Faber & Faber, January 10, 2017.
Four Stars
In broad terms,
The Golden Legend is an exploration of the conflict between Muslims and
Christians, set in contemporary Pakistan. However, it is much more than that,
because Aslam puts a human face to the conflict. He gives us the perspectives
of several very compelling individuals, both Christian and Muslim. The
religious and political situation in the Middle East becomes personal and
accessible, in Aslam’s capable hands.
Both moderate Muslims, Nargis and Massud are a
happily married couple – they are architects, living an idyllic life that
focuses on literature and the intellect. Although they have no children of
their own, they have helped to raise Helen, the daughter of their housekeeper.
Helen’s family is Christian, but Nargis and Massud embrace her with religious
tolerance – they observe the conflict around them with distaste, but do not actively
participate in any way. They are more concerned with building a new library in
the city, but as they help to transfer priceless books to the new location, they
are drawn into the religious battle around them through a shocking tragedy –
Massud is caught in the crossfire of an American shooter, and is killed
instantly.
With Massud’s death, Nargis’ entire life is called
into question. She finds herself being threatened by a U.S. military
intelligence officer, who demands that she pardon her husband’s killer in order
to quell an uprising against American forces. Meanwhile, someone is
broadcasting the secrets of local citizens from the city’s minarets – and Nargis
has a huge secret that she never found the right time to tell Massud. The
military threats and Orwellian accusations of people acting against the regime certainly
adds to the dystopian feel of the novel – although it is unfortunately based on
reality. Nargis and her neighbours live in fear of having their secrets exposed,
and they move through streets filled with violence and corruption.
Amongst this terror, Aslam shows us that there is
room for hope and tolerance in this threatening world. Helen and Nargis work
together to repair the book that Massud was holding when he was killed, which
was later torn apart by Nargis’ interrogator. And Helen meets Imran, a
mysterious man from Kashmir who is searching for peace, and a place where he
can be himself. Nargis, Helen and Imran find solace together, but they cannot
hide from reality forever.
In The Golden
Legend, Pakistan’s past and present collide. The characters act as symbols
for their various beliefs, and yet they are also clearly developed as
individuals. There is some magic realism, and the weaving of legend into
everyday life, but most of all the focus is on a world that is all too real. In
the political reality that we find ourselves in today, it is so important for
Aslam to illustrate his novel with unique individuals on an intimate scale –
this is not just a distant conflict, it is about real people and their joys and
sorrows. The novel is thoughtful and timely, and it shows the survival of the
human spirit despite all odds.
I received this book from Faber & Faber and
NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
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