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The Siddiqui Brothers in Cairo edition by Sameena Mughal Literature Fiction eBooks

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The Siddiqui Brothers in Cairo edition by Sameena Mughal Literature Fiction eBooks

This book is not plot-driven or character-driven. That might not bode well for a novel. But this book does have something interesting to offer and that is the author’s presentation of her ideology. I think. I did get the distinct impression that the author was trying to convey some of her perspectives through the ideology of the Siddiqui brothers. More on that later.

I say this isn’t plot-driven, because there isn’t a unifying plot to the 6 short stories that chronicle the life of the Siddiqui brothers after they move to Cairo. The stories are in chronological order, and don’t seem to overlap, but there is no unifying theme other than the fact that the brothers’ ideology usually comes to be at odds with that of the conservative religious community.

I say this isn’t character-driven, because the brothers don’t really grow as people over the course of the series. They are quite self-actualized and “self-assured” as the book puts it right from the beginning. They are progressive-minded and upstanding citizens and they barely face any character flaws they have to overcome. (There is a very little bit of development when Jafar wrestles with discovering an unexpected ability and when Nasir reflects on a major failing of his life in flashback.)

As I said, the most interesting thing about this book is the author’s commentary. The first three stories are mostly the author’s commentary on how religious societies can interpret religious texts in whatever way is most convenient for them, how they can be extremely judgmental and hypocritical, how they can treat women like they are worthless or objectify them, etc. Given the kind of life advocated by the Siddiqui brothers, I am really curious to know how Muslim readers are reacting to this. This doesn’t seem to have garnered other reviews. But I imagine that this book has the potential for backlash (not just because of the hedonism advocated, but because of the harsh criticism). So hats off to the author to have the guts to write this.

The last three stories were different in tone. Two of them injected a little bit of Arabian folktale with jinnis and fairies. The last one jumps forward many years to the brothers’ passing as one of them reflects on his life, most of which we didn’t see.

Like I said, I do give mad props to the author for having the guts to offer honest and harsh criticism of conservative culture, and I hope she has more opportunities of continuing that.


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The Siddiqui Brothers in Cairo edition by Sameena Mughal Literature Fiction eBooks Reviews

This is a fun cultural exploration of the Siddiquis and their values as men of science which both align with and contrast traditional values. That exploration brings us interesting perspectives and contrasts on the place of women, prostitution, honesty, religion and other topics in their lives.

The story of the Siddiqui brothers is really as much a tale about the people and personalities that they encounter. While it is mostly a narrative, the brief conversational segments explored within it are often fun and revealing of the personalities involved.

The 107 page volume is brief but rich in examples and is a charming read.
This book is not plot-driven or character-driven. That might not bode well for a novel. But this book does have something interesting to offer and that is the author’s presentation of her ideology. I think. I did get the distinct impression that the author was trying to convey some of her perspectives through the ideology of the Siddiqui brothers. More on that later.

I say this isn’t plot-driven, because there isn’t a unifying plot to the 6 short stories that chronicle the life of the Siddiqui brothers after they move to Cairo. The stories are in chronological order, and don’t seem to overlap, but there is no unifying theme other than the fact that the brothers’ ideology usually comes to be at odds with that of the conservative religious community.

I say this isn’t character-driven, because the brothers don’t really grow as people over the course of the series. They are quite self-actualized and “self-assured” as the book puts it right from the beginning. They are progressive-minded and upstanding citizens and they barely face any character flaws they have to overcome. (There is a very little bit of development when Jafar wrestles with discovering an unexpected ability and when Nasir reflects on a major failing of his life in flashback.)

As I said, the most interesting thing about this book is the author’s commentary. The first three stories are mostly the author’s commentary on how religious societies can interpret religious texts in whatever way is most convenient for them, how they can be extremely judgmental and hypocritical, how they can treat women like they are worthless or objectify them, etc. Given the kind of life advocated by the Siddiqui brothers, I am really curious to know how Muslim readers are reacting to this. This doesn’t seem to have garnered other reviews. But I imagine that this book has the potential for backlash (not just because of the hedonism advocated, but because of the harsh criticism). So hats off to the author to have the guts to write this.

The last three stories were different in tone. Two of them injected a little bit of Arabian folktale with jinnis and fairies. The last one jumps forward many years to the brothers’ passing as one of them reflects on his life, most of which we didn’t see.

Like I said, I do give mad props to the author for having the guts to offer honest and harsh criticism of conservative culture, and I hope she has more opportunities of continuing that.