Comments on: Kamila Shamsie: Burnt Shadows

By: Pre-Tournament Prep: 2010 TOB Reviews « Hungry Like the Woolf

Pre-Tournament Prep: 2010 TOB Reviews « Hungry Like the Woolf — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 10:02:44 +0000

[...] MG: “…quick-moving, ambitious…” [...]

By: Trevor

Trevor — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 13:52:29 +0000

As time went by, the less I liked this book. It just felt a bit too heavy-handed and the narrative fell apart for me at the end. However, my ideas could be due to forgetting some of the book and remembering only those aspects.

By: mahesh

mahesh — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 06:43:19 +0000

it’s a good book

By: Chhotu

Chhotu — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 08:44:32 +0000

Scars in literature are as old as Homer’s Odyssey, Odysseus had a hunting scar on his thigh by which his old nurse recognised him when he came home after 2 decades of war and its aftermath. The earliest novel to have a memorable scar was Henry Fielding’s Joseph Andrews (18C). In a recent interview to ABC, Kamila said she had heard about designs on white clothes having scarred people in the atomic blast of 1945. Originality is rarely something that comes out of the blue. Even Isaac Newton, talking about his achievements, said he stood on the shoulders of giants.

By: Burnt Shadows by Kamila Shamsie | Books of Mee

Burnt Shadows by Kamila Shamsie | Books of Mee — Sat, 29 Aug 2009 12:07:15 +0000

By: Ubaid

Ubaid — Fri, 22 May 2009 12:02:25 +0000

Please view the new page of Kamila Shamsie on Facebook. Check this out:

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Kamila-Shamsie/91849702726?v=wall&viewas=1017950542

By: Mrs. Berrett

Mrs. Berrett — Sun, 17 May 2009 02:23:55 +0000

I was just recalling two (two!) characters J.K. Rowling chose to inflict scars upon. Harry’s obvious lightning scar and dear Dumbledore’s knee scar shaped like a map of the London Underground. What are editors doing these days?!

By: KevinfromCanada

KevinfromCanada — Sat, 16 May 2009 15:10:46 +0000

Just happened to be watching a DVD of the 1974 BBC production of Anthony Trollope’s Can You Forgive Her (1865) last night. One of the more sinister characters features a scar along his cheek in both book and tv production. The “obvious” source for both Morrison and Shamsie. Anyone who claims the image originates with Morrison may want to start reading a few more authors.

By: Trevor

Trevor — Sat, 16 May 2009 15:00:16 +0000

My thoughts exactly, Kevin. Walcott used scars symbolically—to represent slavery, in fact. Did he appropriate that from Morrison? Sure, the Walcott’s scars didn’t come together to form an image, but . . . scars have always been given symbolic meaning, whether or not they make a picture.

My guess is that since Beloved is a favorite of the academy, it’s being defended vigorously. I respect Morrison and don’t think that Shamsie is going to eclipse her, but I certainly couldn’t care less even if Shamsie patently robbed the idea from Morrrison. I’m with you in not even going there, though.

By: KevinfromCanada

KevinfromCanada — Sat, 16 May 2009 14:30:29 +0000

It seems to me that the idea of scars (whatever their source) leaving an image is common enough in literature back to the pre-Victorians that any idea of it being “an appropriation of image” is ludicrous. And I have no idea how some could reach the conclusion that “the more immediate and definitive source is obviously” from Beloved. It not only is not obvious to me, I can’t fathom how anyone could actually decide that there is a link, beyond coincidence, in the fact that both authors used a not uncommon device. (I do note that no accusations are being launched against Morrison, only Shamsie). Sorry, sloppy and unfair criticism of authors is every bit as bad — in fact worse — than sloppy writing.