There is a simplicity to Mirage, this story of impoverished lovers whose brief happiness is cut short in the harshest of ways, which belies the skill of the telling. Set in a closed desert kingdom in our own times, it tells how Sayeed, a good but unexceptional man, finds love with a woman who would have been beyond his reach had not poverty and widowhood brought her low. It is a classic tale, in the style of D.H. Lawrence and Thomas Hardy, and set to become a kind of modern classic. The scene is set with unpretending ...
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There is a simplicity to Mirage, this story of impoverished lovers whose brief happiness is cut short in the harshest of ways, which belies the skill of the telling. Set in a closed desert kingdom in our own times, it tells how Sayeed, a good but unexceptional man, finds love with a woman who would have been beyond his reach had not poverty and widowhood brought her low. It is a classic tale, in the style of D.H. Lawrence and Thomas Hardy, and set to become a kind of modern classic. The scene is set with unpretending tenderness: the hospital where Sayeed works, the kindness of his friends, the struggle to make a decent home for his new wife Latifa and her child, the bustle of his brother's home, the simple wedding. Heat, dirt and squalor are the backdrop to the tragedy, Latifa, confused and far from home, the terrified victim. Petty jealousy, sexual desire and religious fervour combine to bring her down and to leave the reader stunned. As the book ends, there is a sense of an unfini shed story - what will become of Latifa's child? How will she survive in the oppressive world her mother has left her in? Mirage emerged from 1999's Booker judging as the unexpected favourite of the chairman, Gerald Kaufman, and other judges, just missing the final shortlist. It was later chosen by two of the judges, Boyd Tonkin and Shena Mackay as one of their books of that year. What made this championing of a first novel all the more surprising was the fact that it had been published by the author himself. Chandraratna plans to take up the story of Sayeed through the eyes of Latifa's little daughter Leila in the second volume of a proposed trilogy.
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Add this copy of Mirage (a Black Sparrow Book) to cart. $0.99, very good condition, Sold by More Than Words rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Waltham, MA, UNITED STATES, published 2003 by Black Sparrow Press.
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Add this copy of Mirage (a Black Sparrow Book) to cart. $1.96, very good condition, Sold by Midtown Scholar Bookstore rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Harrisburg, PA, UNITED STATES, published 2003 by Black Sparrow Press.
Add this copy of Mirage to cart. $3.95, very good condition, Sold by HPB-Emerald rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Dallas, TX, UNITED STATES, published 2001 by PHOENIX (ORIO).
Edition:
2001, Phoenix (an Imprint of The Orion Publishing Group Ltd )
Publisher:
Phoenix (an Imprint of The Orion Publishing Group Ltd )
Published:
2001
Language:
English
Alibris ID:
18080145813
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Very good. Connecting readers with great books since 1972! Used books may not include companion materials, and may have some shelf wear or limited writing. We ship orders daily and Customer Service is our top priority!
Add this copy of Mirage to cart. $3.95, very good condition, Sold by HPB Inc. rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Dallas, TX, UNITED STATES, published 2001 by PHOENIX (ORIO).
Edition:
2001, Phoenix (an Imprint of The Orion Publishing Group Ltd )
Publisher:
Phoenix (an Imprint of The Orion Publishing Group Ltd )
Published:
2001
Language:
English
Alibris ID:
18115834367
Shipping Options:
Standard Shipping: $4.99
Trackable Expedited: $9.99
Choose your shipping method in Checkout. Costs may vary based on destination.
Seller's Description:
Very good. Connecting readers with great books since 1972! Used books may not include companion materials, and may have some shelf wear or limited writing. We ship orders daily and Customer Service is our top priority!
Add this copy of Mirage (a Black Sparrow Book) to cart. $3.99, very good condition, Sold by HPB-Movies rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Dallas, TX, UNITED STATES, published 2003 by Black Sparrow Press.
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Seller's Description:
Very good. Connecting readers with great books since 1972! Used books may not include companion materials, and may have some shelf wear or limited writing. We ship orders daily and Customer Service is our top priority!
Add this copy of Mirage (a Black Sparrow Book) to cart. $3.99, good condition, Sold by Books From California rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Simi Valley, CA, UNITED STATES, published 2003 by Black Sparrow Press.
Add this copy of Mirage to cart. $5.49, good condition, Sold by Wonder Book - Member ABAA/ILAB rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Frederick, MD, UNITED STATES, published 2000 by Weidenfeld & Nicolson.
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Good. Good condition. A copy that has been read but remains intact. May contain markings such as bookplates, stamps, limited notes and highlighting, or a few light stains.
Add this copy of Mirage (a Black Sparrow Book) to cart. $9.05, new condition, Sold by Newsboy Books rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Ontario, CA, UNITED STATES, published 2003 by David R. Godine, Publisher.
Add this copy of Mirage Format: Paperback to cart. $10.16, new condition, Sold by indoo rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Avenel, NJ, UNITED STATES, published 2003 by Black Sparrow Press.
Add this copy of Mirage to cart. $13.71, new condition, Sold by Ingram Customer Returns Center rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from NV, USA, published 2009 by Mehta Publishing House.
