In The Wasted Vigil,
Nadeem Aslam, the award-winning author of Maps for Lost Lovers, brilliantly knits together five seemingly unconnected lives to create a luminous story set in contemporary Afghanistan.There’s Marcus, an English expat who was married to an outspoken Afghani doctor; David, a former American spy; Lara, from St. Petersburg, looking for traces of her brother, a Russian soldier who disappeared years before; Casa, a young Afghani whose hatred of the Americans has plunged him into the blinding depths of zealotry; and James, an American Special Forces soldier. Aslamreveals the intertwining paths that these characters have traveled, constructing a timely and intimate portrait of the complex ties that bind us and the wars that continue to tear us apart.
The Wasted Vigil is one of the most beautifully written books I have read in the past ten years, with striking imagery and flashing colors and complex references to the past, as far back as Homer. The fates of the main characters who live through the multiple invasions of Afghanistan, keep the reader glued to the book, but it is the writing that causes one to reread the text again. This is a novel that I could not put down, twice.
These days writing about Afghanistan seems to be the trend and surely a means to quick fame for South Asian writers.Upon reading the book I was taken aback by numerous misquotes attributed to the Quran. Aslam, in describing the mindset of his jihadi character, misquotes from the Quran by splitting the verses and taking them out of context. He italicizes (parts of) the Quranic verses and does not reference them anywhere in the book. This is done on page 105, 112, 115 and 116 among other pages.
He also uses polemics to describe Islam, for example "Islam at it's core does not believe in the study of science". Those unfamiliar with Islam may attribute Aslam's characters'psyche to a faith which is already being stereotyped around the world.
He, being a fictional writer may have the liberty to write whatever he wants. My only contention with him is that he should do so responsibly, especially when quoting a Holy Book. He should have given footnotes with the entire verse, wherever the Quran was quoted. Another suggestion is that he could have written in his prologue a line or two saying he has misquoted from the Quran to fit the mindset of the jhadi terrorist. This way he would have separated his character's mindset from the doctrine itself. Afterall, Aslam's book is based in reality, he claims to have done extensive research on Afghanistan. He quotes from a real book and he should properly reference it, EVEN IF it is fiction.
The author makes an instrumental use of the Koran and of Afghani history to convey a melodramatic, outdated, and pointless sense of tragedy. The author somehow feels entitled to talk about everything in every way he likes filling the pages with repetitive images and banal stream of consciousness of the characters who never really come to life in the book. The author perpetuates the contemporary wrong ideology of the conflict of cultures which is an invention of the imperialist and zionist countries that constantly profit from the poor imagination and lack of insight of common readers always ready to shade a tear and call for the masterpiece as soon as the read of a rape, a dead child, or war crimes. People who enjoy this kind of books are responsible for the obscurantism surrounding Islam and the false ideology of a clash of culture. Also, I could not figure out where the admired lyricism of this book is to be found. Images are obvious, no figures of speech at all, unnecessary repetitions. Again: whoever sees poetry in this book has a scarce knowledge of literature.
Nadeem Aslam has woven exquisite beauty out of great tragedy. It is easy to fall into despair when dealing with the last 30 years of Afghanistan's history, yet Aslam not only navigates away from despair, he imbues this tragedy with both delicate beauty - both human and natural. This book is more complex than "A Thousand Splendid Suns," and should be read by anyone who loved that book and wants to move further...This is a remarkable novel to savor and linger over...
I couldn't put this book down - the lyrical descriptions of the lost beauty of Afghanistan & the suffering which the Afghan people have survived through years of war - honestly, this story was both inspiring, captivating, yet also very sad! Aslam clearly has done his research into the history of the region - he touches on geo-political issues which are often ignored when hearing about Afghanistan as reported in today's media. He is sympathetic to the people of the region while deftly illustrating the folly of the invaders/occupiers who all use the country for their own means - both the Soviets as well as the Americans.
His characters came across as authentic & vivid to me - I sympathized with their inner turmoil as they reacted to outside events with dignity & hope, yet they ultimately trod the paths which they seemed destined to follow. As a Muslim, I have to agree with an earlier reviewer in that it would have been helpful if Aslam had included the chapter/verse references when he quoted from the Quran - I think his intention in quoting out of context was to highlight the fact that this is precisely what the Taliban or extremists frequently do in order to justify their interpretation, yet to an non-Muslim, it would appear that the Quran actually condones such abhorrent behavior (when it DOES not!) Other than this one quibble, the book successfully portrays the upheaval of war, the high cost to the average citizen, & also the human striving for survival against all odds...really beautifully written.
