Kingdom's End and Other Stories

by Saadat Hasan Manto

Stories set in Bombay and other parts of India deal with prostitutes, pimps, street-traders, gangsters, and those caught up in the Partition of 1947

Genres: Short Stories, Fiction, India, Pakistan, Indian Literature, War, Literature

272 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1988

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

[Nick · Rating 5 out of 5]

Saadat Hasan Manto wrote not with a pen, pencil or typewriter, but with a razor. He was from Kashmir when it was still a hotbed of anti-colonialist fervor but before it became the focus of controversy between Pakistan and India. As a Muslim who had settled in Mumbai, where he wrote film scripts and radio plays, Manto left after the Partition for Lahore. The Partition sickened him. In one story, long-term patients in a mental hospital must decide whether their home town is in Pakistan and they can stay or in India, which means they must go there. In another, Pakistani and Indian border guards try to decide on which side a dog belongs. In "The Assignment", even the long and powerful bonds of mutual obligation are severed by brutal ethnic cleansing. For a South Asian writer, Manto was unusually frank about eros, and sympathetic to adolescents discovering it, but in his world, even young love falls victim to sectarian prejudice. He was unsparing in his portraits of the partying fringe of Bollywood, of the prostitution that flourished in such a puritan society, of false and corrupt holy men. Manto saw everything, was afraid of nothing, and wrote it all down.

[Prakash Yadav · Rating 5 out of 5]

A gem! I have used and abused the word before but never meant it until today. Manto is a classic and its infuriating that he is not recognized like Gogol or Oscar Wilde, not the kind of classic that one pretends to read but the classic that will live for ever by its own accord. I wish I could ride a review for each of the twenty eight pearls therein, but I fear I will run out of adjectives even before i begin.
He is an amalgamation of Gogol, Camus, Nabokov and Wilde, only better than each, perhaps because as an Indian reader I can relate more to the underlying concepts and the backdrop of the partition, undeniable richer experience than to an alien.
I firmly believe Hindustani is a superior language of expression in literature, and reading Manto in English is a crime I will have to live with. Khalid Hasan has done a good job, but one will only be satisfied to read Manto in the original. So that is on my queue by default.
Stories like 'Odour' and 'On the balcony' are among the best descriptive short stories I have read. 'The Return' (originally "Khol Do") is another tragedy that is so heartbreaking, it was quite embarrassing that such a short piece of literature can impact so deeply. What Khaled Hosseini managed in a full novel, Manto did in a three pages.
Its been recommended that I carry on to Ismat Chugtai, and I will be a fool not to take this advice.
Needless to say, 5 stars.

[arpit · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was going through my father’s book collection recently and found this book. I’ve heard a lot about Manto’s work from my grandfather and father, both of whom are fluent in Urdu and have hence read his original untranslated stories. But I can’t read Urdu so I decided to read the translated collection.

Most of the stories were set in the backdrop of India during its freedom struggle and the partition era. A lot of stories talked about religion and partition and used satire as a way to talk about the bitter socio-economic realities of the time.

Usually when I read short story collections I find myself feeling detached because the settings and the characters change every few pages. But the stories in this collection kept pulling me in because Manto painted such a vivid picture in each story. I loved his style of writing and the way the stories would end sort of abruptly with an implied conclusion. In a couple of stories these implications were so jarring that I’d have to take a pause and sit and absorb it for a while. An example of this would be the stories The Assignment and The Return.

Majority of his stories cantered around characters who were prostitutes. So it was not a surprise when I read that Manto was charged for obscenity several times because of his writing because I can only imagine how taboo the subject of his writing must have been considered in pre-independence India.

Even though most of his stories talked about partition violence, sexuality, prostitution and were quite impactful, none of the stories were outwardly graphic which I appreciated.

In the beginning I had started making a list of all my favourite stories from the collection but halfway through the book I realised the list was getting too long and it’s just easier to say that I loved this whole book and the stories in it.

[Neha Gupta · Rating 5 out of 5]

Saadat Hasan Manto.. a marvellous writer who can write the human emotions the way you feel them.. the pain, the joy, the unsaid feelings behind every emotion.. and every time I read Manto it touches me in a different way.. There is so much to Manto's stories.. veryone can interpret in any way they want... But the best part of Manto's stories is teh twist - the story runs fast & engaging till the last sentence when everything changes for the reader. The endings are just superb and I got the flashes of the entire story within those few sseconds and how things would have happened at the end. I can keep on writing about Manto.. but believe me I would never be able to express the marvel of Manto's writings. Its something you can only feel when you read it. A must read for sure!!!

[Siddharth Sharma · Rating 4 out of 5]

Saadat Hasan Manto, the controversial Writer who,because of the controversial theme of his stories, has spent most of his days in Pakistan in jail.But, Good Lord, what a writer! He used strong language in his book,so strong that at one moment you'll start feeling ashamed of yourself for reading any such story.

