Hey, guys!
The book I just finished for school is actually very political, and a lot of the political nuances went right over my head. Unfortunately, I don't really keep track of current events or politics. A lack of interest is part of the problem, but the other issue is a lack of free time.
Anyway, I needed something to review, and even though this book was a little too much for me to grasp, I still found it funny.
I won't hold you in suspense any longer.
Mohammed Hanif's novel, A Case of Exploding Mangoes, is told from multiple perspectives. Half of the book is told from the perspective of a pilot and commander from the Pakistani Air Force Academy. This pilot, Ali, is the son of the late Colonel Shigri, who was found hanging from the ceiling fan by a bed sheet. Although Ali's father's death was written off as suicide, Ali has his own suspicions.
The rest of the book is told in third person perspective from very political characters, primarily President Zia ul-Haq, Major Kiyani, General Akhtar, the First Lady, the U.S. Ambassador Arnold Raphel, Blind Zainab and so on.
Now, the first thing the reader finds out is that there was a plane crash, which actually happened in real life. Hanif based his novel on this historical event. The novel is a fictional account of how and why the plane crash occurred.
President Zia (Pakistan's dictator), General Akhtar (the second most powerful man in Pakistan), and Arnold Raphel all died on that plane. Foul play is suspected, but who set this plan into motion and why would they want any one of these men dead?
That's what the novel sets out to uncover.
Before the crash occurs, however, Ali is approached about one of his cadets, Obaid (a.k.a. "Baby O") going missing after having used Ali's call sign to hijack a large aircraft.
Ali knew nothing of this plan nor why Obaid would want to do something like that, but investigators bring in Ali for questioning anyway.
What happened to Baby O? Why is Ali implicated as an accessory? And what is the story behind that plane crash?
As I said, this book is very political and I was unable to grasp a lot of its content. If any of you guys are knowledgeable in this particular conflict and keep up with current events, or if you really like army stories, I would definitely recommend it for you. Otherwise, this novel might be a little too much to handle, kind of like it was for me.
Otherwise, the book is humorous, due to Hanif's craft and the way he portrays his characters.
Hope you guys will enjoy. Until next time.
Happy reading!!
The book I just finished for school is actually very political, and a lot of the political nuances went right over my head. Unfortunately, I don't really keep track of current events or politics. A lack of interest is part of the problem, but the other issue is a lack of free time.
Anyway, I needed something to review, and even though this book was a little too much for me to grasp, I still found it funny.
I won't hold you in suspense any longer.
Mohammed Hanif's novel, A Case of Exploding Mangoes, is told from multiple perspectives. Half of the book is told from the perspective of a pilot and commander from the Pakistani Air Force Academy. This pilot, Ali, is the son of the late Colonel Shigri, who was found hanging from the ceiling fan by a bed sheet. Although Ali's father's death was written off as suicide, Ali has his own suspicions.
The rest of the book is told in third person perspective from very political characters, primarily President Zia ul-Haq, Major Kiyani, General Akhtar, the First Lady, the U.S. Ambassador Arnold Raphel, Blind Zainab and so on.
Now, the first thing the reader finds out is that there was a plane crash, which actually happened in real life. Hanif based his novel on this historical event. The novel is a fictional account of how and why the plane crash occurred.
President Zia (Pakistan's dictator), General Akhtar (the second most powerful man in Pakistan), and Arnold Raphel all died on that plane. Foul play is suspected, but who set this plan into motion and why would they want any one of these men dead?
That's what the novel sets out to uncover.
Before the crash occurs, however, Ali is approached about one of his cadets, Obaid (a.k.a. "Baby O") going missing after having used Ali's call sign to hijack a large aircraft.
Ali knew nothing of this plan nor why Obaid would want to do something like that, but investigators bring in Ali for questioning anyway.
What happened to Baby O? Why is Ali implicated as an accessory? And what is the story behind that plane crash?
As I said, this book is very political and I was unable to grasp a lot of its content. If any of you guys are knowledgeable in this particular conflict and keep up with current events, or if you really like army stories, I would definitely recommend it for you. Otherwise, this novel might be a little too much to handle, kind of like it was for me.
Otherwise, the book is humorous, due to Hanif's craft and the way he portrays his characters.
Hope you guys will enjoy. Until next time.
Happy reading!!
No comments:
Post a Comment