52 review for The Book of Dhaka: A City in Short Fiction

1. 

   4 out of 5

   Eloise Mcallister – Sep 29, 2017

   Best ones were 'The Weapon' and 'The Princess and The Father'. Looking forward to reading the Book of Tokyo now. Best ones were 'The Weapon' and 'The Princess and The Father'. Looking forward to reading the Book of Tokyo now.

2. 

   4 out of 5

   Mohammad Shafiqul Islam – May 02, 2020

   Very happy to be one of the translators of The Book of Dhaka: A City in Short Fiction, which is an important book, featuring the capital city of Bangladesh, Dhaka, its history, liberation war of 1971, different kind of people living in the city, their everyday life, and so forth. Reading the book, one can develop a clear idea of the city that has progressed through lots of events and junctures. It's a must read! Very happy to be one of the translators of The Book of Dhaka: A City in Short Fiction, which is an important book, featuring the capital city of Bangladesh, Dhaka, its history, liberation war of 1971, different kind of people living in the city, their everyday life, and so forth. Reading the book, one can develop a clear idea of the city that has progressed through lots of events and junctures. It's a must read!

3. 

   4 out of 5

   Farhat – Sep 07, 2020

   Short stories are always a great way to get back into reading if you're going through a reading slump. I remember picking this up during one such phase when I was absolutely unable to commit to any book fully. I got two copies of this book. The first one was purchased at the Dhaka Lit Fest in 2017 and the second one was given to me as a gift from my boss the very next year. The Book of Dhaka has ten unique stories, originally written in Bangla by some of the most prominent literary figures in Ban Short stories are always a great way to get back into reading if you're going through a reading slump. I remember picking this up during one such phase when I was absolutely unable to commit to any book fully. I got two copies of this book. The first one was purchased at the Dhaka Lit Fest in 2017 and the second one was given to me as a gift from my boss the very next year. The Book of Dhaka has ten unique stories, originally written in Bangla by some of the most prominent literary figures in Bangla literature. The book contains the translated versions of these stories for the international audiences. Dhaka's complicated social and political history, its struggle for independence and the varied cultural influences it possesses are all highlighted through these short stories. Most of the stories are about relatable Dhakaites, surviving and existing in the most ordinary circumstances. The protagonists range from slum dwellers to rich kids, from gangsters to a masseuse and from film stars to freedom fighters. The often neglected and little respected Rickshaw pullers of Dhaka are always there, carrying the characters to their destinations, across the cultural backdrop that hovers between folk traditions and high art. There is a severe lack of translated texts of contemporary Bangla writers so this was a book that was long overdue. I'd recommend this book to anyone who found their home in a city.

4. 

   5 out of 5

   World Literature Today – Feb 28, 2017

   "The diversity of the stories’ socioeconomic settings reflects the city’s, and the interactions between Dhaka residents from differing social classes make for particularly entertaining stories. This is on display in Shaheen Akhtar’s “Home,” translated by Arifa Ghani Rahman, in which protagonist Bindubula is beckoned by demanding wealthy clients to provide her services as a traditional masseuse. She traverses Dhaka by three-wheeled van and rickshaw, rubbing mashed lentils and other traditional be "The diversity of the stories’ socioeconomic settings reflects the city’s, and the interactions between Dhaka residents from differing social classes make for particularly entertaining stories. This is on display in Shaheen Akhtar’s “Home,” translated by Arifa Ghani Rahman, in which protagonist Bindubula is beckoned by demanding wealthy clients to provide her services as a traditional masseuse. She traverses Dhaka by three-wheeled van and rickshaw, rubbing mashed lentils and other traditional beauty cocktails into backs and necks to make a meager living. The story ends with a revelation steeped in twentieth-century Bangladeshi history, which permeates many of the ten stories in the book." - David Shook This book was reviewed in the March/April 2017 issue of World Literature Today magazine. Read the full review by visiting our website: https://www.worldliteraturetoday.org/...

5. 

   5 out of 5

   Anne Goodwin – Feb 20, 2017

   My favourite, “The Weapon” by Syed Manzoorul Islam and translated by Arunava Sinha, was about the battle between good and evil in a character named after a foodstuff he’d never tasted (although I quibbled with the translation of Ponir as cottage cheese, when it’s more like feta). I loved the voice, with a playfully meddling anonymous narrator, a post-modern touch which, in less skilled hands, I might have found irritating. It also had a surprising, but perfectly foreshadowed, ambiguous ending. F My favourite, “The Weapon” by Syed Manzoorul Islam and translated by Arunava Sinha, was about the battle between good and evil in a character named after a foodstuff he’d never tasted (although I quibbled with the translation of Ponir as cottage cheese, when it’s more like feta). I loved the voice, with a playfully meddling anonymous narrator, a post-modern touch which, in less skilled hands, I might have found irritating. It also had a surprising, but perfectly foreshadowed, ambiguous ending. Full review http://annegoodwin.weebly.com/annecdo...

6. 

   5 out of 5

   Sharaba Tahsin –

7. 

   4 out of 5

   Lucy O’Toole –

8. 

   4 out of 5

   sarah –

9. 

   4 out of 5

   Lolita –

10. 

    4 out of 5

    Lups –

11. 

    5 out of 5

    Armaan Choudhury –

12. 

    4 out of 5

    Dan Cohen –

13. 

    5 out of 5

    Made –

14. 

    5 out of 5

    James Farren –

15. 

    5 out of 5

    Seung-Hee Jeon –

16. 

    4 out of 5

    Tommie –

17. 

    5 out of 5

    Shailesh D’Souza –

18. 

    4 out of 5

    Samia Alamgir –

19. 

    4 out of 5

    Hanna –

20. 

    4 out of 5

    AngryGlitterWitch –

21. 

    4 out of 5

    Becca –

22. 

    4 out of 5

    Danielle Kosky –

23. 

    4 out of 5

    Ming –

24. 

    5 out of 5

    Tamara Haque –

25. 

    4 out of 5

    rachy –

26. 

    5 out of 5

    Anna Stepanova –

27. 

    4 out of 5

    Nazia –

28. 

    5 out of 5

    Ahsan –

29. 

    4 out of 5

    Kookie –

30. 

    4 out of 5

    Tammi –

31. 

    5 out of 5

    Nursheila Muez –

32. 

    4 out of 5

    Tara –

33. 

    5 out of 5

    Diana –

34. 

    5 out of 5

    Dani S –

35. 

    5 out of 5

    loser –

36. 

    5 out of 5

    Michelle –

37. 

    5 out of 5

    Imdadul –

38. 

    4 out of 5

    Manasa R –

39. 

    4 out of 5

    Andrew –

40. 

    5 out of 5

    Laura –

41. 

    4 out of 5

    Nigma Subhani –

42. 

    4 out of 5

    Shawon Sarkar –

43. 

    4 out of 5

    Sam Spencer –

44. 

    4 out of 5

    Monami –

45. 

    4 out of 5

    Rifat Islam –

46. 

    5 out of 5

    Farasha –

47. 

    5 out of 5

    Md. Hanifuzzaman –

48. 

    5 out of 5

    Kannita Biswas –

49. 

    4 out of 5

    Sara Gottfredsen –

50. 

    4 out of 5

    Ida –

51. 

    4 out of 5

    Ishq –

52. 

    5 out of 5

    Ashraful Islam Tushar –