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And the World Changed
Major collection of English language writing by Pakistani women. useful introduction. 24 stories. includes fabe, fiction, poetry, memoir, political commentary. a lavish literary feast
278 pages, Paperback
First published December 1, 2005
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
May 8, 2020
Really good selection of stories by Pakistani authors. I love how the book is set chronologically with regards to the authors' ages. Journeying through history via the stories was incredible. Would love to read more from some of the authors I had not heard about!
January 9, 2009
And the World Changed, an impressive anthology of twenty-five short stories by any standard, is all the more impressive knowing it is the only such collection of stories written in English by Pakistani women.
In the introduction, the editor defines her goal for the anthology as "to reveal how Pakistani women, writing in a global—albeit imperial-language—challenge stereotypes that patriarchal cultures in Pakistan and the diaspora have imposed on them, both as women and as writers." The collection certainly lives up to this goal, exploring the many ways that social constructions of gender intersect with race, class, geography, culture, history, and belief.
The stories are arranged chronologically by the authors' birth order. Each essay is prefaced with editorial commentary that is particularly useful for readers not well versed in the history of Pakistan and its literary heritage.
The wounds of colonialism permeate the collection and many authors reveal such wounds as a global condition. For example, Roshni Rustomji links the colonization of the Asian continent to that of the Americas, noting that the "southwest of the United States...was of course taken from Mexico, which was of course taken by force by the European conquistadors, which was of course taken by force by—and so on and so forth." This same author notes that, "Wars remind me of age-old haunting begging to be exorcized from the body of our planet," and reflects, "Writing, after all, is a political act." These two claims could well refer to the entire anthology, focused as it is on colonialism, the resulting ravages of war, and on writing as a way to heal—or at least ameliorate—the wounds on individual bodies as well as entire cultures.
Many stories deal with assimilation and the difficulties of trying to bridge different cultures/geographical locations. "The Optimist," for example, recounts an arranged marriage from the perspective of both the bride and the groom, revealing the disjuncture not only between Pakistan and Britain, but also between different generations of Pakistanis.
Other stories deal with female oppression and the ways in which women are shaped by gendered expectations. Two notable tales, "Rubies for a Dog" and "A Pair of Jeans" examine how clothing can both empower and disempower women. The first details a daughter who dresses as a man in order to save her father. In the second, a woman is rejected by her future in-laws for her choice of attire. Explorations of gendered violence are also dominant, with stories that focus variously on honor killings, domestic violence, sexual assault, and rape.
Codes of masculinity are scrutinized in the collection as well. In my favorite story, "The Old Italian," readers are encouraged to see the links between a mother punishing her son by force-feeding him tablespoons of chili powder and the vengeance this son then takes out on his sister and her young friends by killing their beloved kitten. In fewer than ten pages, the author explores immigration, inner-city poverty, internalized racism, and the pernicious effects of gendered expectations as cyclical mutilations marring each successive generation.
Borders and their effects on individual as well as collective psyches are another recurring theme. For example, "Soot" examines the separation between Pakistan, Bangladesh, and India, scrutinizing how long-held hostilities are effecting younger generations. In another similar story, "And the World Changed," Sabyn Javeri-Jillani sums up the directive to "choose whom to hate and whom to admire" due to "invisible lines and uncrossable borders." This focus on imposed and shifting borders, both literal and figurative, pervades many of the tales. From geographical borders to the sex/gender binary to divisions in religious sects, the exploration of border crossing of the anthology brings to mind Gloria Anzaldua's notion of "mestiza consciousness."
Critical examinations of racism and classism inform the stories, with one notable essay, "Scar," serving as a sort of female Kite Runner and another, "The Price of Hubris," recounting the trials of a young Pakistani American woman as she ventures out into the city shortly after 9/11. The collection will be of particular interest to those interested in post-colonial literature, women's literature, and contemporary short stories.
Review by Professor What If
In the introduction, the editor defines her goal for the anthology as "to reveal how Pakistani women, writing in a global—albeit imperial-language—challenge stereotypes that patriarchal cultures in Pakistan and the diaspora have imposed on them, both as women and as writers." The collection certainly lives up to this goal, exploring the many ways that social constructions of gender intersect with race, class, geography, culture, history, and belief.
The stories are arranged chronologically by the authors' birth order. Each essay is prefaced with editorial commentary that is particularly useful for readers not well versed in the history of Pakistan and its literary heritage.
The wounds of colonialism permeate the collection and many authors reveal such wounds as a global condition. For example, Roshni Rustomji links the colonization of the Asian continent to that of the Americas, noting that the "southwest of the United States...was of course taken from Mexico, which was of course taken by force by the European conquistadors, which was of course taken by force by—and so on and so forth." This same author notes that, "Wars remind me of age-old haunting begging to be exorcized from the body of our planet," and reflects, "Writing, after all, is a political act." These two claims could well refer to the entire anthology, focused as it is on colonialism, the resulting ravages of war, and on writing as a way to heal—or at least ameliorate—the wounds on individual bodies as well as entire cultures.
Many stories deal with assimilation and the difficulties of trying to bridge different cultures/geographical locations. "The Optimist," for example, recounts an arranged marriage from the perspective of both the bride and the groom, revealing the disjuncture not only between Pakistan and Britain, but also between different generations of Pakistanis.
Other stories deal with female oppression and the ways in which women are shaped by gendered expectations. Two notable tales, "Rubies for a Dog" and "A Pair of Jeans" examine how clothing can both empower and disempower women. The first details a daughter who dresses as a man in order to save her father. In the second, a woman is rejected by her future in-laws for her choice of attire. Explorations of gendered violence are also dominant, with stories that focus variously on honor killings, domestic violence, sexual assault, and rape.
Codes of masculinity are scrutinized in the collection as well. In my favorite story, "The Old Italian," readers are encouraged to see the links between a mother punishing her son by force-feeding him tablespoons of chili powder and the vengeance this son then takes out on his sister and her young friends by killing their beloved kitten. In fewer than ten pages, the author explores immigration, inner-city poverty, internalized racism, and the pernicious effects of gendered expectations as cyclical mutilations marring each successive generation.
Borders and their effects on individual as well as collective psyches are another recurring theme. For example, "Soot" examines the separation between Pakistan, Bangladesh, and India, scrutinizing how long-held hostilities are effecting younger generations. In another similar story, "And the World Changed," Sabyn Javeri-Jillani sums up the directive to "choose whom to hate and whom to admire" due to "invisible lines and uncrossable borders." This focus on imposed and shifting borders, both literal and figurative, pervades many of the tales. From geographical borders to the sex/gender binary to divisions in religious sects, the exploration of border crossing of the anthology brings to mind Gloria Anzaldua's notion of "mestiza consciousness."
Critical examinations of racism and classism inform the stories, with one notable essay, "Scar," serving as a sort of female Kite Runner and another, "The Price of Hubris," recounting the trials of a young Pakistani American woman as she ventures out into the city shortly after 9/11. The collection will be of particular interest to those interested in post-colonial literature, women's literature, and contemporary short stories.
Review by Professor What If
October 29, 2019
As with any anthology, there is a wide range of quality and theme. There are a few notables.
"A Fair Exchange" by Tahira Naqvi. This is a story about a woman who makes promise to God in exchange for her husband's life. It has that creepy feel of a low key horror story.
"Mirage" by Talat Abbasi. A woman puts her disabled daughter in a home. It is overwhelming for me to read. She speaks of this experience as an amputation.
"Clay Fissures" by Nayyara Rahman. The main character resolves, "that [he] would never follow any belief that would make a man a stranger in his own land."
Each story has a picture of its author and a biography. There is also a glossary at the back of Pakistani terms.
All in all an enjoyable read.
"A Fair Exchange" by Tahira Naqvi. This is a story about a woman who makes promise to God in exchange for her husband's life. It has that creepy feel of a low key horror story.
"Mirage" by Talat Abbasi. A woman puts her disabled daughter in a home. It is overwhelming for me to read. She speaks of this experience as an amputation.
"Clay Fissures" by Nayyara Rahman. The main character resolves, "that [he] would never follow any belief that would make a man a stranger in his own land."
Each story has a picture of its author and a biography. There is also a glossary at the back of Pakistani terms.
All in all an enjoyable read.
October 27, 2014
I thought this was the kind of ponderous anthology that would take me a few days to get through but I zipped through it in two evenings. There were so may entertaining stories, some by famiiar voices like Kamila Shamsie and Bapsi Sdihwa and some by new authors whose works I now plan to seek out. I was amazed to read that many Pakistani women writers and since the anthology was published 8 years ago there must be more out there.
I have lived in Pakistan and worked for Herald magazine so I know how many talented writers there are in the Land of the Pure but it is refreshing to see this proof, especially nowadays when all one reads in the press is about Pakistan and terrorism.
I wish though Shamsie had included something by Moni Mohsin who wrote "The Diary of a Social Butterfly" and is very funny skewering Karachi's upper classes. More funny and dare I say it, even romantic stories would have been a good addition.
I have lived in Pakistan and worked for Herald magazine so I know how many talented writers there are in the Land of the Pure but it is refreshing to see this proof, especially nowadays when all one reads in the press is about Pakistan and terrorism.
I wish though Shamsie had included something by Moni Mohsin who wrote "The Diary of a Social Butterfly" and is very funny skewering Karachi's upper classes. More funny and dare I say it, even romantic stories would have been a good addition.
May 23, 2009
There are many excellent stories in this anthology, but the few that stood out made the book gold in my hands! I love how the majority of the stories think outside the box, they are not the stereotypical stories you would expect - these are true stories written by real writers who are Pakistani and do not succumb to editors with sob tales of arranged marriages and weak women or colonial stories of yore.
Scene Stealers: Muneeza Shamsie "Jungle Jim", Fahmida Riaz "Daughters of Aai" and Bushra Rehman steals away the book with "The Old Italian"
Scene Stealers: Muneeza Shamsie "Jungle Jim", Fahmida Riaz "Daughters of Aai" and Bushra Rehman steals away the book with "The Old Italian"
December 16, 2010
short stories, some of the are really good.
March 27, 2012
My favourite is the one by Hima Raza. Absolutely must be read!
May 11, 2014
'Runaway truck ramp', 'A pair of jeans' and 'Jungle Jim' are my top three from the nine I've read so far. Looking forward to reading the rest this summer.
March 19, 2013
This is real.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews