Look At The City From Here: Karachi Writings
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Author Description
A city of teeming millions, Karachi seems to defy description. It is a city of myriad metaphors. It is a city which will be the pride of the East, wrote a visitor in the last century while a recent essay describes it as the saddest of the cities. It is the city nobody loves, says another. Millions and millions continue to live and work in this city, hating and loving it at the same time. But who understands its story? Karachi is also the city of many texts. It has drawn a range of writers across languages and genres, from Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai to Kamila Shamsie, Qurratulain Hyder to Asad Muhammad Khan and Hasan Manzar, Faiz Ahmed Faiz to Fehmida Riaz, Sir Richard Burton to Lawrence (of Arabia). This anthology of writings in and about Karachi presents the many moods and features of the city through writings which collectively highlight the city of many realities and multiple identities.
Menrva's Summary
THE THESIS
This anthology investigates the complex, multifaceted identity of Karachi by curating a diverse collection of literary responses to the city. Asif Farrukhi, a noted scholar and critic, compiles these texts to examine how Karachi has been perceived, romanticized, and criticized by various writers over several centuries. The work argues that the city cannot be defined by a single narrative but is instead a mosaic of conflicting realities and identities that shift depending on the observer's perspective.
THE SCOPE MAP
What You Will Find
- A chronological survey of literary depictions of Karachi spanning from historical accounts to contemporary essays.
- A diverse range of literary forms including poetry, prose, and travelogues.
- Perspectives from both local Pakistani authors and international visitors.
- An exploration of the city's socio-political evolution and its reputation as a site of both immense opportunity and profound struggle.
THE AUTHORITY PERSPECTIVE
Experts recognize this collection as a vital resource for understanding the cultural and literary history of Pakistan's largest metropolis. Readers frequently note that the text provides a dense, multi-layered view of the city that avoids simplistic tropes in favor of nuanced observation.
Page Count:
295
Publication Date:
2013-04-19
Publisher:
Oxford University Press
ISBN-10:
0195473698
ISBN-13:
9780195473698
Travel
History
Essays
Urban Studies
Anthology
Criticism history
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