River of Fire - Softcover

Hyder, Qurratulain

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0811215334 ISBN 13: 9780811215336

Publisher: New Directions, 2003

Synopsis

The most important novel of twentieth-century Urdu fiction. Qurratulain Hyder's River of Fire makes a bid to be recognized in the West as what it has long been acknowledged in the East: the most important novel of twentieth-century Urdu fiction. First published as Aag ka Darya in 1959, River of Fire encompasses the fates of four recurring characters over two and a half millennia: Gautam, Champa, Kamal, and CyrilBuddhist, Hindu, Muslim, and Christian. In different eras different relations form and reform among the four: romance and war, possession and dispossession. Interweaving parables, legends, dreams, diaries, and letters, Hyder's prose is lyrical and witty. And she argues for a culture that is inclusive: River of Fire is a book that insists on the irrelevance of religion in defining Indian identity.

About this title

About the Author:

Qurratulain Hyder (1926-2007) is widely regarded as the grande dame of Urdu literature. To her fans and admirers she is popularly known as “Ainee Apa.” The Prime Minister of India said at her funeral, “With her unfortunate passing, the country has lost a towering literary figure.”

Language Notes:

Text: English (translation)

About this edition

• Publisher: New Directions
• Publication date: 2003
• ISBN 10: 0811215334
• ISBN 13: 9780811215336
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 428