggles with reality, sensitivity of a tradition and the last one (one of my favourites from this book) is about a young boy who is sexually molested.
I have to compliment the author of the book on her understanding of variety of themes and then transforming them with her creative imagination into written pieces such that we, readers, could feel those emotions that the author wrote with. The writing style is smooth and highly appreciable. The narrative voice is a mixture of third and first person but mostly third. The formation of characters in these stories are at their best but again, I will put much emphasis on the vastness of storylines and how realistic they are.
My favourite picks from this book are Che Guevera's Legacy because of the historical point of view and conflicting political ideologies, Beevitha, for the imaginative touch, The Diary of an Insomniac and My name is Arif Mushtaq and I am Gay. These written pieces are a must read for any reader. Not only these pieces provide an outlook of Indian society as a whole but also they are well written with a flow and showcase different yet important themes.
4 out of 5
Short stories certainly mean different plots and these stories are centred around the lives of people from different walks of life and shaped by their own fate and circumstance. Starting from local political idealism where a young boy is forced whose sole inspiration is Che Guevera's legacy is forced to come to terms with reality. Then moving on to a story full of illusions and probably witchcraft, with the stories covering themes like loneliness of old age, struggles with reality, sensitivity of a tradition and the last one (one of my favourites from this book) is about a young boy who is sexually molested.
I have to compliment the author of the book on her understanding of variety of themes and then transforming them with her creative imagination into written pieces such that we, readers, could feel those emotions that the author wrote with. The writing style is smooth and highly appreciable. The narrative voice is a mixture of third and first person but mostly third. The formation of characters in these stories are at their best but again, I will put much emphasis on the vastness of storylines and how realistic they are.
My favourite picks from this book are Che Guevera's Legacy because of the historical point of view and conflicting political ideologies, Beevitha, for the imaginative touch, The Diary of an Insomniac and My name is Arif Mushtaq and I am Gay. These written pieces are a must read for any reader. Not only these pieces provide an outlook of Indian society as a whole but also they are well written with a flow and showcase different yet important themes.
4 out of 5
February 18, 2018
Rating : 2.2/5
From the very beginning of Husna Mohammad's collection of short stories, 'Saudade', the words that played in my mind were "interesting" and "potential". The author seems extremely well-versed in providing descriptions of certain places which serve as settings to central events in each story, and the web of human lives and the dynamics that result from these, at each place. There is a sense that each character is inspired from, or is built from, a piece of someone whom she knew from her own life, or that certain events in her stories were grafted and carefully grown from stories she has heard herself, or experiences she has gone through. There is the constant sense that the author is someone who has immersed herself both in the tonal vocabulary of Malayalam literature and the means of expression of English literature. The protagonists seem like ones we may have met in our own lives, knew at some point, maybe, or have seen in other stories and yet are transplanted or brought, somehow, into the earthy, sometimes half-surreal settings in Kerala.
Yet each story tends to remain confined to that: "potential". There is no sense of an exact climax in any story. Although the ingredients for it are certainly present at some juncture of each story, they seemed to come out as unfulfilled, at the end, for me. Yet another issue was the grammatical errors and proofreading and editing lapses: sometimes a missing hyphen where it should be, minor syntax errors or a stray set of quote marks printed where it has no business.
'Saudade' would probably be marked as a coffee-time read on a comfortable evening, and an interesting book to look to if one wishes to experience the sense of an amalgamation of voices one has heard in Malayalam literature bloom within the English language, if ephemerally. For those unfamiliar with the scene, it's a good book to get a nominal feel for the culture of Kerala and the people of it.
From the very beginning of Husna Mohammad's collection of short stories, 'Saudade', the words that played in my mind were "interesting" and "potential". The author seems extremely well-versed in providing descriptions of certain places which serve as settings to central events in each story, and the web of human lives and the dynamics that result from these, at each place. There is a sense that each character is inspired from, or is built from, a piece of someone whom she knew from her own life, or that certain events in her stories were grafted and carefully grown from stories she has heard herself, or experiences she has gone through. There is the constant sense that the author is someone who has immersed herself both in the tonal vocabulary of Malayalam literature and the means of expression of English literature. The protagonists seem like ones we may have met in our own lives, knew at some point, maybe, or have seen in other stories and yet are transplanted or brought, somehow, into the earthy, sometimes half-surreal settings in Kerala.
Yet each story tends to remain confined to that: "potential". There is no sense of an exact climax in any story. Although the ingredients for it are certainly present at some juncture of each story, they seemed to come out as unfulfilled, at the end, for me. Yet another issue was the grammatical errors and proofreading and editing lapses: sometimes a missing hyphen where it should be, minor syntax errors or a stray set of quote marks printed where it has no business.
'Saudade' would probably be marked as a coffee-time read on a comfortable evening, and an interesting book to look to if one wishes to experience the sense of an amalgamation of voices one has heard in Malayalam literature bloom within the English language, if ephemerally. For those unfamiliar with the scene, it's a good book to get a nominal feel for the culture of Kerala and the people of it.
October 19, 2018
A 152-page book, one which you can finish in a total of two hours if you have the time. I took the same time, but over two days though. A light and fast read, it is a perfect travel companion or for a cosy evening. After reading two heavyweights, Yuval Noah Harari, and U R Ananthamurthy, Saudade was a great break as well. :-)
I liked some of the stories, and I love, most of all, her leaving the story open-ended so to speak. I'd have liked to see more about the Islamic culture, the practices, it was too subtle for my liking. Some of the stories a well plotted out and they evoke a lot of emotions in the reader ranging from joy, empathy, happiness, chagrin and so on. However, I think they could have been developed a little more in the course of the story. The best among the lot is My Name is Arif Mushtaq, and I am Gay. This story has a lot of things that could have been developed into a great story from the good one that it is.
Coming to the style, I love the fact that she doesn't resort to unnecessary embellishment in her descriptions, but I do have an issue with the slightly laboured descriptions. (Contradictory, I know) However, a very subjective opinion - as a Malayalee, the descriptions didn't take me back home. As I said earlier, these stories evoke a lot of emotions, so as a writer, Husna has succeeded!
I liked some of the stories, and I love, most of all, her leaving the story open-ended so to speak. I'd have liked to see more about the Islamic culture, the practices, it was too subtle for my liking. Some of the stories a well plotted out and they evoke a lot of emotions in the reader ranging from joy, empathy, happiness, chagrin and so on. However, I think they could have been developed a little more in the course of the story. The best among the lot is My Name is Arif Mushtaq, and I am Gay. This story has a lot of things that could have been developed into a great story from the good one that it is.
Coming to the style, I love the fact that she doesn't resort to unnecessary embellishment in her descriptions, but I do have an issue with the slightly laboured descriptions. (Contradictory, I know) However, a very subjective opinion - as a Malayalee, the descriptions didn't take me back home. As I said earlier, these stories evoke a lot of emotions, so as a writer, Husna has succeeded!
February 6, 2018
Saudade, a collection of 9 beautiful short stories of different themes. The best is that the way the author narrates every single moments. From the very first story, we start our journey through various emotions, moments and feelings we once had. By the last story, the whole thing touches the deepest corner of our heart, awaking the memories and feelings which are hidden. The short story Beevitha took me on an adventurous trip and locked me up in a trance. "A walk in the Rain", "The Diary of an Insomniac" and "My name is Arif Mushtaq and I'm gay" are my favourites of the collection. These stories took me through a different emotional state. The long pause and silence I had between two stories is the best possible way I can appreciate the author. Putting the reader in silence while he fights to control the tears is the best possible way to say that the reader attached himself to each and every words in the story. In all sense, the book "Saudade" showed justice in every possible way and to it's name too. I can sum up the whole review about the book in just one word, bliss. Saudade is an absolute bliss.
May 7, 2018
Each story takes you to different state of emotion, and some takes you under many emotions in one story. It’s commendable on author’s part that the roughness of characters are kept in it. Characters are flawed, and yet their stories will make you like them. The language is simple and no extra heavy words are put in to show off. As the stories are based on Kerala, the culture, places are well researched off.
The only thing that didn’t worked for me was Grammatical errors. The book need more editing.
This book is perfect coffee-read on any evening and you should read if given a chance. Author Husna has tried so much to convey in these compilation of short stories.
Check full review on :
https://smileaturself.wordpress.com/2...
The only thing that didn’t worked for me was Grammatical errors. The book need more editing.
This book is perfect coffee-read on any evening and you should read if given a chance. Author Husna has tried so much to convey in these compilation of short stories.
Check full review on :
https://smileaturself.wordpress.com/2...
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews