The Dog of Tithwal: Stories

by Saadat Hasan Manto, Vijay Seshadri (Foreword), Khalid Hasan (Translator)

“[Manto’s] empathy and narrative economy invite comparisons with Chekhov. These readable, idiomatic translations have all the agile swiftness and understated poignancy that parallel suggests." ---Boyd Tonkin, Wall Street JournalStories from "the undisputed master of the modern Indian short story" encircling the marginalized, forgotten lives of Bombay, set against the backdrop of the India-Pakistan Partition (Salman Rushdie)By far the most comprehensive collection of stories by this 20th Century master available in English. A master of the short story, Saadat Hasan Manto opens a window onto Bombay’s demimonde—its prostitutes, rickshaw drivers, artists, and strays as well probing the pain and bewilderment of the Hindus, Muslims, and Sikhs ripped apart by the India-Pakistan Partition. Manto is best known for his dry-eyed examination of the violence, horrors, and reverberations from the Partition. From a stray dog caught in the crossfire at the fresh border of India and Pakistan, to friendly neighbors turned enemy soldiers pausing for tea together in a momentary cease fire—Manto shines incandescent light into hidden corners with an unflinching gaze, and a fierce humanism. With a foreword by Pulitzer Prize–winning poet Vijay Seshadri, these stories are essential reading for our current moment where divisiveness is erupting into violence in so many parts of the world.

Genres: Short Stories, India, Fiction, Pakistan, Asia, Historical Fiction, War

416 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1947

About the author

Saadat Hasan Manto (Urdu: سعادت حسن منٹو, Hindi: सआदत हसन मंटो), the most widely read and the most controversial short-story writer in Urdu, was born on 11 May 1912 at Sambrala in Punjab's Ludhiana District. In a writing career spanning over two decades he produced twenty-two collections of short stories, one novel, five collections of radio plays, three collections of essays, two collections of reminiscences and many scripts for films. He was tried for obscenity half a dozen times, thrice before and thrice after independence. Not always was he acquitted. Some of Manto's greatest work was produced in the last seven years of his life, a time of great financial and emotional hardship for him. He died a few months short of his forty-third birthday, in January 1955, in Lahore.

Reviews

[Ilse · Rating 5 out of 5]

They were living a pretension and they were quite happy with it. Saugandhi had argued to herself that, if one was unable to buy real gold, one might as well settle for what looked like gold.
(From A Woman’s Life)

When I chanced upon this book I was excited to read it, as I vividly recall reading a friend’s fabulous introduction to Manto’s stories in her review of the collection Bitter Fruit: The Very Best of Saadat Hasan Manto.

Saadat Hasan Manto (1912-1955) was born in the Punjab and lived and worked as a screenwriter in Bombay and Delhi before moving to Lahore in 1948. He wrote radio dramas, essay collections, one novel and a handful of film scripts and 22 collections of short stories. He is best remembered for his stories on the India-Pakistan Partition and regarded as the greatest chronicler of this ugly episode in the region’s history, exposing and denunciating the brutality and sheer absurdity of it.

The scope of the stories selected from this collection is broader than the tribulations of communalism and covers other aspects of life in India at those times(1919-1947) as well, also holding stories focussing for instance on the position of women, the relations between men and women or stories which are dressed in a more absurd, dreamlike or even slightly comical attire (as in the sarcastic God-Man, poking fun at religion and superstition).



Apart from the rare moments in which sweetness of life or a romantic mood (Kingdom’s End strikes a character, the language is mostly unadorned, laconic and precise – a pared-down way of storytelling that perfectly suits the often raw substance of the stories, which wouldn’t attune with any softening by flowery language.

The 32 stories in this collection have been translated from Urdu into English by four different translators. Many deal with the Partition, the maddening communal violence, the brutality and inhumanity of its repercussions on ordinary people, showing how Muslim, Hindu an Sikh neighbours, friends, army comrades are torn apart and pushed to take sides and fight each other (like in the titular story The dog of Tithwal and in the haunting closing story The last salute in which friends formerly fighting united in the same army now find each other on opposite sides, or in his perhaps most renowned story Tobha Tek Singh, in which the residents of an asylum have to be transferred and distributed over the two new countries according to their religious obedience and an old man cannot fathom his home village is simply wiped out from the map and history – as he is himself). These stories and the atrocities they document are disconcerting to read, to say the least. The bitterness of Manto about Partition is tangible, the stories are sharp and wounding like shrapnel.

Other stories refer to the freedom movement and the Jallianwala Bagh Massacre which took place in Amritsar in 1919 (Manto was seven at the time) as a tipping point in rising Indian national consciousness. Some stories evoke the stamina and resilience one needs to live and to earn in a living in the big city. Moving back and forth between pimps, petty criminals, prostitutes and the big city’s intellectual and artistic circles, Manto takes the reader from Amritsar to Bombay as a painter of life as it was lived in the vibrant streets of the big city, throbbing with life – and with melancholy.

Some of the gut-wrenching endings reminded me of the lugubrious stories of Guy de Maupassant because of their well-paced escalating into ferocious gruesomeness (the short stories of Guy de Maupassant are considered one of the influences of Manto; in the foreword, written by Vijay Sheshadri, Chekhov and Poe are mentioned as influences as well).



Thematising love, loneliness, family honour, desire, lust, alcohol, Manto touches on themes which seem more than delicate and remarkably irreverent and frank in the context he wrote (he was put on trial six times for obscenity, seen as subversive, a menace to society). In just a few words he shows how rape is systemic in the violence –as in every war. Not that Manto solely depicts women as victims of the violence and oppression: his women are often fierce, courageous, proud and agile human beings outsmarting clumsy men; Manto makes clear men, in the case they are not directly the subject of violence themselves, also suffer from the abuse and oppression of women, standing powerless and grieving when they have been unable to prevent the abuse or murder of their sisters, friends or daughters (The Return, Mozail)..

In Manto’s own words: “If you find my stories dirty, the society you are living in is dirty. With my stories I only expose the truth”.

And this truth, as the poet Vijay Sheshadri writes so astutely in his excellent and enlightening introduction, stuns the reader into silence.

My thanks to Archipelago press for granting me an ARC through NetGalley.
(Paintings by Amrita Sher-Gil, whose life was, just like Manto’s, brief – both died in Lahore).

[Jaidee · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 "sociological tales of the underclass" stars !!

Runner Up -The Pleasant Surprise Award of 2022

Thank you to Netgalley, the author/translators and Archipelago. This English translation was released September 2021. I am providing my honest review.

For the past month I have been reading one story per day to my partner (usually in the morning over yoghurt and scones) and discussing with him not just the narrative but the structure, history and sociology of each. This was incredibly enriching and sweet but also stress reducing as we were in the midst of a temporary move that was very stressful. Yesterday we broke the pattern and read five of the stories to celebrate the first day in our new temporary home in a village where we will stay for up to a year. These stories put our stress in perspective as we are not facing war, displacement, poverty or threats to our lives and well being. Very humbling and cathartic and helpful.

This author was a very prolific South Asian writer that died much too young at the age of 43 in 1965. He wrote in Urdu and is considered by many to be one of the greatest short story writers.

This is a collection of 33 stories and they are multifaceted and includes hyper realistic drama, satire, romance, war stories and even some tragicomic soapy fun...oh and a really excellent noir or two. He writes about the underclasses, the forgotten, prostitutes, lay-abouts and patriots. A wonderful concoction that make you feel that you are right there in the action as you seep up fear, sadness and a great smattering of laughter.

My partner gives this five shining stars and considers it one of the greatest collection of short stories that he has read (well heard) My feelings are more measured but equally enthusiastic.

As well the translations were absolutely superlative....probably the most consistently superb that I have read.

There was not a bad story in the bunch and they ranged from average good (2.5 stars) to perfect (5 stars).

In this review I will only list my 5 favorites with a brief thought/description:

5. Kingdom's End (4.5 stars) a romantic tale of a homeless lay-about and his young female telephone paramour

4. Mummy (4.5 stars) a long magical story of an aged madam and her entourage in the city of Poona

Bronze : Barren (4.5 stars) a shockingly excellent story of a writer and his desperate acquaintance...one of the finest literary depictions I have read of somebody with Avoidant personality disorder

Silver: Mozail (4.5 stars) a crazy tragicomedy of religious intolerance, lust and love between a Jewish woman and a Sikh man.

Gold: Ten Rupees (5 stars) a teenage prostitute makes herself joyful for an evening spent with three men at a beach....tremendously beautiful and sad

A most worthwhile read for those of you that love world literature !

[Ian · Rating 4 out of 5]

A collection of more than 30 short stories by an Indian/Pakistani writer. Manto was born in 1912, to Kashmiri Muslim parents who had moved to Amritsar, where his father had a legal practice. He subsequently lived in a number of places in British India but is most associated with Bombay (Mumbai) which is the location for most of these stories. After Partition he lived in Lahore.

There are too many stories in the collection for me to describe each one. They range across a variety of topics but there are several common themes. A surprising number involve women who work as prostitutes. Generally the stories tell of the mistreatment of women by men, but also of women defending themselves or protecting each other.

Partition is another common theme. Manto was initially opposed to Partition, but became alarmed by the communal violence in Bombay, and eventually migrated to Lahore for his own safety. Manto’s opposition to Partition is reflected in these stories, in which lifelong friends and acquaintances are forced onto opposite sides in the violence. In the story Toba Tek Singh, the inmates of an asylum in Lahore are split up according to their religious backgrounds; Muslims can stay, Hindus and Sikhs are to be sent to the Indian side of the border.

I thought the story, Two-Nation Theory was one of the best. It’s not exactly a Partition story, but is about a Hindu-Muslim couple.

Several other stories might be interpreted as ridiculing religious or political beliefs, and feature people who behave foolishly as a result of those beliefs. The stories, “For Freedom’s Sake”, “God-man” and “The New Constitution” fell into this category.

A familiarity with Indian and Pakistani culture would probably help with these stories. I had to look up a lot of words! I was initially baffled by one story, The Mice of Shah Daulah, and had to do a search on the relevant shrine. Yikes! Interestingly the translation of “mice” seems toned down from the most common one on the web, which refers to “rats”.

On the whole an impressive set of stories. Some are a bit oddball, but all are very readable, and some of them pack a punch.

[Beverly · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an impressive collection and eloquent testament to the ode of the short stories.

One of the most enjoyable reading experiences for me to settle into a book and wonder why I heard or read this author before.

Saadat Hasan Manto is such an author for me. Manto was a prolific writer (20+ short story collections) born into a Muslim family in British India in the early 1900s and his biggest legacy are the stories regarding the partition of India, which he opposed, immediately following independence in 1947.

The stories in this collection are set (mostly) in Bombay (now known as Mumbai) are ripe with wit, humor, and absurdity of the human experience as the characters are caught up in tragic circumstances caused by the turmoil of the Partition.

One of my favorite stories in this collection is the title story where Indian and Pakistani soldiers faced off each for weeks on equally hills so no one side has an advantage. Then a dog wanders into the area, and each side wonders where the dog’s allegiance lies.

Manto does not shy away from writing about sensual pleasures and debauchery and those that often exist in the margins of society as often their stories were not told.

While Manto characters are all vividly written, I do appreciate his portrayal of his engaging female characters.

Kudos to translators Khalid Hasan and Muhammed Umar Memon for their impeccable fresh translations from Urdu that enhanced my reading experience.

[Peyton · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received a complimentary ebook from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review!

The Dog of Tithwal is a collection of short stories by the Urdu-language writer Saadat Hasan Manto, which were translated by Khalid Hasan and Muhammed Umar Memon. Born in Punjab, Manto eventually migrated to Pakistan in the aftermath of the partition between India and Pakistan and died in Lahore. Many of the stories in the collection deal with Partition itself or broader conflict between Hindus and Muslims in India and Pakistan. In one of Manto's best-known stories, "Toba Tek Singh," a Sikh patient in an asylum in Lahore struggles to find out whether his hometown is now part of India or Pakistan.

While I enjoyed learning more about South Asia (as part of my ongoing quest to read more literature from the region), most of the stories included in The Dog of Tithwal were just okay to me. Many of them are on the shorter side for short stories, so I didn't always feel invested in the characters, and the frequently abrupt endings generally didn't work for me. I didn't think any of the stories were outright bad, but only a few of the many included really stood out to me. Manto's prose also seemed plain to me, which might be an effect of the translation. That being said, I do recommend The Dog of Tithwal for readers particularly interested in short stories and/or South Asian literature, especially in translation (which is often difficult to find in the US, I've learned!)

