A Case of Exploding Mangoes

Posted on 18 November 2017 by Mohammed Hanif

Intrigue and subterfuge combine with bad luck and good in this darkly comic debut about love, betrayal, tyranny, family, and a conspiracy trying its damnedest to happen.Ali Shigri, Pakistan Air Force pilot and Silent Drill Commander of the Fury Squadron, is on a mission to avenge his father s suspicious death, which the government calls a suicide Ali s target is none other than General Zia ul Haq, dictator of Pakistan Enlisting a rag tag group of conspirators, including his cologne bathed roommate, a hash smoking American lieutenant, and a mango besotted crow, Ali sets his elaborate plan in motion There s only one problem the line of would be Zia assassins is longer than he could have possibly known. Read A Case of Exploding Mangoes – kino-fada.fr Fantastic novel for those who like to read Vikas Swarup, or Mohsin Hamid, or Aravind Adiga Novel that has that something Interesting story, subtle humorHaving read a review of this book in the NYT, we promptly purchased it Not the kind of thing we normally do but Sorayya needed to read it for professional reasons her own current book takes place in an adjacent time period and the same place I will give you her impressions after I give mine.I don t think this is a good book but it has to be read Its importance is that it fills in a crucial historical period in Pakistan s history and the history of the Afghan resistance to the Soviet Occupa Having read a review of this book in the NYT, we promptly purchased it Not the kind of thing we normally do but Sorayya needed to read it for professional reasons her own current book takes place in an adjacent time period and the same place I will give you her impressions after I give mine.I don t think this is a good book but it has to be read Its importance is that it fills in a crucial historical period in Pakistan s history and the history of the Afghan resistance to the Soviet Occupation Th...I am not sure what this book was all about General Zia ul Haq dies in the end which is not a spoiler, btw and someone killed him The story is about who killed him I think It is also a political satire on Pakistan s crazy political figures It is about the army I think In fact, I don t really know what to think.The book drives the narrative forward by alternating the stories of Zia ul Haq and a lowly army person, and then there is some flashback to some completely different and i...An astonishing book at so many levels and still witty, fast paced, beautifully written and thought inducing The first surprise is that a book of the nature can be written about actual, recently deceased politicians in South Asia I am still surprised that the author was not banished in Pakistan or no major furore was created because of the way it has portrayed an ex President and other powerful people of the time.The second surprise from an Indian angle is how simple and petty minded and An astonishing book at so many levels and still witty, fast paced, beautifully written and thought inducing The first surprise is that a book of the nature can be written about actual, recently deceased politicians in South Asia I am still surprised that the author was not banished in Pakistan or no major furore was created because of the way it has portrayed an ex President and other powerful people of the time.The second surprise from an Indian angle is how...An unlikely revolutionary assassin narrates a fictionalized , ironized and quite funny tale of Pakistan s General Zia ul Haq s rise to power, rule and death due to multiple causes Wondering why there s no fatwa issued against Hanif for this one Interesting...I picked this book up because it is written by a Pakistani Journalist about Pakistan I thought it might give me context and cultural insights I guess it did And for the few few chapters, I was enthralled But in the end, I didn t like it A few reasons Reason one maybe because I live here, and I work on policy issues, the book was disturbing enmeshed with reality, and I wasn t equipped to tell the two apart How much of the story of Zia Ul Haq s plane crash was real And how much was fictio I picked this book up because it is written by a Pakistani Journalist about Pakistan I thought it might give me context and cultural insights I guess it did And for the few few chapters, I was enthralled But in the end, I didn t like ...Wow A comic novel on the partition of East Pakistan Bangladesh from Pakistan in 1971, in first person narration by a gay Pakistani Air Force officer Hard to top that Never mind the slow start the pace picks up, and you ll learn plenty of South Asian history besides.Ah Where do I begin to write words on a book I have come to adore with every turning of the page It s full of those little surprises and shocks a growing child gets to see everyday before he has the ability to distinguish them as good or bad.Yes, there is an element of wonder when reading about the alleged activities of the bygone President and the Pakistan army itself and why there hasn t been a voice raised against it But that it all there is to it from my side.It was interesting to read s Ah Where do I begin to write words on a book I have come to adore with every turning of the page It s full of those little surprises and shocks a growing child gets to see everyday before he has the ability to distinguish them as good or bad.Yes, there is an element of wonder when reading about the alleged activities of the bygone President and the Pakistan army itself and why there hasn t been a voice raised against it But that it all there is...This book has mouldered at the 1 spot on my to read list for four years It exited in that unhappy limbo of not being available from the library yet not being exciting enough to make me want to buy it Since moving to England, I ve started trying to work my way through the oldest books on my list, so I gave in and bought this cheaply It s hard to remember why I wanted to read it in the first place I think I saw it at the bookstore, thought it was interesting, but tried to exercise some self co This book has mouldered at the 1 spot on my to read list for four ye...Political satire.I am an avid reader of both Global and Historical fiction so this book should have been right up my street Instead it took me weeks to read and I omly completed it because I was discussing it in a book group.I did not enjoy it at all It was certainly not very, very funny , as advertised.I was not alone in my views either 6 out of 8 other readers at the discussion felt the same way.Although I hate to categorise books, we felt that this was a book that would beappealin Political satire.I am an avid reader of both Global and Historical fiction so this book should have been right up my street Instead it took me weeks to read and I omly completed it because I was discussing it in a book group.I did not enjoy it at all It...

English
18 November 2017

Mohammed Hanif