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From a book set in Berlin to another in Karachi and London, and another in an undisclosed location, alongside o reflecting on Bangladesh, the list is diverse

Four new fiction reads tackle issues of identity and socio-politics

From a novel set in Berlin to another set between Karachi and London, the list is diverse

While compiling this list of recently released fiction reads, a theme started emerging–all of them, in their own varying degrees, deal with socio-political issues. This wasn’t quite intentional, though this common thread could also be attributed to the fact that all four writers on this list have earned international acclaim for their cultural commentary through their fiction. In fact, none of the books on this list are about India.

While Amit Chaudhuri talks about Berlin in his new book, Kamila Shamsie reflects on a friendship between two girls as they grow up in Karachi and then shift to London. Mohsin Hamid talks about racism in an unlocated place and the late Shahidul Zahir’s anthology reflects on post-Independence Bangladesh. However, the themes of identity and conflict are similar, as these continue to be the issues plaguing our world even today, uniting us in our struggles yet distancing us through a certain kind of myopia. While one might argue that fiction is a means of escapism, I’ll defend by citing these books that are inspired by the real world. Expertly woven together by the lyrical style of prose of the wordsmiths such as the ones on the list, elements of magic realism and surrealism also find their way into their plots. Without divulging more, here is a list of the top four recent releases in fiction that you must check out:

Sojourn by Amit Chaudhuri (Penguin India)This is the story of a visiting professor in a university in Berlin as he goes about his new life in a foreign land, makes acquaintances and observes new cultures. The unnamed protagonist befriends Faqrul, an exiled poet from Bangladesh and Birgit, a German woman he is attracted to. However, not much happens with him, or in the story at all. While the commentary about the culture in Berlin is through the narrator’s eyes and lived experiences, there are oblique references to socio-political observations without them ever being in your face. A quiet, slim novel from the acclaimed Chaudhuri, Sojourn has a contemplative quality to it that must be enjoyed like one enjoys solitude–easily, quietly and without expectations.

Sojourn by Amit Chaudhuri (Penguin India)

This is the story of a visiting professor in a university in Berlin as he goes about his new life in a foreign land, makes acquaintances and observes new cultures. The unnamed protagonist befriends Faqrul, an exiled poet from Bangladesh and Birgit, a German woman he is attracted to. However, not much happens with him, or in the story at all. While the commentary about the culture in Berlin is through the narrator’s eyes and lived experiences, there are oblique references to socio-political observations without them ever being in your face. A quiet, slim novel from the acclaimed Chaudhuri, Sojourn has a contemplative quality to it that must be enjoyed like one enjoys solitude–easily, quietly and without expectations.

The Last White Man by Mohsin Hamid (Penguin India)“One morning Anders, a white man, woke up to find he had turned a deep and undeniable brown.” While Hamid’s latest book might not have won any Booker glory like its predecessor, I imagine that this first sentence arrests the fancy of readers due to both the subject it encapsulates and its Kafka-esque similarity. As with his novel Exit West, where Hamid wrote about migration, he continues engaging with pressing socio-political issues as he tackles racism head on in this book that begins with Anders’s skin changing colours. We also meet Oona, who is Anders’s tentative-and-new lover, Oona’s racist mother, and Anders’s dying father. While Hamid’s touch of magic realism might have caught some readers unawares in Exit West, we are introduced to it right away in this book that opens with Anders and every other white person’s skin turning brown. All but Anders’s dying father have their skin changing colour as Hamid shows his characters grapple with issues of identity and racism. While some might feel that fiction inspired by racism is nothing new, Hamid’s way of dealing with it from the perspective of a white man struggling with his newly acquired, non-white identity is novel.

The Last White Man by Mohsin Hamid (Penguin India)

“One morning Anders, a white man, woke up to find he had turned a deep and undeniable brown.” While Hamid’s latest book might not have won any Booker glory like its predecessor, I imagine that this first sentence arrests the fancy of readers due to both the subject it encapsulates and its Kafka-esque similarity. As with his novel Exit West, where Hamid wrote about migration, he continues engaging with pressing socio-political issues as he tackles racism head on in this book that begins with Anders’s skin changing colours. We also meet Oona, who is Anders’s tentative-and-new lover, Oona’s racist mother, and Anders’s dying father. While Hamid’s touch of magic realism might have caught some readers unawares in Exit West, we are introduced to it right away in this book that opens with Anders and every other white person’s skin turning brown. All but Anders’s dying father have their skin changing colour as Hamid shows his characters grapple with issues of identity and racism. While some might feel that fiction inspired by racism is nothing new, Hamid’s way of dealing with it from the perspective of a white man struggling with his newly acquired, non-white identity is novel.

Best of Friends by Kamila Shamsie (Bloomsbury India)Having discovered Shamsie with Home Fire, I had desperately been waiting for her next, ever since Best of Friends was announced. And parts of the book did not disappoint. Karachi, London and cricket are three things that Shamsie loves and all find place in this book that tells the story of a female friendship between Maryam and Zahra. The story begins when both the girls are growing up in Karachi and how their distinctly-different-but-affluent family backgrounds always hovers over the friendship. However, as they grow up and lead successful professional lives in London, the choices they make begin to test their friendship. While Maryam funds ethically dubious projects regarding facial recognition, Zahra heads a civil liberties’ watchdog. Inspired by present times where conflicting political opinions often find us in the crosshairs of people we deemed “close,” Shamsie, like in Home Fire, talks about socio-political issues. But, just as in Home Fire, it is through the rose-tinted glasses of an affluent section of society. However, the award-winning writer is known for her nuanced take on relationships, especially from the perspective of women and that holds her in good stead in Best of Friends too.

Best of Friends by Kamila Shamsie (Bloomsbury India)

Having discovered Shamsie with Home Fire, I had desperately been waiting for her next, ever since Best of Friends was announced. And parts of the book did not disappoint. Karachi, London and cricket are three things that Shamsie loves and all find place in this book that tells the story of a female friendship between Maryam and Zahra. The story begins when both the girls are growing up in Karachi and how their distinctly-different-but-affluent family backgrounds always hovers over the friendship. However, as they grow up and lead successful professional lives in London, the choices they make begin to test their friendship. While Maryam funds ethically dubious projects regarding facial recognition, Zahra heads a civil liberties’ watchdog. Inspired by present times where conflicting political opinions often find us in the crosshairs of people we deemed “close,” Shamsie, like in Home Fire, talks about socio-political issues. But, just as in Home Fire, it is through the rose-tinted glasses of an affluent section of society. However, the award-winning writer is known for her nuanced take on relationships, especially from the perspective of women and that holds her in good stead in Best of Friends too.

Why There Are No Noyontara Flowers In Agargaon Colony: Stories by Shahidul Zahir and translated by V. Ramaswamy (HarperCollins India)A posthumous translation of Shahidul Zahir’s works from Bengali, this anthology of 10 stories offers a peek into the mohollas of Bangladesh as he captures their world replete with surrealism and folklore. Translator V. Ramaswamy, in a blog on the publisher’s website, compares Zahir’s writings to those of Isaac Bashevis Singer, R K Narayan, Gabriel Garcia Marquez and Jose Saramago but also says that Zahir’s writing is set apart by the way of his Bangladeshi tone. In this anthology, Zahir reveals the world of post-Independent Bangladesh and its socio-political workings, one story at a time.

Why There Are No Noyontara Flowers In Agargaon Colony: Stories by Shahidul Zahir and translated by V. Ramaswamy (HarperCollins India)

A posthumous translation of Shahidul Zahir’s works from Bengali, this anthology of 10 stories offers a peek into the mohollas of Bangladesh as he captures their world replete with surrealism and folklore. Translator V. Ramaswamy, in a blog on the publisher’s website, compares Zahir’s writings to those of Isaac Bashevis Singer, R K Narayan, Gabriel Garcia Marquez and Jose Saramago but also says that Zahir’s writing is set apart by the way of his Bangladeshi tone. In this anthology, Zahir reveals the world of post-Independent Bangladesh and its socio-political workings, one story at a time.

Also Read: Has the reader’s perception towards translated fiction in India changed?

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