[Sabeeha Rehman · Rating 4 out of 5]

These exceptional short stories are a testament to the author's enduring reputation of revealing the debauchery of society in pre-partition India. Sad, shocking, and moving. Translated from Urdu to English, the nuances of Urdu phrases are lost in translation and are almost comical. Some phrases just cannot be translated. They lose their punch, fall flat, and turn the sad into the hilarious. Not sure what the answer is, but I would opt for leaving such phrases in Urdu (Roman), and footnoting it as untranslatable.

[Gideon DeLonjay · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

Hmmm this was an interesting one.

The history of partition, is one that i was only partially familiar with. I had done some research on it before, but not very extensive. It became clear to me a couple stories in,that
there were certain contextual things that i didn’t quite understand. So i took a break to brush up. I ended up listening to four different podcasts that laid out the story of partition, and the events leading up to it. Gaining a more thorough understanding of this history and how it continues to affect so many peoples lives was both fascinating and heartbreaking.

To a certain extent i had to educate myself as i went. But reading these stories with a reasonably sound understanding of this history and the cultural context surrounding it, overlays a new color on them that adds an essential weight.

That being said the writing style sits strangely with me, not sure how i feel about. But the starkness of the storytelling certainly makes an impact

I think its clear that there is an educated understanding that is required to really appreciate these stories. Without enough context, their true impact will be lost. And although the writing style is not my favorite, they grew on me. The sharp cutting reality of them is undeniable.

For me, the most impactful part of reading these stories, was the opportunity to deep dive into this history and try my best to get some kind of understanding of what it might have felt like to live through it. And even if the writing style of these stories was not my favorite, I’m thankful these stories gave me the means to do that.

[Laurie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Eye opening and astringent, Manto's short stories in translation reveal moments of tenderness and violence in the lives of mostly poor and working class men and women. Set during the lead up to and soon after Indian independence from colonialism and the events of partition these stories bring to life on a personal level the effects of political decisions and cultural expectations. Manto doesn't shy away from portraying violence perpetrated against women whether it be from poverty or a crime of opportunity. Less familiar than other authors from the Indian subcontinent, Manto is an important voice deserving of a wide readership.

[Judy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received this story collection from my Archipelago Books subscription. It is set in Bombay during the early months of the India-Pakistan partition that followed India’s liberation from British rule in 1947. Pakistan was created as a country where Muslims would live while Hindus could remain in India. Of course, it did not work well, at all, and much upheaval and violence disrupted the lives of both.

Saadat Hasan Manto has been lauded by Salman Rushdie as “the undisputed master of the modern Indian short story.” I found the stories to be masterpieces of short fiction that put me right there amid the chaos and into the characters involved. I could tell that he had lived what he wrote.

However, I did not find any redeeming factor in these tales. When asked why he wanted to humanize the horrors of the times, Manto answered, “If you cannot bear my stories, it is because we live in unbearable times.” I cannot disagree with that.

[Shajee Gardezi · Rating 5 out of 5]

An anecdote vis-à-vis Kashmiris. How the tyrant people who have occupied the divided region which is disputed mulls over its indigenous people while having utter disregard for its inhabitants, and inflicting abject misery and violence upon them.

Such cruelty in a symbolic manner is remarkable. His work can seldom be termed as fiction, his stories were actually true. Kashmir is a region which still faces absolute human rights violation, specially in the Indian occupied territory, gender based violence, racism, and genocide on the base of religion, that are occurring everyday.

[Doug Wood · Rating 5 out of 5]

Exceptional writing. A few stories are quite whimsical. Most are quite dark - often a story leaps from heart warming to brutal sometimes the final line of story.

[T.J. Wallace · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had never heard of Saadat Hasan Manto until he was mentioned in one of my favorite books of 2023, "Hijab Butch Blues." He had an interesting life - born in British India in 1912, but he had to move to Pakistan after Partition. He died young, at 42, from alcohol poisoning. He is particularly known for his short stories about Partition, which he opposed, and for his progressive themes. He was tried for obscenity multiple times in both India and Pakistan.