It is a rare book that can bring so many amazing attributes to the telling of a life changing story. Aslam accomplishes much in this heartbreaking yet beautiful tale. Numerous books have been published over the last few years that have focused on the Middle East, the Taliban, Muslim Fundamentalists, and the general mistreatment of women and children in that part of the world. I honestly thought nothing new could be said, but Aslam has done a magnificent job of shining a new light on the mayhem and injustice. Taking place in today's Afghanistan, the story includes a diverse band of characters. An English ex-pat, his Afghani wife and daughter, and the stories from their village lend their voices to the tale. An American ex spy, the sister of a dead Soviet from the 80's, an American Special Forces agent, and a young jihadi infuse their backgrounds into the tapestry..each life is significant in creating the final image. The narrative is infused with the details and events of complex and often tragic lives. In his picture on the back cover of the book, Aslam looks to be under 30. His perception and understanding of the human spirit and ability to tell this story without prejudice has completely amazed me. He is too young to have accomplished this wise endeavor! All the characters pulled me into the story, but I was especially interested in the young terrorist. Casa's educational process was "devoid of literature, history and politics" and certainly helped to create this pitiless killer of innocents. He had been separated from his parents at a young age and had no contact with women. How can a soul develop when deprived of all the beauty and complexity that is life? The Special Forces character also revealed prejudices born of these terrible times. Specifically, his inability to see torture as an evil onto itself provided an insightful look at the viewpoint these men have as they try to protect and defend our freedoms. The cultures continue to clash with out much discussion or understanding of each other. This novel in all its melancholy softly protests the outcomes of war. It silently screams at the injustices that have become so prevalent through the actions of extremists and it lends a voice that quietly pleads for the splendor of different lands, traditions, and people to rise up and erase the evil that so often seems to triumph. It is after all our stories that show the truth and beauty that we were all created to celebrate. The Wasted Vigil by Nadeem Aslam is as impressive as books like A Fine Balance and A Thousand Splendid Suns. It takes place in contemporary Afghanistan and links together the stories of five very different characters, all of which I loved for their own flaws and beauty. This is an intense and sad story of people being controlled by their circumstances. It's one of the best that I've read.
Book Summary
The author of Maps for Lost Lovers gives us a new novel—at once lyrical and blistering—about war in our time, told through the lives of five people who come together in post-9/11 Afghanistan.
Marcus, an English doctor whose progressive, outspoken Afghani wife was murdered by the Taliban, opens his home—itself an eerily beautiful monument to his losses—to the others: Lara, from St. Petersburg, looking for evidence of her soldier brother who disappeared decades before during the Soviet invasion; David, an American, a former spy who has seen his ideals turned inside out during his twenty-five years in Afghanistan; Casa, a young Afghani whose hatred of the West plunges him into the depths of zealotry; and James, the Special Forces soldier in whom David sees a dangerous revival of the unquestioning notions of right and wrong that he himself once held.
In mesmerizing prose, Nadeem Aslam reveals the complex ties—of love and desperation, pain and salvation, madness and clarity—that bind the characters. And through their stories he creates a timely and achingly intimate portrait of the “continuation of wars” that shapes our world.
In its radiant language, its depth of feeling, and its unflinching drama, The Wasted Vigil is a luminous work of fiction.
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Marrying breathtakingly beautiful imagery with the ugly brutality of violence, Aslam navigates the troubled history of Afghanistan over the past two decades.
Reader Reviews
Maggie
Heart-breaking Insight into Afghanistan
This is probably one of the most profound books I have ever read. It breathes life into the endless news coverage of Afghanistan over the past decade. The horror and degradation suffered on all sides, the seeming hopelessness of finding a way back.... Read More
Kim
Five stars plus!
The Wasted Vigil is without doubt one of the best-written books I’ve read this year. The writing is positively stunning, the imagery so rich the reader has to pause to simply enjoy the picture the author has painted. This book is one to be savored.... Read More
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Beyond the Book
Afghanistan 1979 - 1994
At the beginning of the novel, Lara, a character reminiscent, in her painful past and gracefulness, of Lara in Dr. Zhivago, arrives on Marcus's doorstep to uncover the fate of her brother Benedikt, who came to Afghanistan with the 1979 Soviet invasion...
The Soviets invaded Afghanistan at the request of the largely unpopular, pro-Soviet Afghan government, who sought military assistance against the Mujahideen* (various Afghan opposition groups who eventually formed one aligned political bloc). The Mujahideen were partially funded by the CIA during the Carter and Reagan administrations, and by a number of other countries. In 1979, the Soviet Union ...
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Readalikes
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- Nadeem Aslam has been widely praised for his richly poetic prose style. What passages in the book seem especially beautifully written? What makes these passages so powerful?
- Early in the novel, readers learn that Marcus has lost his hand. Why does Aslam withhold the story of precisely how he lost that hand until much later in the book?
- When David confronts James about torturing Casa, telling him that it's illegal, James replies: “Illegal? This is war, David. You've been looking into the wrong law books. These are battlefield decisions” [p. 305]. How else does James justify torture? Why is David so fiercely opposed to it? How do their arguments relate to the current controversy about the United States' use of torture in the “war on terror”?
- James says of Casa and fundamentalists like him: “They are children of the devil. They have no choice but to spread destruction in the world.” David counters: “He is the child of a human, which means he has a choice and he can change” [p. 306]. Discuss these differing points of view.
