Train to Pakistan
Ratings9
Average rating4.1
Brilliant story. It shows how political propaganda can turn people minds. The book tells about the horrific events resulted by partition of India.
When I saw Gadar for the first time, the images of bodies on the train scarred me so much that I never revisited that movie and the handpump shenanigans for a long time. Train to Pakistan invokes the same kind of feeling . The book is haunting in its depiction of the partition, elaborate in describing the rural Indian life, frank in showing how religions are viewed in India and walks in a delicate balancing act between all three aspects. There are 2-3 protagonists and some of their plot points do seem contrived, but it takes nothing away from the core idea of the book.
PS: Do not read it before you go to sleep.
What an emotional roller-coaster ride! The story revolves around the bloody week of partitioning into India and Pakistan and how barbaric mutilations were the norm during that time. Khushwant Singh brilliantly uses hypocrisy and morality to show how fickle the human mind is and how easily it can be persuaded into different directions. Though the book lacks coherence in certain segments, it builds up to a crescendo as the story unfolds - the last few pages, especially the last segment is tragically beautiful. A must-read for sure!!