Reviews

For Now, It Is Night by Hari Krishna Kaul

cjones12's review against another edition

lighthearted reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No

sydneyedens's review against another edition

challenging reflective fast-paced

4.0

these stories gave me a glimpse into the lives of Kashmiris, which i didn’t know much about beforehand. they definitely challenged me; there is a lot to be read in between the lines - things left unsaid, but there still. as i read, i drew parallels between kashmiris and palestinians, two occupied, oftentimes displaced peoples. the relations between different religions and cultures were obviously a big feature as well. i enjoyed them overall

thebookishtales's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

4.0

cesttemps's review against another edition

dark funny informative reflective sad tense slow-paced

3.0

thepoisonwoodreader's review against another edition

emotional informative reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

laura_sackton's review against another edition

Four translators.
Thinking about cultural translations as well as lingual translations.
Thinking about what I missed.

arushie's review

dark funny reflective sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

_askthebookbug's review against another edition

4.0

I’ve been trying to read more of short stories and surprisingly, this is the third collection I’ve read in the last two months. Hari Krishna Kaul’s For Now, It Is Night paints a vivid picture of Kashmir spanning across the decades. This collection of 17 stories was selected by his niece Kalpana Raina who sought out expert help from Tanveer Ajsi, Gowhar Fazili and Gowhar Yaqoob in having them translated. Kashmir and its troubled history has been written by various authors but what sets it apart is the nuanced and metaphorical manner in which Kaul writes. He highlights the mundanity of the people who live in this beautiful land, at times of friends and of growing hostilities. But more than anything, Kaul lets you read in between the lines to understand what he’s truly trying to say.

These 17 short stories capture the lives of people pre and post exodus. We see people displaced, now living in cities but unable to find peace without their motherland beneath their feet. We see aged parents abandoned or neglected by their children who move abroad or to metropolitan cities. We watch friends turn into enemies as the exodus nears. It almost feels like you’re seeing two sides of a coin. We see friendships spanning generations but some breaking easily as tensions rise between Hindus and Muslims. We see an old woman moving to Delhi to be in a non-Muslim society only to miss the land she grew up on. Kaul captures fragile emotions of ordinary people brilliantly.

Kaul leaves many stories to our imagination. He pushes us to read between the lines, to understand the gentle truth of humans and dissect the meaning that they carry. And he does so gracefully. The translation is quite good too. My favourite ones were A Late Winter in which see a father worried about his son who has moved abroad. He misses his son but also misses his homeland that he had to leave during the exodus. Other favourites were Sunshine, woes of an old lady trying to adjust to the modern times and The Lights on the Other Side which captures the hostility between two religions.

Bonus points for the wonderful cover. I recommend this. Thank you for the copy @harpercollinsin ✨

andy_acid's review against another edition

3.25

 Most stories lacked depth but can still be considered realistic, Although some of the latter part had more food for thought, the collection itself as a whole isn't very exciting or enriching. Some of the stories also seemed to be cut off abruptly but the occasional comedic bits were enjoyable. My favourite among these would be Death and Despair, The Tongue and the Egg. 
3.25/5 stars