Just read Saadat Hassan Manto's "Khol Do" in Literature class. Read the english traslation which isn't half as brilliant as the original. Also read the "Toba Tek Singh" translation. Translations just take away from the whole experience. The originals for both--specially for "Khol Do"--read much better than any translation ever would.

Khol Do is, incidentally, my all-time favorite short story. I do believe that no man in the world has ever written better short stories than Manto and if anyone has any contentions with that, I suggest you:
  1. Learn to read Urdu.
  2. Get your hands on some of Manto's work.
  3. Read it.
  4. Worship it.

If you don't see what I mean, read it all yourself and be the judge.


said Saad F'akhtar on Thursday, September 30, 2004

1 comment:

atrophying said...

Manto is brilliant, simply brilliant. Never read the English translation on purpose so that it wouldn't destroy the feel of the short stories for me. Have to get the Manto-nama one of these days as well, right now I only have a compilation of his ten best short stories.

7:06 PM

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