His stories have a human touch with no idealism at all. He portrays his characters with unashamed ease and every emotion of that character is aptly brought out to the reader.Revenge, lust, greed, love, infidelity, joy, sorrow..everything..everything has been unabashedly described.

Sometimes you start feeling as if every character is standing in front of you,totally naked, and telling his/her own story.

I'll read more of him. That's for sure. Earlier I knew of him because of his famous story 'Toba Tek Singh' and I used to think that he is just a one off writer, but God, how wrong I was?


Saadat Hasan Manto, You wrote what you thought, without paying any heed to any authority whatsoever.

Your stories are the stories of human beings...human beings who are mortal and susceptible to any vice or virtue..

[aayushi · Rating 5 out of 5]

For someone who lived only for 43 years, Manto left monumental amount of work behind. For me, his stories represented unflinching honesty and power, and a mirror to a vicious chapter of India- Partition. His stories are an impression to nakedness of human nature. He talks about rape, killing, prostitution, lust, love, moral corruption, about what they mean- in their true essence. He was truly ahead of his times, even though the world has moved on, we are still stuck in the same India VS Pakistan, communalism, riots, hate, intolerance and most importantly- ignorance. This book is about being human and how we cannot hide from our true self.

[Puneri · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had heard a lot about Manto. But somehow never got around reading anything written by him. Finally, got this short story book and am mesmerized by his style, substance and the insight into human mind. Manto, who was born in British India went to Pakistan after the partition. Many of the stories revolve around those times, people and the inner feeling of who is Pakistani now and who is Hindustani? Every story has a character that definitely raises this question. How can a person be someone else just because the geographical boundary changed his place of residence? The Last Salute revolves around this dilemma. Many stories portray women, who otherwise be looked upon as only prostitutes/ or some one with low social standing. But in his stories of Mummy and A Woman's Life we see them in different light. The story of Mozail is just out of this world. Manto writes with his uncanny ability to look deep in human mind. He does not make an attempt to explain anything and in a way explains everything. In some the stories he appears as Manto, as a character in the story (Bapu Gopinath, Mummy). His humor and satire is extraordinary (Two Nation Theory). All the stories are powerful. However, the translation is a little too literal. The translator has literally translated some of the foul words in English. That defeats the purpose of those words. That job could have done better.But I am glad for the English translation since I can not read Urdu. Manto is a must for everyone who lived through partition and been through those dilemmas. Will recommend to everyone.

[Jibran · Rating 5 out of 5]

Five stars for Manto.

Three stars for translation. No, less than three.

See why: http://www.urdustudies.com/pdf/11/12m...

[Satish Inamdar · Rating 5 out of 5]

Manto definitely is one of the best short story writer and this book in all its entirety deserves 5 stars.
I stumbled onto Manto when I heard about a short story called - Toba Tek Singh then this curiosity was more strengthened when I saw a short video about Manto by Nawazuddin Siddique on Youtube.
When I saw his short story collection - I was immediately drawn to it - The cover is impeccable too.

Manto wrote his short stories in Urdu but I read the English translations done by Khalid Hasan and they r equally good. They make sure the right emotions are evoked in the reader all the time.

Most of the stories written by Manto are about prostitues, people's lives during freedom struggle and the stories of partition (how it affected people). In the end there are few stories on love too.
The short story titled "Kingdom's End" is a love story and it is brilliant.

Coming to Toba Tek Singh - This off course is a brilliant take on post partition situation and I feel as a play it will have much more impact. I rated this story 4*s. Because personally I felt much more moved by other stories. There are 20+ stories in this book and all of them are good in their own way conveying a message but being subtle at the same time.

Below is a list of short stories amongst the whole book that I particularly loved the most and have made a lasting impact on my mind and heart: (The list is no particular order)
1. The Assignment
2. Mozail
3. Kingdom's End
4. A Man of God
5. The Wild Cactus
6. The Dog of Titwal
7. The Last Salute
8. On the Balcony
9. Toba Tek Singh
10. The New Constitution.
11. The Gift

"Patch" & "Upstairs Downstairs" - are really funny - they leave you in splits and the same time there is a hint of dark humor in them (just a slight tint).

The most of what I had read about freedom struggle was from history books which only talked about great leaders, important dates and spoke about masses in general. They never dived into what was going on during the lives of normal people (The history books are never intended for that purpose though). But this kind of gives a very partial and obscure picture. Manto's stories are great in that way - they deal with delicate matter - the matter of love and live of normal people, society rejects like prostitues. The stories serve the purpose of enlightening you in a great way. The picture gets clearer in a way. Manto is sometimes equated to Gogol.

