Are You Enjoying?
Stories
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5.0 • 1 Rating
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- $4.99
Publisher Description
An exhilarating debut by a young writer from Pakistan: provocative, funny, disarmingly original stories that upend traditional notions of identity and family, and peer into the vulnerable workings of the human heart.
From the high-stakes worlds of television and politics to the intimate corridors of home--including the bedroom--these wryly observed, deeply revealing stories look at life in Pakistan with humor, compassion, psychological acuity, and emotional immediacy. Childhood best friends agree to marry in order to keep their sexuality a secret. A young woman with an anxiety disorder discovers the numbing pleasures of an illicit love affair. A radicalized student's preparations for his sister's wedding involve beating up the groom. An actress is forced to grow up fast on the set of her first major tv show, where the real intrigue takes place off-screen. Every story bears witness to the all-too-universal desire to be loved, and what happens when this longing gets pushed to its limits. Are You Enjoying? is a free-spirited, confident, indelible introduction to a galvanizing new talent.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
In Sethi's striking debut collection, strong women face myriad challenges. Set in Pakistan, "Mini Apple" depicts the relationship between Javed and his neighbor, Marianne, an American from Minneapolis who works at the embassy in Islamabad. Javed becomes intrigued by Marianne's decision to live off-campus from the sequestered "Diplomatic Enclave" and they become romantically involved. While Javed hopes to marry, Marianne is devoted to her peripatetic lifestyle. In "A Life of Its Own Part 1," newlyweds Farah and Kashif are poised to move to Manhattan, but after Kashif's mother, ZB, has a heart attack, they remain in Pakistan to help her recuperate. ZB is a gifted storyteller and entertainer, but she admonishes Farah in front of company and is possessive of Kashif. In the witty and moving title story, Soni, 27, is having an affair with 40-something Asher, a famous former squash player who now runs a gym, is married with children, and can't believe his luck. "My being with you is like that man getting a visa to America," he tells her, pointing to a street sweeper. She exults in her power over him, but a surprising turn reverses their relationship's dynamic, making for a fascinating character study. Sethi's writing brings a fresh view to Pakistani life.
