The scatter here is too great by Bilal Tanweer

Set in Karachi, Pakistan. Reviewed on 2018/02: https://www.instagram.com/p/BfkNjGiHf0a/

“Now looking out this broken window at people rushing toward sources of smoke, throwing water over burning cars and buses, you realize that what you had felt for your father was much worse than hate: it was a kind of love where it’s impossible to know what you want, and where every act of reaching out lacerates you more deeply, and expression is impossible because no matter how hard you try you’ll inevitably fall at odd angles to each other’s needs.” Wow!
–
The main character in this book is not the constant threat of #terrorism and #carbombs in the streets of #karachi The real revelation and epicenter of the story is the daily terrorism the same people of the city place on each other. The thousands and millions of micro moments, choices and decisions which produces #apathy, hopelessness and fundamentalism spreads to the core of a society. #bilaltanweer gives us a collection of individual failures, #liesand deceptions which amount to actual explosions and #killings in a gradual and even more painful way. #tanweer teases the story into the ‘casualness’ of our lack of empathy or solidarity. Ultimately #thescatterhereistoogreat is a window into the #relationships among the inhabitants of a city and the centrality of those relationships be it negative or positive when it comes to its future. I can’t believe this is his first book. Simply brilliant! #highlyrecommended #pakistaniliterature#harpercollins #vignettes #debutnovel#hopelessness #atallcosts #sindh #کراچی