- How does The Wasted Vigil deepen our understanding of both the Soviet and American conflicts in Afghanistan? What does the novel suggest about the motives and methods of American and Soviet involvement in the region?
- How is the Taliban depicted in the novel? Why are they so violently repressive of women and so fiercely opposed to education?
- What aspects of his personal and family history draw Casa to become a jihadi? How does Aslam manage to make him a sympathetic a character?
- What does The Wasted Vigil say about how war damages human relationships—between parents and children, wives and husbands, lovers and friends?
- What does Marcus mean when he thinks of himself: “He is alive but has been buried in many graves”? [p. 317].
- Why is the overturned giant stone head of the Buddha that rests in what was once Marcus's perfume factory given such a prominent place in the novel? What is the symbolic value of this statute?
- The narrator writes: “This is among the few things that can be said about love with any confidence. It is small enough to be contained within the heart but, pulled thin, it would drape the entire world” [p. 307]. In what ways is The Wasted Vigil as much about love as it is about violence, hatred, and war?
- What is it that brings Lara, David, Marcus, Casa, and James to Marcus's house? In what ways is the house itself symbolic?
- What are some of the most tense and shocking moments in the book? Why does Aslam include such graphic depictions of violence in the novel? What effects do these depictions have on the reader?
- Near the end of the novel, Marcus reflects: “Both sides in Homer's war, when they arrive to collect their dead from the battlefield, weep freely in complete sight of each other. Sick at heart. This is what Marcus wants, the tears of one side fully visible to the other” [p. 314]. Why does Marcus want this? What good might come of each side witnessing the grief of the other?
· In the opening chapter of The Wasted Vigil, we meet Marcus, an Englishman gone native in Afghanistan. His left hand is missing: "It would be no surprise if trees and vines of Afghanistan suspended their growth one day, fearful that if their roots were to lengthen they might come into contact with a landmine buried nearby." Later we find out, in an unflinching scene, that Marcus didn't lose his hand to a mine but to something far more cruel.
· But the stunning opening sets up what is to follow: in this sprawling epic of a novel, Nadeem Aslam's poetic narrative takes in the explosive realities of Afghanistan. He navigates this minefield with sharp reflexes and a rare poise. The book is beautiful and brutal; butterflies, moths, flowers, gems, paintings, poetry and stone Buddhas keep erupting in the middle of this desolate landscape.
· The Wasted Vigil spans 30 years of what the media used to call the "Afghan conflict", which has now transformed into the front line of the West's war on terror. Occasionally it harks back to missing GIs in Vietnam, the early days of Soviet space programme and, more ambitiously, the spread of Buddhism in Afghanistan. But the core is made up of intersecting lives destroyed by the ongoing Afghan war: a "companionship of the wound", as Aslam puts it.
· Russians, Americans and Afghans come together in a series of immaculately researched and brilliantly rendered set-pieces. But it would be wrong to read the novel as a primer on the history of this forsaken land; it's more of a poetic mediation on the destructive urges that bind us together, and a literary quest to find humanity in the most unlikely of places.
· In a disused perfume factory, a Russian woman, Lara, arrives to look for her brother, who deserted the Soviet Army. David, a former CIA operative and veteran of America's covert war, has his own demons to fight. And Marcus, the sage-like former perfume maker and lover of all things fine, mourns his Afghan wife, a victim of the Taliban's war on women. He also searches for a grandson who may or may not be alive.
· Just when the reader begins to wonder why are there so few Afghans in a novel about Afghanistan, in walks Casa – a young Talib seeking refuge from his warlord after a botched mission. The West's warped ideas about freedom and Casa's own warped ideas about deliverance collide. The Wasted Vigil doesn't shy from telling these stories from the other's perspective. Afghan tribals are not the rugged and independent fighters of colonial narratives. They kill their own with the same brutality with which they hunt invaders. The US operators dream of the suburbs and debate the government's foreign policy but have no qualms about taking a blowtorch to an Afghan boy's eye: he may or may not be the enemy.
· Aslam skilfully weaves in key moments from a tortured history. We are there when the communist President Najibullah's body is strung from a traffic light; we travel with the Taliban as they prepare to invade Kabul; we are given ringside seats at a hand amputation, a stoning and book burnings. A game of Buzkushi with a Soviet soldier used as a goat will remain seared in this reader's memory. But the novel is is also full of tender moments in unlikely places; a fated love blooms between Casa and Dunia, a confident Afghan girl on the run from warlords, as they pass each other a prayer mat. Casa may crave martyrdom, but what he really craves is a childhood and family he never had.
· There are episodes in the book so intense, so gruesome, that you have to close it and breathe before you can start again. Similarly, there are poetic images so stunning that you pause and read again to savour the sheer beauty of the language. This will be read as a novel about Afghanistan, but it should be read as a book about love. Nadeem Aslam has said that his father advised him to "always write about love". In this third novel he has shown absolute commitment to that advice. He would make any father proud.
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