Member Reviews
Who needs enemies when you have friends like these…?
No Funeral for Nazia follows Nazia’s unconventional (and not just by Pakistani standards) end of life celebration request - I don’t want a funeral, but invite the people who hurt me the most in my life to be hypnotised to explore that hatred and hopefully heal from it.
I felt sad for Nazia that she was surrounded by such people in her life. All those who professed to love her ultimately destroyed her in their quest to have her as their own. Then of course there was the “friend” who simply wanted to destroy Nazia for her own sake…
The story was an interesting one but as none of the characters were likeable, and none seemed central to the plot (in that they all had their little piece of the puzzle to contribute), it was hard to get fully engrossed. Even the daughter who should have been an innocent equally should have known better. It was also a rather unbelievable premise - not the “anti-funeral” necessarily but I wasn’t fully convinced by the attendees’ motivations for even being there. The secrecy leading up to and even on the day in question wasn’t always necessary and I don’t think could have held these people in the room.
In any case, I’d like to explore more about Pakistani society and history in the future - perhaps with some more viewpoints from Sorraya and Noori as they’re from opposite worlds.
A very entertaining book with many twists and turns as secrets are revealed and truths are unearthed at an unconventional party following Nazia's death. I really enjoyed the exploration of each of the characters and their connection to Nazia. Very excited to read more from this author.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the chance to read this advanced copy.
Thanks to Neem Tree Press and NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
This is an interesting book with an unusual story. Nazia dies and specifies to her sister that she does not want a funeral; instead, she wishes for a party. Those invited to the party have played an important role in Nazia's life but all become estranged from her for various reasons. What unfolds is a night of secrets being uncovered, reflections about the past and coming to terms with reality and acceptance.
No Funeral for Nazia was an unusual read for me as this is not the sort of story that I have read before or that I would usually buy in a book store. Good representation of South Asian characters without being too stereotypical. A good read and best wishes to the author.
"No Funeral for Nazia" by Taha Kehar is a gripping South Asian mystery novel that unfolds over the course of a single electrifying night. The narrative is a tantalizing exploration of the aftermath of death, delving into the unfinished business that lingers in its wake.
At the heart of the story is Nazia Sami, a celebrated author whose life takes a dramatic turn as she faces her final days. In a masterful stroke of storytelling, Kehar portrays Nazia wielding a pen one last time, filling her diary with instructions for her sister and composing six letters to be delivered posthumously.
The title itself hints at a departure from traditional mourning rituals. Instead of a funeral, Nazia orchestrates an enigmatic gathering—a party with only six carefully chosen invitees, one of whom remains a mystery guest. As the night unfolds, the reader is drawn into a web of secrets, reconsidered pasts, and lives that are on the brink of profound change.
Kehar's writing is not only witty but also theatrical, creating an atmosphere that is both suspenseful and rich in nuance. The author skillfully navigates the complexities of human relationships, peeling back layers of intrigue and emotion with each passing moment.
The structure of the novel, set within the confines of a single night, adds an element of urgency and intensity. The characters, brought together by Nazia's enigmatic invitation, undergo a transformative journey as they confront the revelations and mysteries that emerge during this extraordinary evening.
"No Funeral for Nazia" is more than a mystery; it is a meditation on life, death, and the profound impact one person can have on others. Kehar weaves a narrative tapestry that keeps readers on the edge of their seats while prompting reflection on the choices we make and the legacies we leave behind.
Definitely a book I will be rereading multiple times, and recommending to my friends, it's seriously just a class book.
This book follows six guests who have been invited to the party of a friend/family member who has passed away. Was Nazia a well loved Pakistani author, mother, sister, ex wife and friend- did the people in her lives love or completely detest her?
Nazia has left instructions for her sister who has to invite six guest to a party rather than have a funeral. There is also a surprise guest for all the guests, Salman the hypnotist who has been instructed to hypnotise each guest individually.
What will they reveal? And will they get the closure they desperately need?
I really loved the idea of the book but was disappointed in how the story continued through the book. There was a lot of monologue which unfortunately made the book drone on and I was left confused at the ending. I also wasn’t sure why the life story of Salman was included, it just didn’t fit.
