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Both of these stories make it clear that even when investigating smaller cases – at least compared to some of the previous books in the series – Charlie Parker is a force for good and a character with plenty of stories left to tell. The Furies is an excellent example of a series that delights in horrifying and uplifting its readers simultaneously; long may it continue to do so. Nonetheless, Pakistan itself clearly seems to have been a half-baked idea concocted callously by Jinnah, and perhaps even supported by the British as a means to handicap a newly-independent India.
The title is misleading - "The Deadly legacy of India's Partition" it should be history instead of legacy. From the description on goodreads - "From jihadi terrorism to nuclear proliferation, the searing tale told in Midnight’s Furies explains all too many of the headlines we read today." No it does not. It is not an analysis, it is not a book that explores causes of events, it is a chronicle, a narrative history. Quinn informs Parker about the occult connection to the investigation, which is evident when certain symbols are found not only at the murder scenes, but also in Buker’s room at a local flophouse along with a new tattoo on his forearm. The inevitable meeting between Buker and the Sisters Strange will occur. They know what he is about and are more than capable of handling themselves to overcome any threat he may pose. As skilled as Parker is at his job, he appears to be a mere bystander in this story. Unfortunately, I felt this was a really tough read. While I certainly wouldn't expect a 101-level textbook to spoon-feed me, I found the text a real struggle. The focus is the conflict surrounding the eventual creation of modern India and Pakistan: from the politics to the violence in the streets. But unfortunately it's tough to grasp with the large cast of characters (there is no "Who's who" list and maybe it's just me who had trouble keeping who's who separate). I also found the text genuinely difficult to read. Some sections were fascinating and kept me going, but there were several places where my eyes dragged and I just felt it just wasn't compelling reading.That is the substance of the work in a nut shell. The author rejects traditional military history, which (he claims) is either a technical discussion of weapons and tactics or a (literally) bloodless subdiscipline within diplomatic history, which takes for granted the specious reasons used by the princes. Didn't grow up in India, but has spent time in the region, and has won an award as a first-time author The end of the British Empire in India is a truly remarkable historical moment. When the hour hand reached twelve on August 15, 1947, two-hundred years of British rule ended, and two new countries – India and Pakistan – came into being. Shortly before this birth, India’s first prime minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, stood before parliament and famously spoke of a “tryst with destiny,” an awakening “to life and freedom.” It all seemed so hopeful: the peaceful overthrow of a longstanding colonial power. The collection is introduced by Sandy Toksvig who brings her trademark humour and wit to open this collection and starts it off right. I didn't love every story in this collection but I think that's to be expected with such a varied group of contributors and styles. The death toll from India’s partition varies widely, but it is safe to say that tens of thousands were killed, while countless others were injured, sexually assaulted, or forced to flee their homes. Nisid Hajari tells this important, untidy story concisely in Midnight’s Furies.
Highlights include subtler things historian may not always think to include or describe like how much food standard 20,000-80,000 strong armies had to forage, plunder and consume just to survive as they fan out over the dozens of miles of countryside in every direction. Or the details of how soldiers were paid or press gang conscripted. In the second and titular story, Charlie is hired by a woman who is trying to recover some items stolen from her, items that had once belonged to her dead daughter. The thieves are staying at The Braycott Hotel, a hotel noted mainly for its discretion. As a result, no children are allowed so why, suddenly, are patrons complaining that their sleep is being disturbed by the laughter of a child in the hall late at night? A compelling, entertaining and thought-provoking collection that showcases brilliant writing through a broad range of different styles and approaches. Book #20 in the Charlie Parker series is comprised of two novellas: The Sisters Strange and The Furies. Chaos and murder arrive in Charlie Parker’s hometown of Portland, Maine, with two connected crimes in the latest novel in #1 nationally bestselling author John Connolly’s “flawless and highly suspenseful” ( PopSugar ) series.It was an oversimplified solution to divide Hindus and Muslims by area, arrived at by mutual distrust and in a rush to resolution I take issue with narrative non-fiction, as its historicity is as much in question as any drama’s should be; as the adage goes, there are two sides to every story. Reality does not operate in clean narratives, and there are no omniscient authors who can cast judgement and narrate the entire tale. Here lies my biggest opposition to such works: they invest too much power in the author. Not only do you have to trust what they’re saying is true, you are unaware of what they’re leaving out. While my formal reading on South-Asian history was minimal prior to this book, I knew enough to find some flaws immediately. Looking more up about the book later, it turned out to be far worse. Boyne’s enraged vision is his great strength in The Heart’s Invisible Furies. The appalling comedy of Cyril’s childhood and youth, the vigour, the mess, the stir and life and horror of it all form the heart of a substantial achievement. Internal conflicts and misadventures with India would lead to control of Pakistan by the military and the loss of Bengal in 1971
What makes Spellsinger such an absorbing read is the way it unites aspects of science fiction and fantasy. The parallel realm Jonathan is sent to is an elaborate and thoroughly realized world with its own heritage, cultures, and politics. Foster has created a totally absorbing and believable fantasy land that will fascinate readers from the beginning to the end. All this gushingly positive commentary on the book does not mask the lacunae in the factual accuracy and lines of reasoning used by the author. The most important structural flaw in the book is that the author does not go deep into the question : why the need for Pakistan ? .He satisfies himself by conflating a single person's whims with the demands of the Muslim population. On one hand, it can be conceded that without Jinnah's tireless determination, Pakistan would not have seen light. On the other hand, it is naive to believe a single person can create a nation state of his own.
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Naturally, what Ayesha Jalal once called as "the central historical event in 20th century South Asia" has spawned a rich body of literature which range from academic histories (An example is "Independence and Partition" by Sucheta Mahajan) to biographies ( "The Sole Spokesman" ,a biography of Mohammed Jinnah by Ayesha Jalal) to memoirs ("An American witness to India's partition" by Phillips Talbot) to short stories (Works of Saadat Hasan Manto including the brilliant "Toba Tek Singh") to novels ("Train to Pakistan" by Khushwant Singh) to oral histories ("The other side of silence" by Urvashi Bhutalia).
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