It is possible – in fact, statistically likely – that you haven’t read any of Anees Salim’s books. It is also possible that you haven’t heard of him. If this happens to be the case, alas, you have missed SOMETHING!
The world in Anees Salim’s books is set in a typical Indian setting, often a small town, with characters so awkward and intriguing that you get emotionally involved without any effort. It feels familiar, as if you’ve known these people. These are the people all around us, but often we don’t pay as much attention as they deserve. Anees gives voice to these people.
Vanity Bagh’s protagonist Imran and Tales from a Vending Machine’s (Now called Fly, Hasina, Fly) Hasina Mansoor make you laugh with their perspectives, how they have unique thoughts on the world they live in. But in Anees’s books, humour is often dark and comes with a lot of awkwardness and pity. Something that you notice with the blind lady in The Blind Lady’s Descendants.
And then suddenly, Anees’s characters make you feel a gaping hole in the heart. A deep sense of pain. Whether it’s the old teacher in The Vicks Mango Tree or the innocent child in The Small Town Sea, you feel their emotions.
It’s not only the characters but the events too familiar. The everyday bickering. The family melodrama. The political turmoil. The social structure. The places. It’s easy to find a solace in Anees Salim’s world because you understand it. And it understands you. There is a lot of pain, often spiced with Anees’s unique humour, but it feels good. It heals you. After all, that’s the whole point of literature.
Recommended books:
Kalampedia 