Around the World in 80 Books discussion

Start discussion here for Pinjar: The Skeleton and Other Stories by Amrita Pritam.


About the Book (from bookchor.com)

'Pinjar' means 'skeleton'. A skeleton with neither a face, nor mind, nor a will, nor identity. Pinjar is set in the era of India's independence from British rule, specifically, the time when the country was partitioned to form the nation of Pakistan. The suffering, hardships, sacrifices and miseries of the women during this time are described in Pinjar, as are the crimes and regrets of the men; the Hindus and the Muslims; the venom from the Partition. Human rights in the face of religious divisions, with the aid of which, the heroine embraces the present and forgives people's wrongdoings; she rises again to explore the infinite possibilities that the future holds.

The book was also made into a movie directed by Chandraprakash Dwivedi in 2003.


About the Author (from The famouspeople.com)

Amrita Pritam, the young poet who emotively invoked Waris Shah in what would become her best known poem, ‘Ajj aakhaan Waris Shah nu’, was one of the foremost women writers in 20th century India. Pritam, who wrote in Punjabi and Hindi, was a bold and courageous woman who lived life on her own terms unlike the more subjugated women of her time. A prolific writer, she produced over 100 books including poetry collections, fictions, biographies and essays. Born in undivided India in 1919, she witnessed the horrors of the partition as a young woman, an experience that shook her to the core and shattered her soul. It was in the aftermath of the terrible experience that she expressed her anguish in the poem ‘Ajj aakhaan Waris Shah nu’, reflecting the sense of hopelessness, terror and sadness that swept over everyone who had witnessed the partition. Her experiences during the partition also inspired her to write the novel Pinjar in which she addressed the helplessness faced by the women of her time. Through her poignant writings she became a voice for women in Punjabi literature and the leading 20th-century poet of the Punjabi language. Her works have been translated into several Indian and foreign languages.

I read this book last week but the story of Pooro still resonates in my heart. She is the main protagonist in Pinjar and symbolises the trials and tribulations of millions of women during the partition of india and Pakistan. Her unwavering faith in humanity in face of numerous hardships is commendable.
This book also contained one more short story, The Man. After reading Pinjar, this one was somewhat of a letdown for me. Till halfway through the story ,I was still trying to decipher what it was trying to convey. Fortunately, the story takes a turn towards the ending and manages to redeem itself somewhat.