In the introduction of the book I read something interesting and it goes like this:
Manto wrote his own epitaph 6 months before he died, though it doesnt appear on his grave in lahore. This is what it said: "Here lies Sadat Hasan Manto and with him lie buried all the secrets and mysteries of the art of short story writing. Under tons of earth he lies, still wondering who among the two is the greater short story writer: God or he"

[Sulagna Ghosh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perhaps no other writer can express the intense pain of separation entailed by love and partition quite as well as Manto does...A sheer delight!

[Ambar · Rating 4 out of 5]

South Asian literature almost always features sub-par translation, even from acknowledged scholars like Khalid Hassan. While the translation is better than most comparable south Asian volumes, it does seem a little forced at times.
Manto though, really is a supreme humanist. An avid reader of people, Manto's favourite themes appear to be cultural and communal friction, adolescence and puberty, and portraits of fringe sections of society. He writes without refrain, or fear of reprisal, with disarming simplicity and sharp clarity

[Sarah · Rating 2 out of 5]

A sure waste of time.He has just exaggerated about injustice prevailing in society without presenting any solution.If somebody wants to curse his nation and get depressed then surely read it.

[Chetana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tragedy always has touched me deeply. And Manto has painted it with the most intricate hues. LOVE

[Vartika · Rating 2 out of 5]

A curious collection – I stayed with it for the partition stories.

[Mrunalini Vengurlekar · Rating 3 out of 5]

little drab i thought. I'd suggest you read it over a long period of time. A-story-a-day would be the ideal pace; I just got restless towards the end because I didn't give myself enough space to absorb every word. but anyway the were y favourite stories-
1. The New Constitution
2. It happened in 1919
3. The Assignment
4. Mozail
5. Mummy (was funny in the start later just got kinda random)

[Hosna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Most of Manto's stories are available as audiobook in Urdu. I listened to the Urdu version (when possible) and used this book as "subtitle". It's always difficult to rate a book which is a collection of many stories. Some of the stories were really good- funny/shocking/tragic. Others were quite blah. Overall, it's a 3.5 for me.

Although, these were definitely not the most mind blowing short stories I have ever read, I can definitely see their appeal (and importance). I also think that one MUST DEFINITELY READ MANTO. Manto's stories were written in very simple language but obviously, with the mastery of a remarkable storyteller. His stories reveal the naked truth and ugliness of the societal hypocrisies. The stories are definitely a reflection of his time. A lot of them were also greatly influenced by the partition. Within the partition theme, I loved the dog of Titwal the most. It made me sad. Toba Tek Singh is also very good.

The translation is okay. I am always grateful to translators for making the world literature accessible to a larger audience. At the same time, often, specially, when I have some knowledge of the language, they make me realise how much of the original author I am losing in translations. With Manto, I felt that most translations get his "tone" wrong. Manto is pretty well read and many experts have also commented on the translations (and different translations).

[Kate Gardner · Rating 3 out of 5]

When telling people what I am reading I have stumbled over such basic information as his nationality, or country of birth, because the answer to those questions is a bit tricksy. He was born to a Kashmiri family in Amritsar in British-ruled India, later living mostly in Lahore, Bombay and finally Karachi. He died less than a decade after the Partition of 1947, and is quoted in the introduction to this volume as saying that he truly did know whether India or Pakistan was his true homeland.

And that, with the turbulence of those years and tensions between religions and social groups, is central to many of the stories in this collection. Which is a great insight and can be very moving. However, in all I’d say I had a mixed reaction to these stories. The language is often beautiful, not flowery and easy to read – except occasionally for the subject matter. The stories are often erotic, with lots of describing women’s bodies, and they don’t shy away from getting down and dirty at times. This is particularly true because many of the women characters are prostitutes.

My full review: http://www.noseinabook.co.uk/?p=2691

[Ranjana Gupta · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the second collection of stories / memoirs by Manto that I have read - I would like to read the non-translated version some day - and the thing that strikes me most is how freeing his thoughts were for the times he wrote in. Sexuality, politics, incest, murder, romance - nothing escapes his pen. Each story in the collection is incisive in its insight into human nature and its pitfalls.

It is an eclectic mix of short stories, highlighting the pathos of riots during partition (The Return, The Assignment), the stupidity of war (The Dog of Titwal), the vagaries of love and more often than not lust (Mozail, The Wild Cactus, Odour), the confusion of adolescence (Blouse, A Wet Afternoon, The Patch) and the trials and tribulations of womanhood (Siraj, A Woman's Life).

His writing is witty, sarcastic yet imbued with an inevitable sense of tragedy or at the very least, pathos. Puny human lives deluded into thinking of being better than their circumstances!

A memorable collection of short stories. Read it.

