Discussion Questions Broken Verses. By Kamila Shamsie. From the ocean scene painted on Aasmaani's bedroom walls to Aasmaani's memories on the beach with the Poet. KAMILA SHAMSIE is the author of five novels: In the City by the Sea, Kartography (both shortlisted for the John Llewellyn Rhys Prize), Salt and Saffron, Broken Verses and Burnt Shadows, which was shortlisted for the Orange Prize and has been translated into more than 20 languages. “'Kamila Shamsie writes fine, clear prose. There is an attractive liveliness to her work. Broken Verses is a compassionate book, which intelligently discusses the dilemmas of educated woman in Pakistan'” – Joanna Kavenna, Times Literary Supplement. My research explores how Kamila Shamsie’s Broken Verses (2005) investigates the narrow and reductive definition of nationalism promoted during General Zia’s regime. During his period the concept of nationalism and the discourses on history were appropriated to justify his policy of Islamization of every field of national life.
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Preview — Broken Verses by Kamila Shamsie
Fourteen years ago, famous Pakistani activist Samina Akram disappeared. Two years earlier, her lover, Pakistan's greatest poet, was beaten to death by government thugs. In present-day Karachi, her daughter Aasmaani has just discovered a letter in the couple's private code—a letter that could only have been written recently.
Aasmaani is thirty, single, drifting from job to..more
Published June 1st 2005 by Mariner Books
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Apr 02, 2010Ramya (Idea Smith) rated it really liked it
It took me over a week to read this book, twice of what I'd normally have taken. This is because I'd linger over a phrase, a paragraph and often go back and read the whole page all over again. I stretched out the reading to savour the experience. I don't remember the last time I wanted to do that with a book. The story of Aasmaani Inquilab is interesting enough. If the story moves at a slightly slower pace than one is used to in the current fare, it is more than made up for by how beautifully la..more
Broken Verses is the fourth of five books in our local library's Muslim Journeys program. It takes place in Karachi, Pakistan since 9/11. The main character, a spoiled, whining 30 year old woman, has not learned that she is not the center of the universe. It is a lesson she needs to learn to grow.
The story did not interest me. The author did not make me care what happens. I was only mildly curious about who did what and why. I was more curious as to why this book was chosen for the Muslim Journe..more
May 18, 2009Jen rated it really liked it
Wow. I almost gave up on this book before I got 50 pages in, and I am glad I didn't It wasn't the best book I have read, by far, but It was interesting and I loved the writing style whenever the poet would take over in his letters. I would love to read a whole book of those letters.
The basic story was of a woman who has allowed the disappearnce of her mother, and the death of her Omi (a poet and her step-father figure) to change her entire character. It isn't very suprising though, since they se..more
Initially, I really enjoyed this novel. It's written by a Pakistani woman, and is set in Karachi, Pakistan. Shamsie's language is beautiful, and there are many striking turns of phrase. Her female protagonist is pleasantly introspective, and the novel attempts to place the story within a specific politico-historical context.
However, as the novel progresses, those pleasing aspects become annoying. The plot, it turns out, is merely a means of allowing her characters to move from one scene of intro..more
Broken Verses by Kamila Shamsie
This is a book I was reading for a group discussion but did not finish. I read over two thirds of it, however - enough to have a good idea how I felt about it and know that I did not want to spend more time on it. If you are looking for a window into Pakistan as I was you won’t find it here. I can’t say much for the plot (not much of one) or the characters either. Somehow I felt like an outsider looking at this story – never drawn into it, never bonding with the ch..more
Nov 07, 2013Louise rated it liked it
In this novel characters with what seem to be western sensibilities are grafted onto a setting in Pakistan. Serious issues are introduced. Apr 01, 2019Tamara Agha-Jaffar rated it it was ok
The story is told by Aasmaani Inqalab who yearns for her mother Samina, an outspoken feminist who has disappeared. Is she alive? Did Samina flee the police? Did she run away her with her lover, the radical poet Omi who is presumed to have been beaten to death? Did she commit suicide? The story revolves around some clues that arrive through the famous actress, S..more
Shelves: 2019-mena-challenge, fiction, 2019-reading-challenge, 2019-women, books-i-ve-reviewed, women-of-color
Broken Verses by Kamila Shamsie is in the first-person point of view of Aasmaani Inqalab, a thirty-something Pakistani woman. Her mother, a charismatic and prominent activist for women’s rights, disappeared and is presumed dead of suicide 14 years before the book opens. Her mother’s lover (“Omi”), a very famous poet, had been incarcerated several times in Pakistan for his radical views and critiques of the government. His body, with evidence of brutal torture, was found two years before her moth..more
Intriguing and emotional, like all her works are, but also tiring and convoluted.