This collection of short stories, like most, was a mixed bag. The stories range from comedic and absurd to devastatingly realistic and heavy. There were a few that really stood out to me like "The Last Salute" and the title story "The Dog of Tithwal," both poignant explorations of the battle for Kashmir, neighbors fighting neighbors; "The Monkey Revolt," a satiric look at what really makes humans superior to monkeys; "The Assignment," in which a Muslim family is betrayed by Sikh family friends during the violence of Partition, and "A Woman's Life," a moving story of a prostitute's experiences.

However, a lot of the stories have started to blur together in my mind. Quite a few of them are about prostitutes and pimps, which was one of the reasons that Manto was tried for obscenity so often. Several others feature Manto himself as a character, interacting with his playboy actor and writer friends, drinking too much and visiting prostitutes.

The writing is sharp, and the stories are well-shaped and entertaining, for the most part, but this collection felt kind of repetitive. The stories about Partition were definitely my favorites.

[Abhinav Anand · Rating 4 out of 5]

Manto today is an idol for free speech and freedom of expression. Certainly, he stands taller than his works. I had heard of very few of his stories and watched its dramatised version on telly. The movies, cinema, and theatres celebrate Manto's work, and rightly so, but nothing cuts deeper than his cold, dagger-like truth, written ever so plainly in the form of stories. There is no drama and no posturing, yet it is so brutal and stirring. It is a shame that I did not start reading early.
The only drawback of this version of the book is that it is a translation, and things get lost in translations. I wish to get my hands on a Hindi version with as little change as possible from the original Urdu.

[Clogmama52 · Rating 5 out of 5]

not only is this a DEVASTATING depiction of the time and of the violence and disorder under colonial rule specifically for the natives of that land, but ALSO speaks to those recurring themes we see on a global scale -today that mirror those exact relationships. Last story sums it up tragically
devastating, ghastly vivid, brutally honest descriptions.

can’t say enough about this book honestly.

just torturous portrayal of the desperation of war. the love of a mother. the betrayal of an allie. the rape of a sister. the relinquishment of morality to the powers at be and the and the hazy invention of distorted falsehoods one is forced to reside in to save any ounce of sanity remaining.

i could go on but i shan’t. The author says it well enough.

[Hasan · Rating 5 out of 5]

It took me a while to get into this book. I primarily read non-fiction and these short stories from long ago didn't really seem to gel with me. Eventually, I gave it a real shot and was blown away with Manto's wit, sharpness and ability to tell fascinating stories from the seedy parts of town. An incredible attribute of this book is that many of the short stories are placed with the Partition of India and Pakistan in the background.

[Paul Ataua · Rating 4 out of 5]

I came to this collection through my interest in the India-Pakistan Partition and its effect on the people in the region. In reality, the stories cover a much longer period and are not all focused on that event. The collection is somewhat uneven but there are enough good stories to make it a very interesting read. My favorites were the first story, Kingdom’s End’ and ‘Two Nation Theory’.

Read in the Long Book Challenge.

[Caitlin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short, powerful stories about partition and people. I was struck by the Dog of Tithwal, Two State Solution, and Toba Tek Singh. Simple and clever metaphors for the trauma of separation. Manto’s stories end with a shock, never setting the story fully into place until the reader is struck upside the head with the last line.

[Hannah · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Zohra asked, 'Do you really love me?'
Naim was hurt. His face flushed. 'Zohra,' he said, 'you're asking a question which would debase my love if I attempted to answer it. Instead, let me ask you: Don't I?'”

[Jacquelyn Oesterblad · Rating 4 out of 5]

Like any short story collection, some were hits and some were not. The repetitive focus on sexual assault became a bit much by the end. But this was well worth the read, and I understand why he’s considered a master of the form.

[. · Rating 3 out of 5]

the final scene, when the dog is being shot at from both sides, will live in head forever.

[Mason MB · Rating 4 out of 5]

being overly critical w this - largely awesome, a few subjective misses

[Risha · Rating 4 out of 5]

For ONLY the short story

[Kevin McAvoy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Listened to the audiobook.
Really enjoyed it. Very good stories.

[ami · Rating 4 out of 5]

Around 10 excellent short stories that had me thinking about India/Pakistan during partition. Awesome collection of short stories.