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Afghan Rumour Bazaar: Secret Sub-Cultures, Hidden Worlds and the Everyday Life of the Absurd
Ironic and humorous, witty and self-deprecatory, The Afghan Rumour Bazaar reveals the quotidian absurdities of lives framed against the backdrop of a savage war. Offering daringly new perspectives on a country readers may erroneously assume they know, Nushin Arbabzadah delves into the unacknowledged but real secret sub-cultures and hidden worlds of Afghans, from underground converts to Christianity to mysterious male cross-dressers to tales of bacha-posh girlboys. Among the individuals, fables and dilemmas she confronts are 'Why are Imams Telling Us About Nail Polish?, ' 'Afghanistan's Rich Jewish Heritage, ' 'Kabul Street Style, ' 'The Resurgence of Afghanistan's Spiritual Bazaar, ' and not forgetting Malalai of Maiwand, who turned her headscarf into a banner and led a successful rebellion against the British. Arbabzadah reveals for the first time Afghans own vibrant internal deliberations--on sex and soap operas; conspiracy theories; drugs and diplomacy; terrorism and the Taliban; and how a long-dead soothsayer from Bulgaria accidentally shut down a newspaper. Many different Afghan sensibilities are presented in her book, yet together they offer an unvarnished, at times heartwarming, at times tragic, insight into one of the most complex and fascinating countries on ea
- GenresPolitics
224 pages, Paperback
First published July 20, 2013
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
April 21, 2014
I had been eagerly awaiting this book, and was thoroughly expecting to be blown away, what with the promises of new revelations and witticism and irony, and so on and so on. However, I was beyond disappointed, and felt dejected with the turning of each page. If I didn't make a personal vow to never leave a book unfinished, I would have just cast this one aside.
While I try not to critique a book too much from a technical standpoint, quite a fair bit of my dislike for this book did in fact come from its organizational structure. I appreciated Arbabzadah's attempt at dividing her book into three parts, thereby theoretically making it easier for her readers to follow along. However, the lines along which she separated the stories did not make very much categorical sense. In addition to her grammatical quirks, I found her to be very repetitive. While repetition may be forgiven in certain circumstances, such as when the ideas presented are so unique that it begs repeating, but in her case, it was just entirely cumbersome. Lastly, I felt as though her ideas and thoughts were only partially developed. Her presentation was reminiscent of papers that would be submitted in introductory writing courses: half-baked and exasperating.
However, Arbabzadah's book was disappointing not only from a technical standpoint. I found her to be rather presumptuous, and unabashedly biased. She assumed the role of spokesperson for Afghanistan, and while I can appreciate her experience in writing about the country's internal affairs, the way in which she presented her ideas in this particular book do not warrant her to assume any such role. If she did wish to be a positive voice for the Afghan people, then she should have let her work speak for itself. Furthermore, what I, as an Afghan-American, found perhaps to be the most offensive, was that she continuously presented the country and its citizens in a precariously negative light. Yes, Afghanistan's history is primarily marked by violence, and yes, Afghanistan has been plunged into further chaos with the most recent Taliban occupations, but that is not to say that those should be the defining characteristics of the country and people. If there is any chance of improvement and sustainable change in Afghanistan, then it would do us more good to highlight the positives of a people and a country, so as to inspire further hope.
While I try not to critique a book too much from a technical standpoint, quite a fair bit of my dislike for this book did in fact come from its organizational structure. I appreciated Arbabzadah's attempt at dividing her book into three parts, thereby theoretically making it easier for her readers to follow along. However, the lines along which she separated the stories did not make very much categorical sense. In addition to her grammatical quirks, I found her to be very repetitive. While repetition may be forgiven in certain circumstances, such as when the ideas presented are so unique that it begs repeating, but in her case, it was just entirely cumbersome. Lastly, I felt as though her ideas and thoughts were only partially developed. Her presentation was reminiscent of papers that would be submitted in introductory writing courses: half-baked and exasperating.
However, Arbabzadah's book was disappointing not only from a technical standpoint. I found her to be rather presumptuous, and unabashedly biased. She assumed the role of spokesperson for Afghanistan, and while I can appreciate her experience in writing about the country's internal affairs, the way in which she presented her ideas in this particular book do not warrant her to assume any such role. If she did wish to be a positive voice for the Afghan people, then she should have let her work speak for itself. Furthermore, what I, as an Afghan-American, found perhaps to be the most offensive, was that she continuously presented the country and its citizens in a precariously negative light. Yes, Afghanistan's history is primarily marked by violence, and yes, Afghanistan has been plunged into further chaos with the most recent Taliban occupations, but that is not to say that those should be the defining characteristics of the country and people. If there is any chance of improvement and sustainable change in Afghanistan, then it would do us more good to highlight the positives of a people and a country, so as to inspire further hope.