I read this book a couple of months ago. Then I checked it out from the library last week again to reread it. I still hardly have words to describe how much this moved me. She has this way of saying things that you've questioned or thought about at some point in your life. Her characters are brave. They are willing to rip open their flesh to bare the soul and scrutinize it, and with that those of the readers'. I loved the ending. I honestly believe there couldn't have been a better ending, not w..more
A code book for progressive feminist Asians. The tale of complexities of emotions and expectations both entwined with Love. Activist Samina Akram is in love with poet Omi, and that love is beyond bounds. Concurrently, Samina is mother of Aasmani, who is living with her father, a caring stepmother and warm hearted younger stepsister. Kamila raises a myraid of feminist concerns in the book, especially from the perspective of a Muslim woman, for example the one is: does being a mother means you com..more
Oct 28, 2009Jennifer rated it really liked it
Recommends it for: anyone who wants to know more about the Middle East
Broken Verses by Kamila Shamsie is the tale of a twenty-something Pakistani girl, the daughter of a famous activist who has disappeared long ago amid despair over the death of her lover, the Poet. Aasmani’s name recognition lands her a job at a television company and her uncanny resemblance to her mother, Samina, causes others to expect greatness. She struggles with the expectations and her sense of abandonment with a sharp tongue and a cynical attitude. At the television company she meets the s..more
Aug 29, 2015Sehar Moughal rated it it was amazing
No one could have written this book any better. The story line was great,however,the ideas represented in the book were like magic. My heart is weeping for all the lost passion yet rejoicing at the hope amidst all misery.
This quote sums up the beauty of this book: “It’s true, that in concrete battles the tyrants may have the upper hand in terms of tactics, weapons, ruthlessness. What our means of protest attempt to do is to move the battles towards abstract space. Force tyranny to defend itself..more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.
Jan 09, 2018Rosario (http://rosario.blogspot.com/) rated it really liked it
I was a bit too busy to do a top reads of 2017 post at the end of last year, but if I'd done one, Kamila Shamsie's latest, Home Fire, would have been right at the top. So obviously, I went and bought all her backlist. It's not a hugely long list, but it's satisfyingly substantial and there's a fair bit of variety there. Her books go all over the world and several of them are historical novels. But having loved Home Fire so much, I fancied something a bit closer to that experience, so I chose to..more
Full disclosure- I love Kamila's writing. Some of it might have to do with the fact that we share a similar, ardent love for Karachi which in her case, is all too evident in her writing. Her descriptions of Karachi's life, ambience and of course, the sea, are delectable and heartfelt. I became her fan after reading In the City by the Sea. Broken Verses is not much of a departure in terms of the scope; it has her usual amalgamation of character's angst, political and religious elements interplayi..more
Jun 08, 2008Ann rated it it was amazing
Recommends it for: those of us that are wounded, wits
This is very personal-- I feel like I could be Aasmaani. She reminds me almost exactly of myself.
I especially liked the author's discussion of the nature of one's character on pages 142-143: 'Character is just an invention, but it's an invention that serves as both reason and justification for our behavior. It is the self-fulfilling prophecy that guides our lives, worming its way so deep beneath the levels of conscious thought that we forget ther emight have been a time when our defining traits..more
My love for subcontinental authors stems from the fact that I have so much to relate with them. Starting from lifestyle, poverty to turbulent politics, nowadays I think subcontinental authors have better stories to tell about contemporary lives compared to their Western counterparts.
Broken Verses is another of those glamorous, glistening Asian-English works that fail to leave a heart unmoved. Desperate love, politics, activism, depression and a contemporary Karachi life----Kamila Shamsie's Broke..more
Dec 08, 2008okyrhoe rated it really liked it
A well-written, balanced book. I enjoyed reading it, not so much for the political-thriller suspense, as for the way that Shamsie masterfully writes her protagonist's first person narrative. I was pulled into Aasmani's story, her complex character, her authentic voice, and the credibility of her emotional conflicts.
Another aspect that I liked is that Shamsie is unashamedly depicting the Pakistani educated/sophisticated/privileged class she is familiar with, rather than pandering to Anglo reader..more
I wanted very much to write something good about this book,but I just wasn't all that excited about the story at all. None of the characters seemed at all real and I know how that sounds as I realize it is fiction,but I like it when the people seem real at least,the pace was very slow,the plot line was weak,the style of the writing was tedious. I just expected much more after I had read a few reviews. The one thing that I did enjoy were some really great lines and phrases peppered throughout the..more
Apr 13, 2018Laura rated it liked it
Shelves: government, death, book-club, journalism
Metatextual tale of a woman living in the shadow of partition. She suffered a radical rupture with her past. Her beloved stepfather was brutally killed. Her mother . . . well, let us say, absented herself in a way I read about in The Satanic Verses. Her sister, father and stepmother did their best by her. She loves, and is loved by, many. She lives a life of not-so-quiet desperation. Breaking the code brings her revelation without peace.
