Book News
Speaking of diamonds . . .
We, The Reading Circle, TRC introduced Shazia Omar earlier at our regular monthly reading session on Sunday, 17 January 2010, at Red Shift, Radius Centre, Gulshan 1. It was a well attended session. In all, 17 readers and discussants expressed their views on the book, the writer, the subject matter of the book and came up with some suggestions. Like a Diamond in the Sky is a debut novel by Shazia Omar. It heralds a new voice in Bangladesh fiction-writing in English. The book highlights the struggle against drug addiction, amidst degeneration, and has references to 9/11 and the aftermath. Sal, the moving force behind Red Shift, described the work as a journey into realization. It is a modern piece of writing with an uninterrupted story line. Some editing of the text would improve the reading quality of the book. Mahmuda Haque Chowdhury, a former Bangladesh diplomat, read the book not as a novel. It was for her an informative report on drug abuse and addiction. She was delighted to know the writer, Shazia Omar. Daulat Husain, a visiting ex-teacher /trainer, commented elaborately on the book. She enjoyed the first part of the book, alternating between two protagonists and through them introducing other characters. On the title of the book, there were different interpretations, or opinions if you will. The book is dedicated to a person of the writer's generation. Daulat Husain is of the opinion that it should have been dedicated to mothers, for the writer does address issues of concern for the elderly. It is also a question with Daulat as to how much her background in social psychology has helped the writer produce the book since the work goes for a deep insight into the mindset of the young generation. One may as well note the observations on the passer-by, on a preoccupation with sex and monogamy. The social attitudes and interplay of the nouveau riche and the poor --- beggars, rickshawpullers, slum mafia, the unschooled are here thrown light on. Also included as part of the theme are such symbols of affluence as motorbikes and Benz and mechanical devices like treadmills and remote controlled toys. The songs and authors referred to on page 33 do call for some clarification. On the matter of publishing this book abroad, Daulat Husain thought such a venture would be worthwhile, for it is a Bangladeshi who has commented on the state of things in her country rather than someone from abroad. The appendix needs to explain/ translate some of the Bengali words, like bodna, achol, pohela boishakh and others. The dialogue on page 36-46 is interesting and relates to corruption in the country and is reflective of cynicism involved in a practice of religion. The strength of the book? It is a wake-up call for us all, for we are superficially aware of the symptoms of addiction. It is for readers to spot the problems. Intrinsically the book presents the bigger problem of the cause of this addiction in alienation felt by this generation, page 41-42, vis-à-vis a relegation of responsibility, bad behaviour and holding on to traditional views on societal reactions. The book highlights the problems of this generation: boredom, peer pressure, smugness, hood-winking parents, thrill of secrecy, and freedom without responsibility. The book could be turned around to teach about parental roles, about seeking professional help, and not play the blame game, to assist us to re-examine ourselves. Nancy, an expatriate, was very appreciative of the discussion and suggested serious consideration on copyright issues and inclusion of the book in the Library of Congress. Armeen, a young reader, appreciated the book as she could easily relate to the contents of the work. There is a philosophical side to it and there are issues to be reflected on, for life is the result of deliberate action. Naila and Aref, part of the Bengali diaspora, thought the book was great and had good prospect of being converted to a stage performance. Favorable comments were made by Lita, Jackie, Hasna, Asfa, Nasreen and Kuhu, particularly relating to the vivid description of city parts, and the social facts of Bangladesh. It all ended on a cheerful note: TRC is the best, said Shazia Omar.
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