"Rohzin by Rahman Abbas Is a Ship of Floating Dreams..."

   

"Rohzin Is a Ship of Floating Dreams Boarded with a Flock of Spiritual Beings Singing Shanties on Lives and History of Mumbai; It Crashes into the Floods of Human Desires, Leaving behind Remnants of Melancholia in an Occult Book of Augury"

Book Review by Dhiraj Sindhi

Rohzin by Rahman Abbas

Translated from Urdu by Sabika Abbas Naqvi

Rohzin by Rahman Abbas Translated by Sabika Abbas Naqvi

Author: Rahman Abbas

Translator: Sabika Abbas Naqvi | Instagram: @boltiaurat

ISBN: 978-0670093861

Genre: Literary Fiction

Length: 333 Pages

Publication Date: 16^th May 2022

Publisher: VINTAGE (An Imprint of Penguin Random House)

Cover Illustrator: Harshad Marathe | Instagram: @harshadisfree

Cover Designer: Ahlawat Gunjan | Instagram: @ahlawat.gunjan

Order your copy right now: https://amzn.to/3SwV45e

About the author:

Rahman Abbas is a major contemporary Indian novelist and winner of India's highest Literary award, the Sahitya Akademi award, for the year 2018, for his fourth Urdu novel Rohzin. He has also won two state Sahitya Akademi awards.

Rahman writes in Urdu and English. When his first novel was published, Islamists had accused him of spreading obscenity through his work and had filed a case against his novel. He was forced to resign from his job since he was teaching at a Muslim institution. Rahman fought a court trial for over ten years and was acquitted in 2016 of obscenity charges.

Rahman is the author of seven books, including four novels, Nakhalistan Ki Talash (The Search of an Oasis, 2004), Ek Mamnua Muhabbat Ki Kahani (A Forbidden Love Story, 2009), Khuda Ke Saaye Mein Ankh Micholi (Hide and Seek in the Shadow of God, 2011) and Rohzin (The Melancholy of the Soul, 2016).

The latest novel, Rohzin, has been translated into German, English and Hindi. The German translation was discussed in Switzerland as part of 'The Days of Indian Literature' in February 2018, and in May-June 2018 Rahman toured various cities of Germany to discuss the novel with readers. The novel has also received the prestigious LitProm Grant managed by the Swiss and German governments.

Rahman lives in Mumbai and works for Strategic Foresight Group.

Rahman Abbas

Instagram: @rahmanabbas

Twitter: @rahman184

Facebook: @rahman.abbas.12

SYNOPSIS:

Mumbai was almost submerged on the fatal noon of 26 July 2005, when the merciless downpour and cloudburst had spread utter darkness and horror in the heart of the city. River Mithi was inundated, and the sea was furious. At this hour of torturous gloom, Rohzin begins declaring in the first line that it was the last day in the life of two lovers, Asrar and Hina.

The novel's protagonist, Asrar, comes to Mumbai, and through his eyes the author describes the hitherto-unknown aspects of Mumbai, unseen colours and unseen secrets of the city's underbelly.

The love story of Asar and Hina begins abruptly and ends tragically. It is love at first sight which takes place in the premises of Haji Ali Dargah.

The arc of the novel studies various aspects of human emotions, especially love, longing and sexuality as sublime expressions. The emotions are examined, so is love as well as the absence of it, through a gamut of characters and their interrelated lives: Asrar's relationship with his teacher, Ms. Jamila, a prostitute named Shanti and, later, with Hina; Hina's classmate Vidhi's relations with her lover and others; Hina's father Yusuf's love for Aymal; Vanu's indulgence in prostitutes.

Rohzin dwells on the plane of an imagination that takes readers on a unique journey across the city of Mumbai, a highly intriguing character in its own right.

Disclaimer: This is not a review, it is only intended for initiating discussions. The opinions and views presented in this article are my own and do not reflect anything about the book's author. 

"Rahman Abbas won Sahitya Akademi Award 2018 for his Urdu novel Rohzin, which has been translated into English by Sabika Abbas Naqvi and published by Vintage of Penguin Random House India. Firstly, I feel immensely grateful that a fine piece of literary fiction like Rohzin landed in my hands. Secondly, if you are following me on Instagram, you’d know how much I loved reading this book. So, without further ado, let me quickly take you through what I have to say about this masterpiece."  

