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Stay with Me
This multi-layered novel journeys into a modern woman's past as she confronts the malevolence of her native Pakistan. This bold and haunting work evaluates the contemporary issues of Pakistani society through a courageous and moving account of the resiliency of the human spirit.
Hardcover
First published April 28, 2006
About the author
Maniza Naqvi
12 books24 followersManiza Naqvi is a novelist and short story writer. Born in Lahore, she lives mostly in the USA. Her four novels are Mass Transit, On Air, Stay With Me, and A Matter of Detail. She has also published a book of short stories: Sarajevo Saturdays. She writes fiction and essays as a Monday Columnist for 3Quarksdaily.com
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
November 4, 2017
Stay with Me is a complicated novel but certainly not complex. The novel is basically a woman remembering the various situations and decisions that had a profound effect on her life while in an unstable mental state.
For the bigger part of the novel, she remembers two things: her visit to a war torn area (probably Afghanistan) to write a story about the Mujahideen (or Taliban) where she falls into a love affair and an acquaintance with a historian. These memories come to her with difficulty. She is in a constant dreamy state slipping in and out of consciousness. A state where memories form a collage, mixing into each other like dyes in water, sometimes making sense and nonsense otherwise.
The other part is focused on her relationship with the state entity (probably the Pakistan Army which has a reputation of usurping civil governments in the past). This entity first makes her the face of the government on the basis of her popular public image (as a journalist). However, the two parties don’t agree on how things should be done and so chaos follows.
The woman is jailed and tortured. This torture leads her into an unstable state. Thus, the whole novel revolves around major events leading to her dismal situation.
The novel did not make a lot of sense. It was not easy reading it and it was a relief to finally finish it. The only question I have for the author is why did she write this novel in the first place when a short story may have sufficed.
For the bigger part of the novel, she remembers two things: her visit to a war torn area (probably Afghanistan) to write a story about the Mujahideen (or Taliban) where she falls into a love affair and an acquaintance with a historian. These memories come to her with difficulty. She is in a constant dreamy state slipping in and out of consciousness. A state where memories form a collage, mixing into each other like dyes in water, sometimes making sense and nonsense otherwise.
The other part is focused on her relationship with the state entity (probably the Pakistan Army which has a reputation of usurping civil governments in the past). This entity first makes her the face of the government on the basis of her popular public image (as a journalist). However, the two parties don’t agree on how things should be done and so chaos follows.
The woman is jailed and tortured. This torture leads her into an unstable state. Thus, the whole novel revolves around major events leading to her dismal situation.
The novel did not make a lot of sense. It was not easy reading it and it was a relief to finally finish it. The only question I have for the author is why did she write this novel in the first place when a short story may have sufficed.
June 17, 2016
It was a Nice one time read book!!
Its damn confusing at times but it justifies the character's situation so Yeah! If you don't have anything to read and you like military and journalists go for it!
Its damn confusing at times but it justifies the character's situation so Yeah! If you don't have anything to read and you like military and journalists go for it!
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews