Choices, Choices
Mohsin Hamid has a new novel coming out. I learned about it this morning via Manish, who is the Knight Harbinger of all that is new in the world. I want to read Mohsin Hamid’s book to see what he’s got over John Updike and Martin Amis. Manish’s post has earned a comment from Amardeep who writes: ‘I want to write a novel called “Just an Average Muslim Bloke Driving a Toyota Camry to Work, and Hanging Out Around the Office Cooler.” No terrorism, no fundamentalism. Just maybe a girlfriend, a boring job, and a slight drinking problem he needs to get over.’ Good point. And yet. And yet… A short-story version of this dream exists in the opening paragraphs of Hanif Kureishi’s “My Son the Fanatic.” But fundamentalism comes looking for the protagonist, Pervez. Do you know what would be more boring, and indeed more brutal, than having to confront a Muslim writer addressing fundamentalism once again? To be that Muslim writer faced with the choice of having to face on the page, yet again, the familiar, tiresome questions that people like customs officers ask him or her, and to want, at the same time, as an artist, to free each word on the page from the inevitable politics that that has on its breath the smell “like dead snakes kept too long in a jar.”
I have enjoyed reading your blog. Engaging and humourous.
But today it was seriously disturbing,here is why???
“… to free each word on the page from the inevitable politics that that has on its breath the smell “like dead snakes kept too long in a jar.”…:Sorry, but what does that mean, Yaar.
I suggest, Amardeep takes his point beyond the ridiculous- Why should he not write a book called ” Just An Average Muslim Bloke Investigating A Corparate Scandal in South Carolina”. you know it seems that you guys really missed the point( didn’t you ,Mr. Husband of a F, say “good point”. Were you being serious AK?
See the point is you have to make it a serious point- just hanging around won’t help. When a Syriana is made one should think what would have happened if the Main character had been a Muslim. And if that does not sound ridiculous, maybe it really is not funny.
Best.You know sometimes i feel this kind of humour, like in your post, is nothing but cynicism laced in wit. A.
Comment by Asim Khan — October 26, 2006 @ 7:51 am