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Desi Distancing: One woman's journey from society to sanity
Desi Distancing is a light, satirical, almost auto-biographical account of a young Pakistani woman's life as she struggles with whatever society throws her way. It will make you laugh out loud because of the insanely funny conversations and stories but at the same time will make you realize the atrocities people and the society make you go through and how to live through them to tell the tale! In short it will help you stay safely distanced from the dangerous in Desi! About the Sarah Fawad, also known as the satire queen on social media, has been making thousands laugh at her comical yet very relatable writings about society, motherhood and people around her through her writings. She is famous for drawing up very real instances and examples, witty conversations included, in both her native language Urdu and in English too. She holds a Master's degree in English literature, has written for her local newspaper, is a full time blogger, mother of three, and has traveled to more than a dozen countries, reliving her experiences in her writings.
89 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 6, 2020
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44 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
December 10, 2020
Do I even dare?
Trust me, I so want to review this book, and at the same time I’m scared to review it. It’s not that I can’t, that’s not even a problem. But at the same time, describing the impact a book leaves on people can be difficult, and that's exactly what's happened here with Desi Distancing. So, let’s take it one step at the time, then.
First, the title. This is what really hooked me, because I could understand exactly what the author wanted to accomplish. Being an introvert myself, I find it incredibly challenging to navigate through the murky waters of desi society, and often use my excuse of social awkwardness to avoid such interactions altogether. That doesn’t mean other people don’t suffer through them, and this title is bound to catch the attention of even a non-reader and make them wonder: “I can so relate to that.”
Add to it the absolutely groovy cover design with all the brightest colors that make it a vividly alluring treat. The artwork looks incredibly artsy like a comic book and depicts it to be fun and amusing at first. Then the subtle messages in the artwork itself show that the author and illustrator paid extra special attention to ensure the real tone of the book would be communicated to anyone and everyone.
Which brings us to the next aspect: the tone. Make no mistake; this isn’t for the faint of heart. I’m talking unfiltered, unrestrained, unapologetic levels of sarcasm and wit that is bound to make you feel relieved and offended. And that is the goal here: to peel off the layers upon layers of quirks and habits we’ve come to take as normal and look for a different person underneath it all. And once those layers do come off, the results may shock you.
How is that tone conveyed? This brings us to the content and writing itself. For one thing, this doesn’t read much like a book in the conventional sense. Which makes it a problem for me, as those who know me will attest, as I had to shut off at least half a dozen OCDs just to not start correcting the grammar and punctuation. Heck, I’d even do a free proofread at this point, but that’s not how this book was supposed to be portrayed. As an amalgamation of English and Urdu, this book is ideally suited for a more social-media savvy reader, with its mixed-language phrases and short paragraphs, and those twitter-screenshot-message like bits of quotations that hit right in the feels. Not to mention the desi phrases, expressions, thoughts, and quotations from all the random uncles and aunties, and extended family members, and frienemies who are featured heavily and with no regrets whatsoever.
But the in-your-face tone is just the first half of every single issue that’s covered here. Because highlighting the issues isn’t the only goal, and certainly not how one is going to peel the layers off. No, there have to be solutions or workarounds or at least realizations to these problems at hand. Woes everyone is familiar with such as bullying, shaming, patriarchy, sexism, apathy, deceptions, character assassination, gossiping, parenting and in-lawing, (lol, love that one!) judgmental behavior and what have you, are dealt with observations, real-life examples and recommendations that will make you either nod your head in agreement or grab flaming torches and pitchforks in an angry mob. Either way, the book makes the desired impact.
All in all, this is a fun ride into the inner workings of the world we all know and love, with a dash too much radical honesty for most tastes. And that’s the best part about the whole experience in my opinion, and exactly why I'd recommend this book to anyone and everyone.
Trust me, I so want to review this book, and at the same time I’m scared to review it. It’s not that I can’t, that’s not even a problem. But at the same time, describing the impact a book leaves on people can be difficult, and that's exactly what's happened here with Desi Distancing. So, let’s take it one step at the time, then.
First, the title. This is what really hooked me, because I could understand exactly what the author wanted to accomplish. Being an introvert myself, I find it incredibly challenging to navigate through the murky waters of desi society, and often use my excuse of social awkwardness to avoid such interactions altogether. That doesn’t mean other people don’t suffer through them, and this title is bound to catch the attention of even a non-reader and make them wonder: “I can so relate to that.”
Add to it the absolutely groovy cover design with all the brightest colors that make it a vividly alluring treat. The artwork looks incredibly artsy like a comic book and depicts it to be fun and amusing at first. Then the subtle messages in the artwork itself show that the author and illustrator paid extra special attention to ensure the real tone of the book would be communicated to anyone and everyone.
Which brings us to the next aspect: the tone. Make no mistake; this isn’t for the faint of heart. I’m talking unfiltered, unrestrained, unapologetic levels of sarcasm and wit that is bound to make you feel relieved and offended. And that is the goal here: to peel off the layers upon layers of quirks and habits we’ve come to take as normal and look for a different person underneath it all. And once those layers do come off, the results may shock you.
How is that tone conveyed? This brings us to the content and writing itself. For one thing, this doesn’t read much like a book in the conventional sense. Which makes it a problem for me, as those who know me will attest, as I had to shut off at least half a dozen OCDs just to not start correcting the grammar and punctuation. Heck, I’d even do a free proofread at this point, but that’s not how this book was supposed to be portrayed. As an amalgamation of English and Urdu, this book is ideally suited for a more social-media savvy reader, with its mixed-language phrases and short paragraphs, and those twitter-screenshot-message like bits of quotations that hit right in the feels. Not to mention the desi phrases, expressions, thoughts, and quotations from all the random uncles and aunties, and extended family members, and frienemies who are featured heavily and with no regrets whatsoever.
But the in-your-face tone is just the first half of every single issue that’s covered here. Because highlighting the issues isn’t the only goal, and certainly not how one is going to peel the layers off. No, there have to be solutions or workarounds or at least realizations to these problems at hand. Woes everyone is familiar with such as bullying, shaming, patriarchy, sexism, apathy, deceptions, character assassination, gossiping, parenting and in-lawing, (lol, love that one!) judgmental behavior and what have you, are dealt with observations, real-life examples and recommendations that will make you either nod your head in agreement or grab flaming torches and pitchforks in an angry mob. Either way, the book makes the desired impact.
All in all, this is a fun ride into the inner workings of the world we all know and love, with a dash too much radical honesty for most tastes. And that’s the best part about the whole experience in my opinion, and exactly why I'd recommend this book to anyone and everyone.
January 22, 2021
Amazing work. I’ve read Sarah’s work many times and this book is just what her short work is all about. This is so on-brand for her skill as a satirist. The Pakistani society is so nuanced that assuming it’s all good or bad is naïveté. Sarah explains that. If you want to know what “being desi” means then do read and learn.
April 29, 2021
📚 Book Review (Desi Distancing by Sarah Fawad ) 📚
.
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/ 5
Publishing Year: 2020
Genre: Sociography, Autobiography
Page Count: 100 pages
.
Synopsis:
This book tells us how to stay away from Desi Traditions that have no moral and Islamic Values in the most humorous way possible. Starting from the introduction about herself and her reason to write it, this book extends and discusses every issue that you must have heard or seen living in a Desi Society. It discusses bullying, introverts, social media, woman empowerment issues, pre and post-marriage issues, the in-laws and their behaviour in the funniest way. It also highlights depression and shows that how is it not a joke. The author also gives 5-6 desi-est examples with every concept to help us understand better. Sarah Fawad beautifully explains the philosophies of Socrates and Confucius and also mentions many fictional characters Mr Bean, Voldemort, Tom and Jerry, etc which makes the book even more interesting. The author shows her love for Pakistan too and shows how kind its people are! Her philosophy is that a society can progress if we find its problems and solve them. It is just an overview. The choices of words and the examples used in the book will make you cry due to laughter.
.
Review:
Ok! So, after reading the title of the book, I first thought that it would be a book about western feminism. But NO! I was completely wrong! This book doesn't just revolve around the title, it is way more than that! In fact, it is the most versatile non-fiction book that I've ever read. This book is in two languages because some typical Pakistani one-liners can't have the same effect if translated into English. I laughed a lot while reading this book. Jokes and lines that we are all familiar with made me hit my hand on my thighs hard and feel as if I had a leg day. The Author also justified everything. Overall it was a great read. A must recommendation for every Pakistani Citizen. It is a very light read and easy to understand.
.
Favorite Quote:
"Listen to what they are saying, rather than listening to what you think they are saying."
.
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/ 5
Publishing Year: 2020
Genre: Sociography, Autobiography
Page Count: 100 pages
.
Synopsis:
This book tells us how to stay away from Desi Traditions that have no moral and Islamic Values in the most humorous way possible. Starting from the introduction about herself and her reason to write it, this book extends and discusses every issue that you must have heard or seen living in a Desi Society. It discusses bullying, introverts, social media, woman empowerment issues, pre and post-marriage issues, the in-laws and their behaviour in the funniest way. It also highlights depression and shows that how is it not a joke. The author also gives 5-6 desi-est examples with every concept to help us understand better. Sarah Fawad beautifully explains the philosophies of Socrates and Confucius and also mentions many fictional characters Mr Bean, Voldemort, Tom and Jerry, etc which makes the book even more interesting. The author shows her love for Pakistan too and shows how kind its people are! Her philosophy is that a society can progress if we find its problems and solve them. It is just an overview. The choices of words and the examples used in the book will make you cry due to laughter.
.
Review:
Ok! So, after reading the title of the book, I first thought that it would be a book about western feminism. But NO! I was completely wrong! This book doesn't just revolve around the title, it is way more than that! In fact, it is the most versatile non-fiction book that I've ever read. This book is in two languages because some typical Pakistani one-liners can't have the same effect if translated into English. I laughed a lot while reading this book. Jokes and lines that we are all familiar with made me hit my hand on my thighs hard and feel as if I had a leg day. The Author also justified everything. Overall it was a great read. A must recommendation for every Pakistani Citizen. It is a very light read and easy to understand.
.
Favorite Quote:
"Listen to what they are saying, rather than listening to what you think they are saying."
April 7, 2021
⭐ I promise and so does author, it talks about the most serious social issues prevailing in desi societies in such a light and fun manner that it doesn't feel heavy on our nerves.
⭐ It talks about the topics which are part of our day to day routine and we hardly pay attention to them becuase they have become the part of our life and have made us numb, we dont take them seriously. If somebody get enough courage to talk about them we shut them out.
⭐It talks about almost every Social and desi issues such as judging other people, sympathizing (empathize karnay ka to khair pata e nai na) in a way that the stress seems heavier more thn ever, comparing achievements, even day to day simple tasks, trying our best to make inferior others, toxic people, wanna-be parents (I liked this term and its definition) generation gap issues, parental problems and what not.
⭐Although, this book claims not to be a self help book but I find it very helpful and kind of like a guidance book to make our way through society. It gives you real life examples (some are taken from author s life) which are highly relatable and then at the end give you a blunt and nontraditional advice to face that situation. I know I am not gonna apply all of them but they are fun to read.
⭐ I am pretty sure, you will complete this book in a day or two and might give you a hearty laugh several times. So, give it a read and thank author to pointing out serious social issues with such a lighter tone.
⭐The only thing I didn't like about this book is it covers way too many topics, although they all were interlinked but I would have liked better if the few topics were covered with more details. Also, i felt few examples were exaggerated. Few I couldn't relate becuase I am not married.. but I believe author is right about it, too
⭐ It talks about the topics which are part of our day to day routine and we hardly pay attention to them becuase they have become the part of our life and have made us numb, we dont take them seriously. If somebody get enough courage to talk about them we shut them out.
⭐It talks about almost every Social and desi issues such as judging other people, sympathizing (empathize karnay ka to khair pata e nai na) in a way that the stress seems heavier more thn ever, comparing achievements, even day to day simple tasks, trying our best to make inferior others, toxic people, wanna-be parents (I liked this term and its definition) generation gap issues, parental problems and what not.
⭐Although, this book claims not to be a self help book but I find it very helpful and kind of like a guidance book to make our way through society. It gives you real life examples (some are taken from author s life) which are highly relatable and then at the end give you a blunt and nontraditional advice to face that situation. I know I am not gonna apply all of them but they are fun to read.
⭐ I am pretty sure, you will complete this book in a day or two and might give you a hearty laugh several times. So, give it a read and thank author to pointing out serious social issues with such a lighter tone.
⭐The only thing I didn't like about this book is it covers way too many topics, although they all were interlinked but I would have liked better if the few topics were covered with more details. Also, i felt few examples were exaggerated. Few I couldn't relate becuase I am not married.. but I believe author is right about it, too
August 27, 2021
5 stars for the Pakistani-ness of it
This is a light read. A young woman's hilarious account of navigating the vicissitudes of the mine ridden Pakistani societal landscape. While there's no dearth of self help or rant inspired literature, what stands out about this one is how well it caters to the Pakistani experience. I laughed more than once at the number of obvious modes of decorum that still need to be spelled out to the average desi/Pakistani. If you like quick, easy reads with a desi touch, you would like this one.
This is a light read. A young woman's hilarious account of navigating the vicissitudes of the mine ridden Pakistani societal landscape. While there's no dearth of self help or rant inspired literature, what stands out about this one is how well it caters to the Pakistani experience. I laughed more than once at the number of obvious modes of decorum that still need to be spelled out to the average desi/Pakistani. If you like quick, easy reads with a desi touch, you would like this one.
January 28, 2021
This book comes from an author who is Pakistani and knows the middle class Pakistani women and the troubles she faces. Don't worry this is not yet another book from a Pakistani author describing the patriarchal society, instead this book by the famous queen of Satire, Sarah Fawad is a breath of fresh air. It is funny, witty and light hearted.
Highly recommended for readers who enjoyed Mrs. funny bones but at the same time I can vouch that this read is 1000 times better than that book.
Highly recommended for readers who enjoyed Mrs. funny bones but at the same time I can vouch that this read is 1000 times better than that book.
April 25, 2021
This was the shortest book I’ve read in 2021, initially it sounded like a 100 pages long rant but then eventually it became a lot more than just satire with the useful anecdotes here and there. Overall I loved the light hearted theme with which all subjects were approached. If you’re the desi this book is talking about then beware, there are some really hard pills to swallow for you in it.
April 2, 2021
This book is about our Desi society and how they react to different situations. I can relate to that and I think most of us face these kind of situations in family gatherings, professional meetings and with friends etc. The writing style is really good, the roman Urdu excerpts: as sometimes we can't express the true nature of Situation or punch lines in Angrazi. That was really a nice touch. I really liked it. Cover is stunning, Colors and graphics are really amazing. Overall a fun ride and I’d recommend this book to anyone interested what being desi means.
October 31, 2021
"Itni moti kyun horahi ho, Kia hawa bhee lagrahi hay?" " Shadi kab kar rahi ho?" "AJ kal ghar walay kuch khanay ko nahi detay?" "Koi good news hay?" Followed by a 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
How often we listen to such snide remarks being thrown our way in the name of humour, curiosity or well wishing 🤢 but nobody bothers to check the level of hurt inflicted to the listener.
Similar desi issues and how to socially distance ourselves from them is very astoundingly discussed by Sarah D Fawad in her book "Desi Distancing ". The perfect taste of satire and minor examples from everyday life make it all relatable. At times while going through it, I was like arey ye tou mein hon.
In short, Sarah is exactly the other side of me. Whatever I want to express is already penned down in the book. She is a word-mouth of many people in the society. Therefore, I give full marks to the book.
How often we listen to such snide remarks being thrown our way in the name of humour, curiosity or well wishing 🤢 but nobody bothers to check the level of hurt inflicted to the listener.
Similar desi issues and how to socially distance ourselves from them is very astoundingly discussed by Sarah D Fawad in her book "Desi Distancing ". The perfect taste of satire and minor examples from everyday life make it all relatable. At times while going through it, I was like arey ye tou mein hon.
In short, Sarah is exactly the other side of me. Whatever I want to express is already penned down in the book. She is a word-mouth of many people in the society. Therefore, I give full marks to the book.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews