Book Review - The Golden Legend by Nadeem Aslam

Reading Nadeem Aslam is like living with the characters of his novel. The words keeps echoing, the scene keeps flashing and the characters stay with the readers much after one finishes the book. The author has penchant for detailing scene, event, emotion and expression in his writings. The reader experiences and visualizes Color, smell, sound, pain, fury, cry, smile, and laughter in the course of reading his stories. In fact, the portrayal is so vivid and engrossing that reader is transported to the imaginary world created by writer. Without rousing the sentiments, the author lets readers simmer with the empathy and sympathy for the characters. “Many things in my books come from real life; but a novelist has to be careful in transporting a real event into the landscape of a novel. It is patient work, like moving a lake from one place to another with a teaspoon” writes Naeem Aslam about his own craft. The writer of five novels including “Maps of lost lovers” and “The blindmen’s Garden” and winner of several coveted awards have powerful context and content in his writings. His technique is that of meticulous weaver birds, of a master chef, of a music composer and of a brilliant painter. His sentences are lyrical, profound and precise. No word is out of place, no sentence is out of context. He involves the reader by the gripping content and by powerful imagery. Reading stirs the heart and mind. No wonder if he is associated with several literary movements; Realism, Postmodernism, Imagism, and post colonialism.

Nadeem Aslam migrated to England from Pakistan at the age of 13 with his communist father who escaped persecution at the hands of General Ziaul Haq regime. He enrolled at college but dropped out never to complete. He lives in England but closely monitor the development in South Asia. The same is reflected in his writings too.

The Golden Legend is timely, relevant and captivating novel. The story set in fictional city of Zamana in Pakistan covers religious extremism, hatred and intolerance in society. There is suffocating environment for religious minorities and also for liberals. The hatred in the society is so ingrained that even eleven year old refuses to accept drink from Helen, a Christian lady. Later on the boy sneaks in wielding knife to attack and check whether Helen has different color of blood as told by his mother.

Margaret adopts muslim name Nargis and wears false identity all her life to avoid harassment and remains in disguise. Massud, a fellow architect falls in love in college and marries her. The architect couple later on employs Lily and Grace for help in their work. Helen, daughter of Grace and Lilly receives best possible education in Zamana with the help of architect couple. Grace is killed by a person who is freed when he memorizes the Quran in jail. Massud is killed in crossfire during an assassination attempt on an American citizen. American retaliates by reckless firing that kills Massud and others. Later on Nargis is tortured by General from military intelligence to pardon the American and accept blood money invoking sharia law. A young Kashmiri terrorist, Imran flees out of training camp in Zamana when he realizes that militants of training are up to brutal killings. He donates blood to Massud and later on comes closer to Nargis and Helen. Aysha, daughter of a cleric is widowed when her husband is killed in American drone attack in Waziristan. Being a martyr’s wife she is prohibited to remarry. She falls in love with Lilly. The city Zamana is under dreadful new phenomenon that secret of people is revealed by mysterious man from mosque’s loudspeaker. One day loudspeaker announces the affair of Aysha and Lilly. Lilly escapes but wrath of believers fall on his fellow Christians. Nargis, Helen and Imran escapes when the frenzied crowd attacks Nargis’s house. They take refuge on an island designed and developed by Massud and Nargis.

The island is like a magical place where there are as many plants as were brought by Adam when he was expelled from heaven. The mosque at the centre of island has four entrances from four walls for four different schools of Islam to enter and converge at common place and pray. Here at this island Nargis, Helen and Imran completes stitching of book shredded by General of military intelligence. The stitching perhaps signifies how the military and other institution of the country is severing different communities and the common people are stitching them together. The stitching by the shining golden color however leaves permanent scar. At the isolated island, the tormented and distraught finds hope in despair, takes refuge when the space shrinks for them. Away from conflict and bloodshed, the two tortured soul Helen and Imran fall in love.

This brilliantly crafted novel has several shades and various perspectives. The novel highlights not only the injustice and cruelty prevailing in society but also the hypocrisy of people in the government.

This novel aptly depicts our time where religious extremism has caused much bloodshed. Here is a fiction laced with high literary beauty powerful message to convey. The book moves the onlooker in the beginning by quoting Qateel Shifai “There is no greater denier of God than he who accepts injustice instead of rebelling”