THE INVISIBLES

by Zia Jaffrey

296 pages, Paperback

Published July 14, 1997

About the author

Zia Jaffrey is the author of The Invisibles: A Tale of the Eunuchs of India, and is writing a book on AIDS in South Africa. She has covered the Palestinian/Israeli conflict, the global AIDS pandemic, South Africa’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission hearings, and Pakistan under General Musharraf, and has written cover stories, features, and book reviews for numerous publications, including The New York Times, The Nation, The Village Voice, Harper's Bazaar, and Mother Jones, among others. She teaches international fiction and non-fiction in The New School’s M.F.A. program.

from newschool.edu

Reviews

[Fla · Rating 4 out of 5]

Even though it is a very specific topic, to which not everyone could be interested in, I found this book to be engaging and at the same time scientifically-based. The author conducts a true research about the transgender Indian subculture - named Hijras- and provides a complete overlooking about the historical, cultural, legal and social characteristics of the so-called “third sex”.

The book also includes some photos taken by the author during her encounters with the hijras that constitute an additional element to this reportage.

I really appreciated the linguistic style, easy and fluent, sometimes reporting the characters’ way of speaking -with a strong Indian English accent- in order to be more realistic.

Just one bad aspect: it could have been more synthetic and less repetitive in some parts.

Definitely recommended if you’re interested in knowing more about India and its rich subcultures.