By Nausheen Manji
Faisal Kapadia’s book, The Sands of Time, is a story which captures the essence of the polarized city of Karachi with the tainted morals of its people in an age wrought with political instability and debauchery. In the midst of all this sprouts a love, not based on romance, wealth or affection, but mutual caring, respect and passion – a human feeling for one who is eventually a caretaker, the secret desire of most women.
Kapadia’s style is casual, at times humorous and whether it was deliberate or not, there is an element of fatalism underlining the novella. The historical and social contexts are evidently reflective of the political upheaval faced by the current Pakistani society and the protagonist reminiscent of the famous “dakaits†of Lyari. The imagery most stark and closest to reality are the reaction of the father at the beginning of the novella towards the young protagonist, the crabs, and the animalistic act of passion at the end.
The setting of the book is dual natured focusing on the seaside fishermen’s community which represents the lower social strata of society and the rich upper middle-class society of Clifton and Defence. The themes are evidently centering on passion, betrayal, social conflict, class conflict, violence and patriarchy. The book is very readable and a size ideal for a short airline flight or good entertainment when turning in at night. I would definitely buy more from this author.
This E book can be purchased here
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