This book could have had a lot of potential but this was missed which left me a bit disappointed.
"No Funeral for Nazia" by Taha Kehar presents a promising premise with the unconventional choice of a young protagonist opting for a "party" over a traditional funeral. However, the novel's potential is regrettably overshadowed by several significant shortcomings.
Despite the intriguing setup, the novel lacks the depth needed to fully explore the complexities of the characters' relationships with the deceased protagonist. Opportunities for meaningful character development aren’t fully explored, resulting in a narrative that feels slightly superficial.
As the story progresses into its second half, a noticeable repetition sets in. It starts to feel like a series of monologues and unfortunately, it was at that point I started to lose interest. While "No Funeral for Nazia" embarks on a unique exploration of how to manage death, its ultimate downfall lies in the execution. I really wanted to love it, but this one just wasn’t for me.
Thank you to Neem Tree Press for my ARC in exchange for an honest review. This was okay! Nothing bad but nothing I LOVED either.
I liked the concept, it was something new and different. The author tried to portray ideas about death and forgiveness in a way I've never encountered them.
However, it felt like soap opera-ish and juvenile.
Beautiful tale of mourning, love, and intricate secrets. Who gets to tell our story when we die? How do we forgive each other and become free? A delicate story of a woman loved and hated by many, and a collective attempt to release pain and suffering and find forgiveness and peace in a shared imperfect humanity.
This was quite a unique way of telling the back story of Nazia So clever to invite the key people in your life to a party rather than a funeral and then get them to reveal their relationship with the dead person Nazia Interesting perspectives from each.
I think the concept of this sounded very promising. An author dies relatively young and, instead of a funeral, invites six friends and family members to a dinner? And everyone has secrets? It sounds like the setup to a twisty mystery story.
Nazia was clearly a woman who disregarded social norms, and seeing the way the people around her respond to that was definitely the highlight of this book, particularly as it's set in a time of political turmoil.
None of the invitees actually liked Nazia (and I didn't like any of them), and the crux of the plot lies in one of the invitees being a hypnotherapist who is there to have one-on-one sessions with each guest, to get them to confront (and improve) their feelings about Nazia.
And so, from about the 50% mark of the book onwards, the content becomes mostly monologues as each character tells the hypnotherapist exactly why they don't like her. A lot of this also gets repetitive as we get several similar perspectives of the same events. Each character then suddenly realises that they were wrong! And are miraculously cured of their negative feelings! And are happy! Even though Nazia had to offer them each 3000 dollars to undergo therapy, which turns out to be a manipulative lie! But suddenly none of them care!
This also meant that we don't get a great deal of interaction between the guests afterwards. After each individual therapy session, every character leaves, which means there are very few post-therapy interactions.
I think No Funeral For Nazia did touch upon some interesting themes, particularly the attitudes towards (promiscuous) women, and servants. There is a strong narrative thread about 'forgetting' the dead which I can't say is something I agree with, but I can understand this as a pushback towards a culture that may have a very strong focus in honouring the dead long after they're gone. There is a plot point about a queer affair between Nazia and Dolly which I think could have been explored much more strongly, especially considering the legal and cultural attitude towards this in Pakistan. Instead, it just seemed to be added to ensure that every single character was in love with, and therefore felt betrayed by, Nazia.
Overall I'm just quite disappointed by the execution and would have liked a stronger exploration of some of the themes.
I have a long section in my Storygraph review that focuses on the writing quality (spoiler: bad), but I will not include that here in the interest of space.
The story of a group of family and friends who are brought together by the death of Nazia. Nazia's life was tumultuous, characterised as much by devotion as by resentment. Upon her death she leaves unusual instructions to her sister how to manage her death, including bringing some of the people closest to her together to help them achieve closure with themselves and with her. The majority of the story occurs during the evening of the "party" where all the guests get confronted with their memories and true feelings, learning enough about themselves to help them move on in their lives.
I liked the narrative, overall. The way the author chose to bring the various characters together and juxtapose their feelings and recollections was quite interesting. A whiff of Akutagawa's "In a Grove", as inspiration, is clearly visible. I also liked some of the characters, especially Nazia's sister and Nazia's publisher. Both are portrayed as strong and powerful women.
That being said, the book overall was disappointing. I can't but have the impression it was trying to do more than the author could manage. On the one hand, the author tried to force too much of the narrative into the structure she chose to pursue (the events of the "party"), and some of these just didn't make sense, and were way too incredible. On the other hand, there were just too many distractions (MQM's role in Pakistan, the life-story of Salman, etc). I also struggled with the inconsistent characterisations of our protagonists - it's as if there is a formula the author tried to apply, and that made the story to wooden. It just lacked cohesion and consistency.
I just can't recommend it. There really is no meaningful redeeming characteristic that would warrant spending a few hours on this book.
My thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an early copy of this book in return for an honest review.
No Funeral for Nazia by Taha Kehar will revive your love for mystery!
How often do you read a mystery novel with a woman protagonist set in Pakistan? And that is not all. The protagonist of Taha Kehar's new novel is not a quintessential obedient, self-sacrificing Pakistani woman but possesses a streak of qualities- considered earth-shattering, forbidden, and aphasia-inducing on this side of the globe.
She chooses 'speak your heart out' to 'aimless tears shedding' as her way to say goodbye to her family. What is the harm in it? Maybe not for her, for she finds solace and peace in death. But is everyone else ready to face their demons while exposing others?
She was present in her absence, never speaks for herself, but shows herself in the elaborate descriptions from others.
She is considered arrogant, self-serving, and cruel by her loved ones. But they still yearn to say one last goodbye. They tell you what they know and have seen, but will you believe their testimony or draw your own conclusions?
What I love about this novel is Taha Kehar wrote about a time of political turmoil so vivid yet distant in our memories. It is a must-read for Karachiites to revisit the political shenanigans of a time that tore many families apart.
Yes, it is a narrative that challenges social conventions with a little too convenient an approach to complex emotions, but it will revive your love for mystery.
An enjoyable and quick read!
I was really intrigued by the plot of this book. It was heavily character driven and death with issues of death., varying relationships and even politics. Nazia was an interesting character and I like how the author allowed for differing perspectives on and feelings towards her, establishing that humans are heavily flawed and what was shown on the outside and how others view you isn't fully who you are. I will say the pacing was a bit rushed towards the ending and I honestly wished for it to continued since I felt that not everything was fully dealt with but then again that aspect also adds to the plot since Nazia is dead so a fully or true explanation cannot ever be given.
Rating: 3.5
Author Taha Kehar’s writing is heavily focused on the family dynamics and through the various relationships the story unfolds. Without sharing any spoilers, most, if not all, of the characters were hard to like - they each brought their odd intricacies. That said, some were indeed of desperate professional help. Overall, I found “No Funerals For Nazia” to be an interesting read; however, the ending was a bit blah (I can’t think of another word to describe it) and rushed. Kehar focused so much on the character dynamics and their relationships to each other that you really got pulled in but the last few chapters didn’t wrap up the story and is what ultimately affected my rating.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for this early copy of No Funeral for Nazia by Taha Kehar. Engaging characters and a compelling story, an enjoyable read!
The premise was interesting and as always it is lovely to feel represented in literature. The story was engaging and paced well. An enjoyable book all round.
After the death of Nazia, a deeply troubled woman, her sister fulfils her last wishes of inviting those close to her for one last gathering instead of a funeral. We are able to understand Nazia through her tense and tumultuous relationships, through the supposed affair she had with the husband of a close friend and the daughter who left her home in anger to live with her aunt.
This was different, (trying not to give spoilers) but I enjoyed how we were given an insight into their lives and have seen how relationships have broken down and how nazia was abused and vilified. Insightful and short book, will keep an eye out for this author.
I had gone in expecting more detailing of character and a more nuanced plot based on the blurb of the book. The book is an interesting one time read that attempts to touch upon a lot of themes and issues. A pretty decent first attempt by the author for sure.