REVIEW

The soul of Rohzin is its dreams—dreams within dreams, the myth within dreams, dreams floating beyond the veil translated by spirits, djinns, devils, and angels, gods and goddesses; the skeleton—its characters with their most dynamic arcs, turning points of which are sharp oxbows; the flesh, blood and skin are made up of all the feelings and emotions that human bodies, their hearts, minds and souls are capable of evoking; finally, the heart of this tale is the city of Mumbai, nah, not just an average-day Mumbai, but Mumbai also on its most cataclysmic days—like dreadful floods of 26th July 2005; the city thriving, pumping blood in its people and them doing same to the city, no matter where they have come from and why, unless on some days some people meet a tragic end; and two of them are our protagonists—Asrar and Hina.

Rahman Abbas captures the spirit of Mumbai not just with its landscapes and skyscrapers, but he explores in minute detail, bars in the dark lanes ahead of D’Mello Road, the drains in Kamathipura, Azad Maidan where drugged kids are forced to beg, and many more experiences that you may not know you needed to read. The village of Mabadmorpho is as beautifully crafted, a coastal village where Asrar hails from. It is also the place where the story starts, melancholy oozing through the death of Asrar’s father, there appear the first signs of a betrayal. A betrayal of parents with their partners. Asrar moves from Mabadmorpho to Mumbai to earn bread and learn tread, where he meets other formidable characters of the novel, who are more or less affected and driven by the same melancholy, be it Hina, Mohmmad Ali—Asrar’s friend from Mabadmorpho at the Kholi on Mohmmad Ali Road, or Shanti—a prostitute. Rahman Abbas warns the readers of the discourse on sexuality in the novel on page 11 itself when Asrar’s first Mumbai morning brings along the tale of a muezzin’s twisted childhood.

For me, this book was one of the rarest gems that truly sets apart novels from any other kind of entertainment. It is irreplaceable. Rahman Abbas traces the history of Mumbai in a Rushdiesque manner through characters that are shown very distantly connected with incidents that have already occurred or will occur in the future. There are djinns, angels, devils, mystics, gods and goddesses that help you penetrate the veil to the other side while the characters make you see inside souls filled with desires. Last but not the least, Sabika Abbas Naqvi’s translation, makes Rohzin in English raw and transparent, retaining the essence of Mumbai culture and Urdu literature.

Of course, there is a lot more to this book other than what I had discussed. For example, the author translates the most fulfilling of experiences on the pages with devotion and passion. Yes, I have never read such an evocative depiction of arousal and desire that leads to sex. Besides, myths, legends and folklore from different religions, cultures and civilizations like those related to Mumba Devi, Seth and Horus, Enki, Ninsar and Ninkurra, are added bonuses.

Highly recommended!

Happy Reading!

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Dhiraj's 2022 book montage

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Will see you in the next post. Till then buh-bye. Take Care. Peace. ☮

Book Review: 2047 The Unifier by Rashmi Trivedi | Futuristic Fiction | India

Book Review

2047 the Unifier by Rashmi Trivedi

2047 The Unifier by Rashmi Trivedi

Author: Rashmi Trivedi

ISBN: 978-9389763652

Genre: Futuristic Fiction

Length: 260 Pages

Publisher: HESTEN (An imprint of BlueRose Publishers) (4^th January 2020)

My Ratings: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌠

Order your copy right now: https://amzn.to/2usxAI1

About the author: 

Rashmi Trivedi is an author, poet and an explorer, working at a middle Management level in a leading PSU. She entered the literary world in May 2016 with her first book, Woman, Everything Will Be Fine, which became a bestseller in its genre. She then came out with her poetry collection titled Handful of Sunshine, Pocketful of Rain, in December 2017. Many of her poems went viral on the social media.

Her subsequent novel, From Ashes to Dreams, published in August 2018, climbed to the no.2 spot on the Amazon hot-seller list within a few days and went on to sell more than 15,000 Copies.

Rashmi Trivedi

Instagram: @rashmitrivedi21
Website: https://rashmitrivedi.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authorrashmitrivedi/

REVIEW

The theme for today's review

"Love and hope can conquer hate." -Barack Obama

2047 The Unifier is a futuristic fiction novel in which one proposes this idea of bringing peace between two nations which were separated 100 years ago, majorly caused by colonists for their own benefits. The Unifier is a fast-paced story led by love that offers you with the voice of youth towards self-absorbed politicians, which leaves you with that ray of hope for peace. The story is narrated in third-person point of view and writing style is very easy to understand.

The story takes place in the future version of India, London and Islamabad. India is more developed in aspects of infrastructure and technology but issues remain the same that of communal hatred fueled by politics as regular dosage. And that of warmongers at both sides of the border while they have nothing to lose.

The author Rashmi Trivedi has plotted the book very brilliantly taking into account the gravity of the subject. She neither did exaggerate nor did she understate the situation. Each subplot succeeded by another and that’s how the big picture played out.

As we quote Martin Luther King Jr. “Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.” The love between Karan─ son of an Indian war hero and Fiza─ daughter of a Pakistani foreign secretary initiates the healing movement in both countries. All the main characters were portrayed very well, they had clear goals with resolute determination.

Author Rashmi Trivedi made a point throughout the book that, is it really too difficult talking and speaking about peace? At least for me, it was a perfect read seeing the situation of our country today. The book was highly relatable to this point of time where we the youth is tired of this hatred and taking peace initiatives to make the world a better place for our future generation, but some self-absorbed warmongers are trying to shut them up. Here’s the difference between the real-world and this novel’s futuristic fictional world, in the latter one majority common public wants peace and not war.

The best part of this novel was the climax, how the author wrapped it all in the end, it was the most realistic part of the book. One thing that I noticed was, the entire novel somehow didn’t reflect the world the author was talking about, it felt inconsistent. However, I would say, congratulations to the author because, it must not be difficult but it is also not easy putting forward such an idea, which can be considered vague but instead is sharp and attainable. Here I am talking about spreading peace and love. Globally.

The final words, I really loved reading this book because it was really progressive, political aspects were made clearly visible though which has nothing to do with the real world. It is pure fiction. The romance in this chaos was a competent cliffhanger that kept me hooked till the end. All in all, it was a fascinating read and it teaches you to be receptive.

‘Try to talk of love and peace, not of hate and war.’

Happy Reading!

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Will see you in the next post. Till then buh-bye. Take Care. Peace. ☮

10 Popular Books I Want to Read in 2020 | Book Blogger | India

Hello readers' fam! We have been together for more than one year and I'm back with another Top 10!

10 Books I Want to Read in 2020

10 Books I Want to Read in 2020 | Book Blogger | India

I read many books this year, more than I expected I could read. All these books were review copies I got this year and most were debuts. For some reason, I couldn't read more popular books so these are 10 books I'm gonna read in 2020.

Follow this blog for more such content! 👉

Follow me on Instagram for regular updates: @binge_bawse_

Facebook page link: https://www.facebook.com/dhirajthereader/

Follow me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/DhirajWriting

1. An Era of Darkness: The British Empire in India by Shashi Tharoor

An Era of Darkness by Shashi Tharoor

It's been a few months that I am planning to read Shashi Tharoor books but didn't get to get my hands on any of it. So, my first goal would be to read Shashi Tharoor, and for that, I have selected this one title which I think can be my good first read by Shashi Tharoor.

Inglorious Empire: What the British Did to India (published in India as An Era of Darkness: The British Empire in India) is a historical text by Shashi Tharoor, an Indian politician and diplomat, about the effects of British Colonialism on India.


Buy An Era of Darkness from Amazon: https://amzn.to/2ZC4wsQ

2. Rebel Sultans: The Deccan from Khilji to Shivaji by Manu S. Pillai

Rebel Sultans by Manu S. Pillai

Manu S. Pillai is an Indian historian and author known for his debut non-fiction The Ivory Throne: Chronicles of the House of Travancore for which he won the Sahitya Akademi Yuva Puraskar in 2017. This year I listened to his interviews and talks and speeches, I was just amazed by this personality. The knowledge he shared with his audience was perspicacious and I couldn't stop listening to his interviews. He changed my perspective about 'history' and now all I want to do is explore more.

In Rebel Sultans, Manu S. Pillai narrates the story of the Deccan from the close of the thirteenth century to the dawn of the eighteenth. Packed with riveting tales and compelling characters, this book takes us from the age of Alauddin Khilji to the ascent of Shivaji.

Buy Rebel Sultans from Amazon: HERE

3. The Ministry of Utmost Happiness by Arundhati Roy

The Ministry of Utmost Happiness by Arundhati Roy

While talking about popular Indian authors, we cannot overlook Suzanna Arundhati Roy, best known for her novel The God of Small Things (1997), which won the Man Booker Prize for Fiction in 1997 and became the biggest-selling book by a non-expatriate Indian author. She is also a political activist involved in human rights and environmental causes.

2019 has been a very different reading year for me, I mostly read review copies and could not read the books which I really wanted to read. One of my friends recommended this book right after he finished reading this book, The Ministry of Utmost Happiness, her second novel published in 2017, twenty years after her debut. Also, I would be reading The God of Small Things, but this is my first pick.

Buy The Ministry of Utmost Happiness from Amazon: https://amzn.to/2QxkaSm

4. Jaya: An Illustrated Retelling of Mahabharata by Devdutt Pattnaik

Jaya by Devdutt Pattnaik

I have been reading the first few pages of this book whenever I get a chance, in the library or in Crossword stores, but now I want to just dig into it and read the whole book. Jaya is one of the best modern adaptations of Mahabharata and as I said I have already started reading, I wish to continue. Devdutt's retellings are the way to go if you are looking for mythological retellings.

Devdutt Pattanaik is an Indian mythologist, speaker, illustrator and author, known for his prolific writing on sacred lore, legends, folklore, fables and parables, and for challenging wilful misinterpretations of ancient Indian scriptures, stories, symbols and rituals.

Buy Jaya from Amazon: https://amzn.to/2MKdBuv

5. The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern

The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern

As you all know by reading the post: Top 10 Favorite Books of 2018, Erin Morgenstern and her  The Night Circus has charmed all the readers with the phantasmagorical tale of the two empowered magicians. Now after so long wait of six years, she is back with another (her second) captivating novel. The Starless Sea will be following a character named Zachary Ezra who finds an unusual book in the library in which he encounters his own childhood. Strange right? Intriguing. There is much more in the synopsis. Have a look at the Goodreads page. It is going to be as fantastic as The Night Circus. I am craving more of Erin Morgenstern's 'fairytale in one way or another'.

Buy The Starless Sea from Amazon: https://amzn.to/2rDK2Dw

6. Children of Virtue and Vengeance by Tomi Adeyemi

Children of Virtue and Vengeance by Tomi Adeyemi

Legacy of Orisha was declared a trilogy by Tomi Adeyemi. The first in the series Children of Blood and Bone was completely successful and made it to #1 on The New York Times Bestsellers List. The story follows the character Zelie Adebola whose mother was killed by a brutal King Saran who rules over the land of Orisha. The second in the trilogy was released late this year on 3rd December. After reading the Children of Blood and Bone, I was waiting for second release desperately because this is the story you cannot wait to explore.


Buy Children of Virtue and Vengeance from Amazon: https://amzn.to/36izvNq

7. The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood

The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood

The Handmaid's Tale, originally published in 1985, is a dystopian novel written by Canadian author Margaret Atwood. It is set in a near-future New England, in a totalitarian state resembling a theonomy that overthrows the United States government.

Margaret Atwood is such a phenomenal writer, I adore her writing. I recently signed up for her MASTERCLASS and I'm loving it so far and as a pre-requisite, I have to have a sound knowledge about her literary works so that would be my first step towards learning to write from her. 

Buy The Handmaid's Tale from Amazon: https://amzn.to/2F4p7gd

8. All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr

All The Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr

Among all these non-fiction, fantasy, dystopian novels I wanted to include historical fiction and I could not come up with a better idea than reading this one. All the Light We Cannot See is a war novel written by American author Anthony Doerr, published by Scribner on May 6, 2014. It won the 2015 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction and the 2015 Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Fiction. Set in occupied France during World War II, the novel centers on a blind French girl and a German boy whose paths eventually cross. I'm am really eager to read this book.

Buy All The Light We Cannot See from Amazon: https://amzn.to/39s4oka

9. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

This book doesn't need any introduction but here we go. The Book Thief is a historical novel by Australian author Markus Zusak and is his most popular work. Published in 2005, The Book Thief became an international bestseller and was translated into 63 languages and sold 16 million copies. Recently I bought The Bridge of Clay by Markus Zusak during the BookChor sale. But I think it would be really unaesthetic to not read The Book Thief before I read anything from Markus.

Markus Zusak is an Australian writer of German origin. He is best known for The Book Thief and The Messenger (US title: I Am the Messenger), two novels which became international bestsellers. He won the Margaret A. Edwards Award in 2014.


Buy The Book Thief from Amazon: https://amzn.to/37lKiq3

10. Becoming by Michelle Obama

Becoming by Michelle Obama

I was very excited to read this book when it was launched. I got the audiobook of this and I have already started reading it, few chapters in and I am loving this. No doubt this book is going to be the best book I'll be reading next decade. I hope so.

Becoming is the memoir of former United States first lady Michelle Obama published in 2018. Described by the author as a deeply personal experience, the book talks about her roots and how she found her voice, as well as her time in the White House, her public health campaign, and her role as a mother.

Buy Becoming from Amazon: https://amzn.to/35cZu7w

I hope, you guys enjoyed this 'End of the Year Series'. So these are all the books I want to read. I wish you all the readers a Very Happy New Year, have a great reading/writing year ahead. Thank you so much for sticking with me throughout the journey of this blog.

FIN

If you have survived through this, please give it a chance! Holly crap. I wrote a book! (Sorry Superwoman for stealing the line.)

Buy on Amazon

(Click on above image to buy Winged Sisters)

Thank you so much for reading y'all. I hope you enjoyed and got some recommendations.

Comment below if you have read any of this and tell me your views on it.


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