Lie of the Land

Review of Zarnaab Adil Janjua’s dystopian novella ‘A White Lie’ published by Daastan

Among the new batch of writers cropping up in Pakistan, one new name is Zarnaab Adil Janjua, whose dystopian fiction novel The While Lie hit the shelves in October of this year. Set in 2036, the novella encompasses the story of two valiant characters leading the Foreign Ministry of Praetoria, as they navigate through choppy waters to breathe life into the OIC summit. The story winds through New York, Halore, Gujjardera, and Sharjah as the plot spans two decades, interlinking characters’ lives between college and their professional roles. As a reader, one is truly fascinated by the character of the Foreign Minister of Praetoria, Shazain Magsi. Magsi, the protagonist, is a naturally captivating and witty person who not only leaves a strong impression on his peers but casts a spell on the reader as well.

As one progresses through the novella, and as the plot unfolds, one notices a thread of social commentary running parallel with the plot, bringing to light many social nuances that are unique to our society. At many places, the novel puts one on the spot without paying heed to the social setting and giving random pieces of advice and raving set of admonitions for anyone, particularly taking a stand or saying anything deemed controversial as represented through Magsi’s right-hand man.

Zarnaab brilliantly captures the essence of Halore’s culture from the multi-faceted lives of people constantly switching their persona as they navigate through conservative and liberal spheres. The vivid description of Halore strikes a close resemblance to how Kamila Shamsie captures Karachi’s essence in her book, Kartography. The narrative triggers a melting pot of emotions embodying love and hate for the respective cities.

In addition, the author visibly highlights the social gap between the characters as it is prominent in Praetoria between social classes. Class is a central theme that runs along, as the characters delve into different situations without ever being able to brush off their social stratum.

One cannot fail to notice the verses at the beginning of every chapter throughout the book. The author’s strong affiliation with poetry is evident through wordplay. Deep references, whether political or social, are at the forefront of his writing style. The poetry verses by renowned poets such as Faiz, Iqbal, and Amir Khusrau, add flavor to the book and reinforce the South Asian heritage deeply ingrained in his writing style.

With all being mentioned, I believe the novella lacks on two fronts. One is the lack of strong female character representation. The two prominent characters, Fatima and Aliya, are portrayed according to prevalent conventional narratives. Aliya is represented as an ethereal beauty, and Fatima although is described as an unconventional film director, the credit for her success is awarded to her fiancé. The characters lack weight and depth as the emphasis is primarily on Shahzain and Hasan. On the other hand, political references are casually mentioned in passing without prior context across various chapters of the book.

Overall, Zarnaab’s writing style is highly captivating and brilliant. You are hooked to the novella from the start and I would rate it a solid four out of five stars.