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

A friend from Pakistan recommended this author. These stories are simply humanity, raw and stripped down to the essence of life. I love to read work that exposes reality and captures true emotion. His writing does. His understanding of women and his ability to show us the quality in people who may not seem like obvious subjects for such make his writing thought provoking. It seems over time I have gotten to expect much from what I read. I am not satisfied to be simply entertained. If I don't have questions after reading a book or start looking at things from a different aspect then I don't feel my time was spent well. I highly recommend Manto's work.

[Jaydeep · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reading these stories has helped me understand myself and my world a lot better. There is a lot of praise deserved here for a number of things – Khalid Hasan’s translations, that at times convey to the reader a whiff of the aromatic cadences of Urdu – the edition’s cover, a painting by Iqbal Hussain, in which there is a young lady in blue whose eyes by themselves speak many unspoken narratives – and above all, perhaps drunken, but in perfect command of his by turn sharp, sardonic, and impossibly tender pen, our writer, the inimitable Manto. Among the stories, I would probably mark out ‘On the Balcony’ as my favourite.

[Danny · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read mainly Manto's Partition stories as part of a class about Indian literature. I think the translation is a bit subpar... some of the stories appeared to have an intention of humor that didn't translate in the language. Manto is notable for his low class characters (lots of prostitutes). I was shocked a bit by the excessive violence of the Partition stories, but then again, the Partition was exceedingly violent and terrible. Overall, very moving short stories.

[Natasha · Rating 5 out of 5]

It took me a very long time to finish this book, not because it was not engaging, but because it was too engaging. Stark, brutal, honest. Each story takes so much out of you, it is impossible to read more than one at a time.
Reading it against the backdrop of the current political scenario, one is struck by how little has changed. How popular opinion is manipulated to make a fool of you; how people still remain as they always were.

[N · Rating 3 out of 5]

A book that wears its pain and broken heart on its sleeve, set against the soon to be partitioning of India in 1947. Each short story is about human beings trying to connect physically and sexually as well, and the collection is written with a sexual frankness that was not in Urdu literature. There is joy, then pain then more pain again.

[Kholboi Christine Vaiphei · Rating 3 out of 5]

Took me up and down the Indian rural lifestyle, as well as behind closed doors, into the life of women, famous women, servants, little details of life otherwise over-looked.....an eye-opener for me. It was like peeking into someone else's life!

[Nupur Babbar · Rating 3 out of 5]

Colourful, crisp, witty and dark, mysterious, thought- stirring and depressing at the same time. A must read for short story lovers. The original Urdu version would do more justice in capturing the essence of the stories.

[Karthik Subbiah · Rating 4 out of 5]

The harrowing, stark stories of Partition are incredible. Some of the stories are tough to understand, but a little bit of background reading and they should fall into place. The translation, like any translation, is unable to convey the true gravity of Manto's writing. Still, it's a must-read.

[mokshali · Rating 4 out of 5]

*3.75/5

the partition stories are brilliant, the sex ones less so.

some weird choices on the part of the translator but what can you do

[Rohan Kamath · Rating 5 out of 5]

Saadat Hasan Manto’s Kingdom's End is a stunning collection that masterfully combines a dry, witty, and sometimes deadpan tone with deeply poignant themes. Tales like 'Toba Tek Singh' and 'The Dog of Tithwal' are almost absurd in their presentation, yet they serve as brilliant, unsettling ways to talk about the Partition.

Manto’s fearless exploration of themes like sex, desire, love, and relationships—particularly in the context of religion, such as in 'The Price of Freedom' and 'Two-Nation Theory' —was also striking. This collection also highlights sections of society that are often overlooked or not spoken about much, shedding light on the marginalised and the taboo. Through these unflinching portrayals, Manto challenges the conventional norms of his time, offering a complex perspective on identity, love, and societal divides.

I’m really glad I finally got to read this, though I can’t help but feel a bit regretful I didn’t discover Manto earlier. His unflinching honesty and unparalleled storytelling deserve far greater recognition than they’ve received.

[Damayanti (Dimpy) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wish I could read Saadat Hasan Manto in the original, because I think a lot of linguistic dexterity gets lost in the translation, but this collection of stories is nevertheless remarkable. Every story is so simple and sharp. He writes crisply and wittily, and the prose and content are never stale or outdated-feeling. Most are Partition-era stories of ordinary people. I feel like an entire class could be taught on each of these stories. Manto deserves much greater international recognition as a canonical author and great social thinker.

[Anuj · Rating 3 out of 5]

Manto paints really vivid pictures of India post independence, with stories varying from light-hearted (Upstairs Downstairs) to incredibly violent (Colder Than Ice, The Wild Cactus). He captured the upheaval that Partition caused really well, with allegiances to friends and religion so often being in absurd conflict - The Assignment and The Last Salute being good examples of this.