It was fine. A bit to much of a soap opera for my tastes,..more
Jan 16, 2017Pamela rated it it was amazing
Read this after hearing it recommended from the NPR Librarian Nancy Pearl. Gorgeous book taking place in Pakistan circa 2005. Story of a young women, child of female political activist who left her father at a young age to be a muse for a poet/ political dissident. Carefully crafted novel about the power of words, passion and parental love. Explores themes of abandonment, exile, love and depression. Powerful novel that will have an impact long after I read the last word.
Feb 23, 2018Royce Houthuijzen rated it really liked it
Although I read Home Fire, Kamila Shamsie's latest novel first and worked back to her
earlier work, I must say that the writing in Broken Verses shows her artistry in the written word. She writes beautifully and you can see the eloquence, satire, and deep character development in this novel. Enjoyed it immensely.
3RD novel of Kamila and 3rd disappointment. She is the author of small talks, lacking creativity and failing to establish a provocative and intriguing plot. One may wonder why a person has to publish a novel that is nothing more than a rough work of rough ideas. With this kind of work, I would prefer not to publish it. Following are some faults within the novel:
The novel seems to be inspired by Manto's court appearances and Habib Jalib's and Faiz's exile in the Era of Zia. She seemed to have bee..more
Jan 12, 2019Denise rated it really liked it · review of another edition
Fourteen years ago, famous Pakistani activist Samina Akram vanished without a trace - two years after her lover, the country's most renowned poet, was killed, likely by government forces. Now, Samina's daughter Aasmaani has come into possession of letters written in a code known only to the three of them that suggest that either or both could still be alive, compelling her to embark on a potentially dangerous search for the truth behind their fates.
Kamila Shamsie's writing is alluring and beauti..more
My review of this novel is not complicated (for a change!). From start to finish it took me 4 days, probably the quickest I have read through a novel of this size. I just couldn't put it down. The chapters had a lovely continuity and were the perfect length. No overpowering surges in emotion or action, no melodrama. I just wanted to read and read and read. Aug 28, 2011Kim
When I finished it I just wanted to stay up all night and talk about it! That's what I felt like doing. The principle character, Aasmani is f..more Kamila Shamsie Written Worksrated it really liked it
Shelves: adult-fiction, contemporary-fiction, fiction, reviewed-for-slj, young-adult-fiction
From June 2005 School Library Journal: Aug 08, 2015Faaiz rated it really liked it · review of another edition
Growing up in modern-day Pakistan, Aasmaani Inqalab is no stranger to government corruption and intrigue. Her heroes since childhood have been her mother, an outspoken activist, and her mother’s lover, a poet known for his criticism of bureaucracy. Far from a stable influence while Aasmaani was growing up, the couple had a pattern of disappearing into exile when the government drew too close and reappearing in Aasmaani’s life a few months or years later. Six..more
Shelves: captivating, real-issues, heartbreaking, cultural, introspective, well-written, pakistan, inspirational, beautiful, political
I'm conflicted about this one. This is one of those books that you are so quick to devour that in your hunger to read the next line and then the next page you often miss out on the chance to actually stop and ponder over the words that were written and what they invoke in you. So, this is going to be a temporary rating till I reread the book. Feb 05, 2017Karyl
What I loved about this book was the lyrical prose which flowed so beautifully and easily that really captured you and drew you in. I found the character Aa..more Kamila Shamsie Burnt Shadowsrated it really liked it
Shelves: in-a-foreign-land, 2017, 2017-reading-challenge, library-reads
This is a beautifully written story, and a fascinating glimpse into life in modern Pakistan. Every time I picked up the book, I was sucked into Aasmaani's world, and I found it very difficult to put the book down. Ordinarily, I would have read this far more quickly, but I found myself slowing down in order to enjoy Shamsie's writing. Her prose is beautiful and evocative.
I appreciated Shamsie's inclusion of some of Pakistan's recent history when she was describing the Poet's life. Pakistan isn't..more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.
In my effort to read all things Shamsie to prepare for reviewing her latest. I had the same issue I've had with most of her books - the premise is great but they are so overwritten and issue laden. I think she creates overly complex plots. It may be why Home Fire is such a success- to me- because she follows the plot of Antigone fairly closely.
At the same time, I am grateful for how willing she is to grapple with tough subjects. In Broken Verses, a young woman tries to sort out what happened to..more
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Kamila Shamsie was born in 1973 in Karachi, where she grew up. She has a BA in Creative Writing from Hamilton College in Clinton, NY and an MFA from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. While at the University of Massachusetts she wrote In The City By The Sea, published by Granta Books UK in 1998. This first novel was shortlisted for the John Llewelyn Rhys Award in the UK, and Shamsie recei..more
“There is no mystery-- that's the beauty of it. We are entirely explicable to each other, and yet we stay. What a miracle that is.”
“Can I ask you a personal question'? Of all the rhetorical questions
in the world, that is the one which irritates me most with its simultaneous gesture towards and denial of the trespass that is about to follow.” Kamila Shamsie Home FireMore quotes…Comments are closed.
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