The Blind Man's Garden - Softcover

Aslam, Nadeem

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0571287948 ISBN 13: 9780571287949

Publisher: Faber & Faber, 2014

Synopsis

Love is not consolation, it is light.'

From the author of Maps for Lost Lovers comes a searing, exquisitely written novel set in Pakistan and Afghanistan in the months following 9/11 - a story of war, of one family's losses, and of the simplest, most enduring human impulses.

Jeo and Mikal, foster-brothers from a small Pakistani city, secretly enter Afghanistan: not to fight with the Taliban, but to help and care for wounded civilians. But it soon becomes apparent that good intentions can't keep them out of harm's way...

From the wilds of Afghanistan to the heart of the family left behind - their blind father haunted for years by the death of his wife, by the mistakes he may have made in the name of Islam and nationhood, Jeo's steadfast wife and her superstitious mother - Aslam's prose takes us on an extraordinary journey.

About this title

Review

Praise for "The Blind Man's Garden
"
"Magnificent." --"The Times "(London)
"Exhilarating . . . An engaging work of humane-minded and artful literary fiction . . . replete with striking images." --"The Wall Street Journal"
" "
"One the most important novels of the past decade. . . . "The Blind Man's Garden "is as much a family saga and a love story as a dialectic reflecting the dual responses to 9/11. . . . A masterpiece . . . Extraordinary prose--lush, full of vivid images and juxtapositions." --"Counterpunch"
"Aslam finds poetry in scenes both ordinary and dreamlike . . . The writing is so assured and the story so urgent that it's easy to suspend disbelief. Aslam sympathizes not with causes but with people, and this is a memorable portrait of a people torn apart by war." --"Kirkus Reviews "(starred)
"A follow-up to Aslam's almost unnervingly beautiful "The Wasted Vigil" . . . While "Vigil" sparkled like sharp-cut jewels, this new work has a garden's shaded quiet yet just as effectively conveys the entanglements of history in the Middle East and the awful human price." --"Library Journal"
"The extraordinary beauty of [Aslam's] writing makes the experience of reading ["The Blind Man's Garden"] wholly exhilarating." --"The Spectator"
""The Blind Man's Garden" is most impressive in its stitching together of dramatic ironies, often under the star of sensuality and underlined by a stripe of brutality. . . . There is much to admire." --"Times Literary Supplement"
" "
"A gripping and moving piece of storytelling that gets the calamitous first act in the 'War on Terror' on to the page with grace, intelligence, and rare authenticity." --"The Guardian "
"Once or twice a year, a book stuns me. "The Blind Man's Garden "has done just that . . . Rich imagery, sage reflections, and immaculate prose are evident on every page . . . This book glows with a radiant beauty . . . The poignancy is gut-wrenching." --"The Inde

Exhilarating. . . . An engaging work of humane-minded and artful literary fiction.
The Wall Street Journal

Aslam s beautiful novel is at once a complicated family saga . . . and a fable about guilt, innocence, and the possibility of forgiveness and understanding.
The Boston Globe
Riveting. . . . Chilling and profound.
The Christian Science Monitor

A powerful, moving novel about love, friendship, war. Magnificent.
The Times(London)
One [of] the most important novels of the past decade. . . . The Blind Man s Gardenis as much a family saga and a love story as a dialectic reflecting the dual responses to 9/11. . . . A masterpiece [of] extraordinary prose lush, full of vivid images and juxtapositions.
Counterpunch

Hypnotic. . . . A monumental novel of love and conflict. . . . Breath-taking.
The Independent(London)
A gripping and moving piece of storytelling that gets the calamitous first act in the War on Terror on to the page with grace, intelligence and rare authenticity.
The Guardian (London)
Exceptional. . . . Richly layered. . . . Aslam pulls off an extraordinary feat in creating a world of war that is dreamy, timeless and simultaneously brutal. . . . Beautiful.
Sydney Morning Herald (Sydney)
The Blind Man's Gardenis most impressive in its stitching together of dramatic ironies, often under the star of sensuality and underlined by a stripe of brutality. . . . There is much to admire.
The Times Literary Supplement (London)
Once or twice a year, a book stuns me. . . . [The Blind Man's Garden] has done just that. . . . Extraordinary. . . . Rich imagery, sage reflections, and immaculate prose are evident on every page. . . . A chilling picture of Pakistan's government and army colluding with terrorism.
Leyla Sanai, The Independent on Sunday (London)
A gripping work that goes to the heart of Muslim fanaticism and Pentagon intransigence alike. Aslam is a wonderful talent, and we are lucky to have him.
The Telegraph(London)
The extraordinary beauty of the writing makes the experience of reading [The Blind Man s Garden] wholly exhilarating.
The Spectator (London)
A brave, passionate narrative that is rich in symbolism and hard truths. . . . Aslam is a gifted writer, an honest witness with the eye of a poet. . . . There is no disputing the passion and urgency of [his] work. Its elegantly raw humanity appeals to the soul.
Irish Times

Aslam never forgets his duty to make all of these [characters] entirely convincing or to serve up page after page of compelling story-telling.
Daily Mail (London)
Powerful and quite astounding. . . . Unflinching. . . . Aslam s masterpiece.
The National(Abu Dhabi)
A wonderful book as propulsive as any thriller yet leavened with the subtlety of a writer who can inhabit the febrile mind of a jihadist just as intuitively as he can the weeping soul of a country drowning in religious extremism.
Metro (London)
A life-affirming tale of love and redemption emerging from the stark landscape of loss. Love is not consolation, it is light. The book is Aslam s prayer for the whole world, his attempt to bathe it in light.
Outlook India (New Delhi)"

"Exhilarating. . . . An engaging work of humane-minded and artful literary fiction."
--The Wall Street Journal

"Aslam's beautiful novel is at once a complicated family saga . . . and a fable about guilt, innocence, and the possibility of forgiveness and understanding."
--The Boston Globe

"Riveting. . . . Chilling and profound."
--The Christian Science Monitor

"A powerful, moving novel about love, friendship, war. Magnificent."
--The Times (London)

"One [of] the most important novels of the past decade. . . . The Blind Man's Garden is as much a family saga and a love story as a dialectic reflecting the dual responses to 9/11. . . . A masterpiece [of] extraordinary prose--lush, full of vivid images and juxtapositions."
--Counterpunch

"Hypnotic. . . . A monumental novel of love and conflict. . . . Breath-taking."
--The Independent (London)

"A gripping and moving piece of storytelling that gets the calamitous first act in the 'War on Terror' on to the page with grace, intelligence and rare authenticity."
--The Guardian (London)

"Exceptional. . . . Richly layered. . . . Aslam pulls off an extraordinary feat in creating a world of war that is dreamy, timeless and simultaneously brutal. . . . Beautiful."
--Sydney Morning Herald (Sydney)

"The Blind Man's Garden is most impressive in its stitching together of dramatic ironies, often under the star of sensuality and underlined by a stripe of brutality. . . . There is much to admire."
--The Times Literary Supplement (London)

"Once or twice a year, a book stuns me. . . . [The Blind Man's Garden] has done just that. . . . Extraordinary. . . . Rich imagery, sage reflections, and immaculate prose are evident on every page. . . . A chilling picture of Pakistan's government and army colluding with terrorism."
--Leyla Sanai, The Independent on Sunday (London)

"A gripping work that goes to the heart of Muslim fanaticism and Pentagon intransigence alike. Aslam is a wonderful talent, and we are lucky to have him."
--The Telegraph (London)

"The extraordinary beauty of the writing makes the experience of reading [The Blind Man's Garden] wholly exhilarating."
--The Spectator (London)

"A brave, passionate narrative that is rich in symbolism and hard truths. . . . Aslam is a gifted writer, an honest witness with the eye of a poet. . . . There is no disputing the passion and urgency of [his] work. Its elegantly raw humanity appeals to the soul."
--Irish Times

"Aslam never forgets his duty to make all of these [characters] entirely convincing--or to serve up page after page of compelling story-telling."
--Daily Mail (London)

"Powerful and quite astounding. . . . Unflinching. . . . Aslam's masterpiece."
--The National (Abu Dhabi)

"A wonderful book--as propulsive as any thriller yet leavened with the subtlety of a writer who can inhabit the febrile mind of a jihadist just as intuitively as he can the weeping soul of a country drowning in religious extremism."
--Metro (London)

"A life-affirming tale of love and redemption emerging from the stark landscape of loss. Love is not consolation, it is light. The book is Aslam's prayer for the whole world, his attempt to bathe it in light."
--Outlook India (New Delhi)

Book Description

The Blind Man's Garden by Nadeem Aslam is a stunning novel from the author of The Wasted Vigil, presenting the war on terror through the lens of one family's experience.

About this edition

• Publisher: Faber & Faber
• Publication date: 2014
• ISBN 10: 0571287948
• ISBN 13: 9780571287949
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 480