An antigone for a time of terror the new york times. Home fire is a literary thriller about prejudice and the slide into radicalisation, but it is also an expansive novel about love. Written by kamila shamsie, a britishpakistani author, home fire strikes a relevant chord in the post 911 world where discrimination against muslim men and women in. Home fire is set in five locations, which echoes the original antigones five acts.
Home fire 2017 is the seventh novel by kamila shamsie. How does it differ from the world war i meaning, keep the home fires burning. Occasionally you know that one of the writers alive at the same time as you has written the book they were born to write. Kamila shamsies new novel, longlisted for this years man booker prize. Home fire puts a topical spin on ancient greek tragedy. Talk about the relevance of home fire to todays world. Home fire kamila shamsie, 2017 penguin publishing 288 pp. An immigrant, muslim home secretary, the gullible young muslims and the complex lives of migrant families kamla weaves a story of grief, loyalty, politics and love that makes these characters and their circumstances really come alive. Home fire quotes showing 129 of 29 for girls, becoming women was inevitability. And this, essentially, is the dilemma faced by aneeka, the beating heart of home fire, kamila shamsies man bookerlonglisted loose contemporary reworking of antigone.
Get this book free when you sign up for a 30day trial. Ingenious builds to one of the most memorable final scenes ive read in a novel this century. In home fire, lives touched by immigration, jihad and family. It reimagines sophocless play antigone unfolding among british muslims. Home fire by kamila shamsie is one of those novels that adds knowledge and widens perspectives. Kamila shamsie s new novela bold retelling of sophocles antigonebegins with an airport interrogationa scene that sets the tone for this ingenious and lovestruck novel. Kamila shamsie s new novel, longlisted for this years man booker prize, is a bold retelling of sophocles antigone. In 2009, kamila shamsie donated the short story the desert torso to oxfams oxtales project four collections of uk stories written by 38 authors. A contemporary reimagining of sophocles antigone, home fire is an urgent, fiercely compelling story of loyalties torn apart when love and politics collide confirming kamila shamsie as. There is a multitude of things that the kamila shamsie s home fire excels in but by far, the most beautiful thing about the novel was that there are no villainous characters here and there are a lot of protagonists. What is morally right for one might not be right for the other. This study guide refers to the 2017 riverhead books. Home fire was chosen at the book of the year by the guardian, the observer, the telegraph, mail on sunday, evening standard, new statesman, and the new york times.
The dust jacket of kamila shamsies home fire announces the novel to be a contemporary reimagining of antigone. The dust jacket of kamila shamsie s home fire announces the novel to be a contemporary reimagining of antigone. Congratulations to kamila shamsie who has been announced the winner of the womens prize for fiction 2018 with her novel, home fire. While were unable to meet in the theater, were taking our book club online. Kamila shamsies new book beautifully written and paced updates the ancient story of antigone to tell an explosive story of two families. Her twin brother, parvaiz, has left london to work for the media arm of isis, after discovering that his absent father died en route to guantanamo. The emotionally compelling plot is well served by her lucid storytelling, and she digs into complex issues with confidence the emotionally compelling plot is well served by her lucid storytelling, and she digs into complex issues with confidence. That is just as well the reader might be hard pressed to pick up on the parallels. The following version of this book was used to create this study guide. Kamila shamsies brilliant home fire is a greek tragedy. It reimagines sophocles s play antigone unfolding among british muslims. Chair of judges sarah sands said of the judging process.
Grief was what you owed the dead for the necessary crime of living on without them. The same year, home fire was longlisted for the man booker prize. Home fire by kamila shamsie, go then if you must, but remember, no matter how foolish your deeds, those who love you will love you still. Isma is moving to massachusetts to study sociology at amherst. Kamila shamsies novel home fire is a modernday take on the greek play antigone. Kamila shamsie has drawn inspiration from the ancient playwright sophocles and his drama antigone.
A good novelist blurs the imaginary line between us and them. Muslim brits living in the shadow of their fathers terrorism, and the politics of the powerful people who treat them with hostility and contempt. That is just as well the reader might be hard pressed to pick up on the. Kamila shamsies challenging and engrossing new novel, home fire, which was longlisted for the man booker prize, has been given a ghastly urgency by the attacks in. Kamila shamsie s latest novel, home fire, depicts this very phenomenon.
Teri pengilleythe guardian w hen kamila shamsie began her novel home fire in 2015, sadiq khan had yet. The emotionally compelling plot is well served by her lucid storytelling, and she digs into complex issues with confidence. Kamila shamsies brilliant home fire is a greek tragedy for. It sheds a little light on the complexities of being a british pakistani muslim. Kamila shamsie is the rare writer who makes one forget there was ever such a thing as a line.
Digital rights management drm the publisher has supplied this book in encrypted form, which means that you need to. In home fire, kamila shamsies seventh novel, the britishpakistani writer reimagines antigone for our age of terror. In a startlingly relevant update, kamila shamsie s home fire relocates sophocles antigone to presentday london and weaves a timely tale of two british muslim families with differing ideas about bigotry, belief and loyalty after years of devoting herself to raising her younger siblings, isma pasha is free to return to college and complete her. Home fire by kamila shamsie nook book ebook barnes. From the day to day normality of life, to the occasional awkwardness and unease as cultures clash, to extreme questions such as radicalisation. Kamila shamsies new novel, longlisted for this years man booker prize, is a bold retelling of.
In kamila shamsies home fire, the shameful legacy of a dead jihadist father haunts his three children, although they never knew him. It must be difficult to be muslim in the world these days, remarks eamonn, the son of the british home secretary to isma. Kamila shamsie s story of the pasha and lone families in contemporary london, syria, pakistan and the us has more than a touch of romeo and juliet. Shamsies prose is, as always, elegant and evocative. Home fire was shortlisted for the costa best novel award 2017. Kamila shamsie s powerful novel home fire, inspired by sophocless antigone, did just that martha kearney observer, best books of the year i very much enjoyed and admired home fire by kamila shamsie, a politically and psychologically acute novel modelled on sophocless antigone but reworked as the story of two british muslim sisters and. Theres a line of dialogue in the opening chapter of kamila shamsie s seventh novel that is as perceptive as any ive read this year.
Kamila shamsis home fire is an immediately relevant novel set in contemporary britain, with characters that are as close to reality as you could imagine. Home fire persuasively retold antigone as the story of a teenage londoner groomed to join isil anthony cummins telegraph, books of the year the fiery new novel by kamila shamsie, home fire, which takes us from the suburban streets of wembley to. Fittingly perhaps, as shamsie draws on sophocles antigone, the. She writes to explore the way the world functions, with a keen eye on that ancient greek idea of everything being in flux. What do you see in the novel that illuminates andor resonates with current concerns. In home fire, lives touched by immigration, jihad and. Signin to download and listen to this audiobook today. Home fire 2017 is the seventh novel by contemporary british writer kamila shamsie. They have lived in london all their lives, isma, the eldest.
The suspenseful and heartbreaking story of an immigrant family driven. Kamila shamsie s challenging and engrossing new novel, home fire, which was longlisted for the man booker prize, has been given a ghastly urgency by the attacks in london in june, and the focus in their aftermath on homegrown terrorists. In home fire, kamila shamsies seventh novel, the britishpakistani writer re imagines antigone for our age of terror. We sat down with kamila shamsie author of burnt shadows and a god in every stone to talk about her latest novel, home fire.
In the end we chose the book which we felt spoke for our times. I very much enjoyed and admired home fire by kamila shamsie, a politically and psychologically acute novel modelled on sophocless antigone but. A former womens prize for fiction winner, shamsies haunting reworking of sophocles antigone is a commanding novel of passionate love, fanatical loyalty. What is a sisters responsibility to her terrorist brother. Her seventh novel, home fire, was longlisted for the 2017 booker prize, and in 2018 won the womens prize for fiction. Home fire is shamsies seventh and most accomplished novel.
953 1570 9 90 151 1559 817 1212 1505 424 8 1455 180 925 308 219 278 500 416 1021 1020 1208 1279 1545 1398 537 1245 721 1070 811 963 30 650 1518 57 398 1194 453 1285 107 988 836 605 1334 1170 702 1082 904 284 671