The first U.S. publication of Yousufi, who at 91 is quite possibly Pakistan’s most revered comedic writer. By way of a large volume of infinitely hilarious sketches, Mirages of the Mind tells the story of Indian Muslims who relocate to Pakistan — where Yousufi’s name is now synonymous with the very idea of literary humor.

Jonathon Sturgeon, Flavorwire

A hilarious and nostalgic account of twentieth-century Muslim life on the Indian subcontinent

Mirages of the Mind

Fiction by Mushtaq Ahmed Yousufi

Translated from Urdu by Matt Reeck and Aftab Ahmad

Basharat and his family are Indian Muslims who have relocated to Pakistan, but they remain deeply steeped in the nostalgia of pre-Partition life in India. Through Mirages of the Mind’s absurd anecdotes and unforgettable biographical sketches—which hide the deeper unease and sorrow of the family’s journey from Kanpur to Karachi—Basharat emerges as a wise fool and the host of this unique sketch comedy. From humorous scenes in colonial north India, to the heartbreak and homesickness of postcolonial life in Pakistan, Mirages of the Mind forms an authentic portrait of life among South Asia’s Urdu speakers, rendered beautifully into English by Matt Reeck and Aftab Ahmad.

Paperback(published Jul, 07 2015)

ISBN
9780811224130
Price US
18.95
Price CN
21.95
Page Count
576

Ebook(published Jul, 07 2015)

ISBN
9780811224147
Price US
18.95

The first U.S. publication of Yousufi, who at 91 is quite possibly Pakistan’s most revered comedic writer. By way of a large volume of infinitely hilarious sketches, Mirages of the Mind tells the story of Indian Muslims who relocate to Pakistan — where Yousufi’s name is now synonymous with the very idea of literary humor.

Jonathon Sturgeon, Flavorwire

A sprawling, gently satirical collection of linked tale within tales, Yousufi’s novel is a hymn to the chaotic lives of India’s Muslims…Rich with allusions to Western and Muslim culture, philosophical asides, and poetic couplets, Yousufi’s text brims with the collected wisdom of generations. He treats the persistent ache of nostalgia for a long-gone world with its only effective salve: laughter.

Publishers Weekly

We are lucky indeed to be living in the Yousufi era!

Fareeha Bukhari, The Nation

Profoundly good-humored, genuinely wise, and very often laugh-out-loud funny.

Nick DiMartino, Shelf Awareness

I am a confirmed fan. Rarely have I encountered a book which made me laugh so freely, and was such a pleasure to read aloud.

Time Out New Delhi

One of Pakistan’s greatest living writers, Yousufi, pens a book that encapsulates the many aspects of living in South Asia–its culture, familial relations, the pain of Partition and the nostalgia among those who witnessed the breakup of the subcontinent–with excellent satire.

The Express Tribune

Humor can be the hardest element to successfully bring into a new language and the translators carry over the singularly elastic wit of Yousufi with considerable aplomb.

Wired