A Thousand Rooms Of Dream And Fear
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A Thousand Rooms Of Dream And Fear by Atiq Rahimi
In his extraordinary novella "Earth and Ashes" (now a feature film), Atiq Rahimi distilled all the suffering of the Afghan people into the heart-breaking story of a grandfather seeking revenge for his daughter's death. In his new novel, he once again uses his gift for economy to send the reader deep into the fractured mind and emotions of a country caught between religion and the political machinations of the world's super powers. Farhad is a typical student, interested in wine, women and poetry, and negligent of the religious conservatism of his grandfather. But one night changes all that. It is 1979 and Afghanistan is in the early days of the pro-Soviet coup. Farhad goes out drinking with a friend who is about to flee to Pakistan. A few hours later he regains consciousness in a strange house, beaten and confused. At first he thinks he is dead. Then he begins to remember what happened. As his mind sifts through its memories, fears and hallucinations, and the outlines of reality start to harden, he realises that, if he is to escape the soldiers who wish to finish the job they started, he too must leave everything he loves behind him and find a way to get to Pakistan. Reminiscent of William Golding's Pincher Martin in its use of an intense, repetitive vocabulary of powerful images, and for its chilling twist in the tail, this is a mesmerising book. To read it is to be plunged into the Afghan imagination and soul.
"The novella is verbal photography..[it] seems the real thing...seamlessly translated" -- Russell Celyn Jones The Times "A beautiful piece of writing" -- Ruth Pavey Independent "A taut and brilliant burst of anguished prose...both a wonderful and a dreadful little book" Guardian "Short but powerful...The beauty of the language lends this work a haunting clarity" The Herald "Exquisitely crafted" -- Tariq Ali, Writers' and Critics' pick of 2006 Guardian
Born in Afghanistan in 1962, Atiq Rahimi fled to France in 1984 to escape the Soviet coup. There he has made a name as a writer, film and documentary maker of exceptional note. The feature film of Earth and Ashes was realeased in 2005 to great acclaim and Rahimi is about to publish in France a book of his photographs of Afghanistan. He has been heavily involved in Afghan cultural life since the American invasion, particularly in the creation of a 'Writers' House' in Kabul. He lives in Paris.
| SKU | Unavailable |
| ISBN 13 | 9780701176730 |
| ISBN 10 | 0701176733 |
| Title | A Thousand Rooms Of Dream And Fear |
| Author | Atiq Rahimi |
| Condition | Unavailable |
| Binding Type | Hardback |
| Publisher | Vintage Publishing |
| Year published | 2006-08-03 |
| Number of pages | 208 |
| Cover note | Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary. |
| Note | Unavailable |