February 7, 2021
The most wonderful thing about this book is that it made me develop interest in the culture, geography and the people of Afghanistan so much so that i specially went twice to have afghan food and meet afghans there. This contains a lot of information about the country specially its political history. Came to know about Daud Khan, King Amanulla, Communists, Mujahideens and present Government. Indeed Afghanistan has seen a lot, from day to day blood shed to flying rockets, mass graves and so much wounds over the souls of the oppressed and innocent citizens.
Great to know the country is a land of Poet Warriors and it has so much potential; had it been stable it would be one of the favorite destination for tourists!
Impact, Impact, Impact! The real ''Impact'' yet to be seen!
Also, the book gives lots of info about various ethical communities likes Pashtoons, Hazaaras, etc and the conflicts among the languages like Dari Persian; and also i was surprised to know about Poppies that Afghanistan is the largest producer!
Learnt lots of words like shalagi, bacha posh, shahar e kharbouza, etc.
A country that is run by Democratic govt in the day time and becomes T-Boys emirate after the sunset is totally unpredictable. Sadly, the saviours of Ummah, failed to save there own country.
Great to know the country is a land of Poet Warriors and it has so much potential; had it been stable it would be one of the favorite destination for tourists!
Impact, Impact, Impact! The real ''Impact'' yet to be seen!
Also, the book gives lots of info about various ethical communities likes Pashtoons, Hazaaras, etc and the conflicts among the languages like Dari Persian; and also i was surprised to know about Poppies that Afghanistan is the largest producer!
Learnt lots of words like shalagi, bacha posh, shahar e kharbouza, etc.
A country that is run by Democratic govt in the day time and becomes T-Boys emirate after the sunset is totally unpredictable. Sadly, the saviours of Ummah, failed to save there own country.
March 10, 2016
Author Nushin Arbabzadah has very smartly penned down the cultural trends, political views, major issues, historical in and outs and thought processes of the people of Afghanistan. There are many new things you will get to learn about this country which you might have not known until now. You will get familiar with some new terms and facts as well. This book gives a fresh and different approach to many of the already read and discussed issues related to the country. If you are also "Afghanized" like me, then this one is definitely for you.
January 31, 2015
While this book contains some interesting facts and anecdotes, I didn't appreciate how the author makes broad statements about Afghanistan and its people. I came to this book thinking that I would encounter some interesting characters in context, but instead it read at times like an attempt by the author to be the definitive voice judging an entire population. It also needed a more thorough edit to catch awkward sentences, typos, and perhaps to rejig the structure.
December 29, 2013
It's easy to say that this is a touching account of the entity that is Afghanistan. But that wouldn't do even half the justice this book deserves. This is a rather witty, funny as well as pragmatic narration of the way the author sees her country of origin. And a rather accurate and balanced one at that, I would dare say. The author offers a very constructive critique of events that have shaped Afghanistan while not giving up on it. Another excellent read this year.
November 17, 2017
Overall, it was choppy, repetitive, and confusing, mostly because it is not time-based, but theme- based. Arbabzadah seems to think that "history" in Afghanistan started in 1979. I would have liked more on how families are small mafias, and how tribalism works in terms of the economy and politics and distributing resources.
Arbabzadah provided a pretty clear picture of the way Afghan politics work - they are chaotic, and driven by ethnicity, economics, favoritism, and the international community. It's hard to form a democracy when an overwhelming majority of the people are illiterate.
I would recommend it to people who are interested in a "returned immigrant" point of view of Afghanistan since 2001. It does not have a whole lot of depth, but the stories are interesting.
Arbabzadah provided a pretty clear picture of the way Afghan politics work - they are chaotic, and driven by ethnicity, economics, favoritism, and the international community. It's hard to form a democracy when an overwhelming majority of the people are illiterate.
I would recommend it to people who are interested in a "returned immigrant" point of view of Afghanistan since 2001. It does not have a whole lot of depth, but the stories are interesting.
March 22, 2020
Although it's true I found this book in a foreign used bookstore, so I didn't start off with any real expectations, I was blown away. Nushin's adorable and optimistically dark sense of humor was strikingly familiar - perhaps a common trait in most developing countries used to empires deciding their fate for them, stunting their cultural and economic development in the process. Have recommended it to my friends, and will continue doing so. A must-read for all who need to understand the post-Soviet war Afghan society, recounted with blatant sincerity and wealth of detail.
August 10, 2017
a good insight to the lives in Afghanistan
December 21, 2014
At times quirky, Arbabzadah points out what exactly is wrong with Afghanistan and its people. There are times you shake your head and ask yourself if there really is hope for the country (I couldn't help but return to the countless news stories of bomb blasts in some part of the country). Yet, Arbabzadah seems to suggest that it is OK to be travelling through the country as she did in the past few years. I'd really love to see the day when this becomes a certainty. Having said that, and despite Afghanistan's shortcomings, it would have been nice to get insights into some nicer bits about her country.
January 7, 2015
A heartfelt lament for the illogicality and inconsistencies the author sees in her homeland and how the rest of the world perceives it as.... a fascinating look at Afghanistan in its time of travails..
October 8, 2013
Quirky, insightful, but it seems like the author was "defending" Afghanistan all the time.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews