Other Names for Love
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- Create Date：2022-07-01 06:51:54
- Update Date：2025-09-06
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- Author：Taymour Soomro
- ISBN：1787303055
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Summary
A seductive coming-of-age story about queer desire， Other Names for Love is a charged， hypnotic debut novel about a boy’s life-changing summer in rural Pakistan: a story of fathers， sons， and the consequences of desire。
At age sixteen， Fahad hopes to spend the summer with his mother in London。 His father， Rafik， has other plans: hauling his son to Abad， the family’s rural estate in upcountry， Pakistan。 Rafik wants to toughen up his sensitive boy， to teach him about power， duty， family—to make him a man。 He enlists Ali， a local teenager， in this project， hoping his presence will prove instructive。
Instead， over the course of one hot， indolent season， attraction blooms between the two boys， and Fahad finds himself seduced by the wildness of the land and its inhabitants: the people， who revere and revile his father in turn; cousin Mousey， who lives alone with a man he calls manager; and most of all， Ali， who threatens to unearth all that is hidden。
Decades later， Fahad is living abroad when he receives a call from his mother summoning him home。 His return will force him to face the past。 Taymour Soomro’s Other Names for Love is a tale of masculinity， inheritance， and desire set against the backdrop of a country’s violent history， told with uncommon urgency and beauty。
At age sixteen， Fahad hopes to spend the summer with his mother in London。 His father， Rafik， has other plans: hauling his son to Abad， the family’s rural estate in upcountry， Pakistan。 Rafik wants to toughen up his sensitive boy， to teach him about power， duty， family—to make him a man。 He enlists Ali， a local teenager， in this project， hoping his presence will prove instructive。
Instead， over the course of one hot， indolent season， attraction blooms between the two boys， and Fahad finds himself seduced by the wildness of the land and its inhabitants: the people， who revere and revile his father in turn; cousin Mousey， who lives alone with a man he calls manager; and most of all， Ali， who threatens to unearth all that is hidden。
Decades later， Fahad is living abroad when he receives a call from his mother summoning him home。 His return will force him to face the past。 Taymour Soomro’s Other Names for Love is a tale of masculinity， inheritance， and desire set against the backdrop of a country’s violent history， told with uncommon urgency and beauty。
Reviews
Carmel
，
Thank you very much for NetGalley and Farrar， Straus and Giroux for sending me an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review！ ☺️1。0I am really sad， reluctant and disappointed to be rating this book so low， given how deep and personal the themes are， but I have to be completely honest with myself。 I did not enjoy this book at all， I found it boring， repetitive and lifeless - and I hate having to say that about a debut author， but sadly it’s just my true feelings。 The prose is， frankly， Thank you very much for NetGalley and Farrar， Straus and Giroux for sending me an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review！ ☺️1。0I am really sad， reluctant and disappointed to be rating this book so low， given how deep and personal the themes are， but I have to be completely honest with myself。 I did not enjoy this book at all， I found it boring， repetitive and lifeless - and I hate having to say that about a debut author， but sadly it’s just my true feelings。 The prose is， frankly， disjointed and confusing。 It feels like the author doesn’t have a voice and is trying to mimic the tone of another author， it probably isn’t the case but that’s just honestly how it felt。 The prose was terribly robotic， there was no emotion in it and it just didn’t feel like the author knew what he was writing about。 And this could have been done stylistically， however it wasn’t executed well and just made the book feel longer than it should have been。 The characters are lifeless， they barely have a single emotional and cohesive thought， and whenever they talked， it didn’t feel real。 The characters are very human， I will admit that but the way they are portrayed felt like they didn’t have any connection to each other or the world around them。 Some times， I didn’t even know who was who cause I didn’t care enough about them to distinguish them。 And the way the conversations were written were horribly confusing， they would talk about one thing but then move on to another and it left me feeling more disjointed than understanding。 They also seem to lack any morals or personality， had they been written with any of those， I think the book would have been bearable。The whole book was just terribly boring。 It may have been me， and it may be because I’m probably not in the right place to read it， but it just felt like the plot drags。 The way it was written felt like the author had no idea what he was writing and it felt like a train of thought - and if this was the case， then I don’t think I was the right person to read this unfortunately。 I wish the author well but I hope they review their future books more closely and maybe make more edits。 This book felt like a first draft which is truly a shame。 。。。more
Annarella
，
I found it fascinating， riveting， well told and lyrical。 A story about coming of age， about discovering a land and people。 Different POVs， great characters and storytelling。The author delivers a fascinating story where not all is said in a fascinating and nearly hypnotic way。An excellent book that i loved。Highly recommended。Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC， all opinions are mine
Marieke （mariekes_mesmerizing_books）
，
Other Names for Love is a story about a father-son relationship in rural Pakistan。 Fahad， the son， is sensitive and more feminine， and his father wants to toughen him up。I loved the writing。 It’s lyrical and tense， and while reading， I could feel the heat of rural Pakistan radiate from the pages。 The pacing was relatively slow， and not much was happening， but somehow a slower pacing belongs in a novel like this。 The book is on the shorter side， less than 300 pages， so it’s finished before you ev Other Names for Love is a story about a father-son relationship in rural Pakistan。 Fahad， the son， is sensitive and more feminine， and his father wants to toughen him up。I loved the writing。 It’s lyrical and tense， and while reading， I could feel the heat of rural Pakistan radiate from the pages。 The pacing was relatively slow， and not much was happening， but somehow a slower pacing belongs in a novel like this。 The book is on the shorter side， less than 300 pages， so it’s finished before you even know it。 What I didn’t know beforehand is that the story is told by Fahad， the son， and Rafik， the father。 Usually， I love a dual narrative but in this case， not so much。 While I liked Fahad’s voice， I hated Rafik’s voice。 I hated constantly reading about ‘the boy’ instead of Rafik calling his son by his name。So， while I really liked the writing and the atmosphere， I liked parts of the book less。 If you’re thinking of reading this book， please check out other reviews！I received an ARC from Penguin Random House UK in exchange for an honest review。 Follow me on Instagram 。。。more
Peter Willoughby
，
Other Names for Love Taymour SoomroQuite a sad tale about a boy Fahad estranged from his family and living in London， who is called backed to his native Abad， the family estate。If you don't fit in where you are you have to find a life elsewhere， and these are the elements explored here without quite finding an answer。There are lots of things unsaid and lots of unanswered questions but it was well written and a tremendous read。Thought provoking and extremely interesting。 I recommend it to readers Other Names for Love Taymour SoomroQuite a sad tale about a boy Fahad estranged from his family and living in London， who is called backed to his native Abad， the family estate。If you don't fit in where you are you have to find a life elsewhere， and these are the elements explored here without quite finding an answer。There are lots of things unsaid and lots of unanswered questions but it was well written and a tremendous read。Thought provoking and extremely interesting。 I recommend it to readers。My thanks to the publisher for an advanced copy for honest review。 。。。more
Kevin
，
"Other Names for Love" is a tricky book to comment on。 So much of it exists between the lines。 That in itself a clever metaphor for the subject it broaches。 It's a story of things that are difficult to express， of things that we struggle to say。 It talks about relationships in an honest way。 The pauses that say more than words。 Especially when touching upon dynamics that are less openly talked about。A story not just of coming of age， but life itself。 Our growth and decline The overlapping of gen "Other Names for Love" is a tricky book to comment on。 So much of it exists between the lines。 That in itself a clever metaphor for the subject it broaches。 It's a story of things that are difficult to express， of things that we struggle to say。 It talks about relationships in an honest way。 The pauses that say more than words。 Especially when touching upon dynamics that are less openly talked about。A story not just of coming of age， but life itself。 Our growth and decline The overlapping of generations and the changing world。 It's carefully written， with many beautiful touches。 The story has been tended like an important crop。 And the book is a bountiful harvest。 Superb writing。 。。。more
Ben Dutton
，
Fahad， a modern Pakistani man， wants to spend the summer in London， but his father Rafik has other ideas。 Dragging his son back to their rural homestead in Pakistan， the stage is quickly set for two people， at odds， to clash under the oppressive heat of this dusty， ancient land。Soomro's writing has a haunting， lyrical quality to it， almost hypnotic at times。 The novel， which switches perspectives between these two， whilst also exploring the lives of others who live in this land - teenager Ali an Fahad， a modern Pakistani man， wants to spend the summer in London， but his father Rafik has other ideas。 Dragging his son back to their rural homestead in Pakistan， the stage is quickly set for two people， at odds， to clash under the oppressive heat of this dusty， ancient land。Soomro's writing has a haunting， lyrical quality to it， almost hypnotic at times。 The novel， which switches perspectives between these two， whilst also exploring the lives of others who live in this land - teenager Ali and cousin Mousey - and is perceptive in its simplicity。 For a short novel it can pack quite the emotional punch at times。There are times when the perspective draws back and it does become a little unfocused， but these moments are rare， and do not ditract from the overall power of this work。 This novel is a very strong debut and marks Soomro out as someone to watch。 Recommended。Thank to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC。 。。。more
charlotte，
，
Rep: Pakistani characters & setting， gay mc
Stephen Dilley
，
Other Names for Love is a brilliant debut novel by Pakistani writer Taymour Soomro depicting the detached relationship between a father and son over several decades。 At the start of the novel， Rafik， an influential aspiring politician， takes his sensitive son Fahad out to their family lands for the summer。 Fahad would rather be in London shopping and going to the theatre with his mother， but Rafik wants to mould Fahad to fit his idea of masculinity。 Both characters are dealing with their own str Other Names for Love is a brilliant debut novel by Pakistani writer Taymour Soomro depicting the detached relationship between a father and son over several decades。 At the start of the novel， Rafik， an influential aspiring politician， takes his sensitive son Fahad out to their family lands for the summer。 Fahad would rather be in London shopping and going to the theatre with his mother， but Rafik wants to mould Fahad to fit his idea of masculinity。 Both characters are dealing with their own struggles: Fahad is grappling with his sexuality， while Rafik's claim to the lands and the political influence that comes with them is threatened by the arrival of his cousin from London。 The first half of of the novel deals with the events of this summer， before we meet Fahad and Rafik again many years later in a world that has dramatically changed in ways which Rafik has not fully understood。 There is such restraint in the writing of this novel - the prose is sparing and a lot goes unstated， while the dialogue is often characterised by miscommunication and distance between the characters - even when we first meet Rafik and Fahad travelling together in a railway compartment， we soon learn that Rafik barely knows his son。 At the same time， Soomro's writing completely immerses us in a setting which will be unfamiliar to many。 The dual perspectives in this novel are skilfully handled throughout， and this becomes a deeply moving story of love， loss and estrangement。 The novel frequently put me in mind of E。M。 Forster。 especially Howards End， in its depictions of human relations and questions of inheritance， secrets and memory。 This is a highly impressive novel worthy of serious critical attention。 Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for sending me an ARC to review。 。。。more
Meike
，
A debut from Pakistan？ Yes， please。
Ceecee
，
3。5 rounded down This is a novel about relationships especially between fathers and sons and how one experience can radically alter and change a life 。 Fahad has hopes of spending the summer in London with his mother but father Rafik has other plans。 He takes Fahad to Abad in rural Pakistan where the family’s large estate lies， which is run like a medieval fiefdom where the people revere and hate Rafik in equal measure。 Fahad is uninterested until he is introduced to seventeen year old Ali and g 3。5 rounded down This is a novel about relationships especially between fathers and sons and how one experience can radically alter and change a life 。 Fahad has hopes of spending the summer in London with his mother but father Rafik has other plans。 He takes Fahad to Abad in rural Pakistan where the family’s large estate lies， which is run like a medieval fiefdom where the people revere and hate Rafik in equal measure。 Fahad is uninterested until he is introduced to seventeen year old Ali and gradually Fahad falls under a spell both of Ali and the area。 This is undoubtedly a well written short novel。 You feel the oppression not just of the Pakistani heat but also that of Rafik。 He is a very harsh man， there are no soft edges there。 You sense Fahad’s constantly tumbling emotions especially that of being an outsider， he’s been uprooted here and he’s uncomfortable with the latter a feeling that pervades much of the novel。 I find Ali a conundrum， he’s certainly unpredictable， he seems to have a predisposition to violence which he brushed aside as if it’s nothing。 Although Ali is a massive influence on Fahad’s life he remains shadowy and I never see him in full technicolour。 The novel has numerous examples of conflict， that of father and son but also between Rafik and many others。 This extends beyond the family lands in Abad and strays into the chaotic and cutthroat world of politics。 In the first half of the novel the writing feels hypnotic especially with the young Fahad and there’s a dreamlike quality especially in regard to his experiences with Ali。 It becomes sharper in tone later as the events cast a shadow over Fahad’s present and future。 Ultimately， you are left with a distinct feeling of uncertainty， a sense of searching for something elusive as the family ties with Abad are cut。 However， despite the many positives not least the obvious quality of the writing， I do have issues with it。 There is abrupt switching between the perspectives of Fahad and Rafik which I do not care for as it’s Fahad’s take on events I want to read， not his fathers。 It does contrast sharply in tone with the sensitivity of Fahad versus the harshness of Rafik which I’m sure is the authors intention and Rafik is certainly a different man at the end， thank goodness。 There is also a continuity issue as it makes big jumps and ultimately I just find the novel sad and strange。 However， if you are looking for something just a bit different to read then this will fit the bill。 With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Vintage for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review。 。。。more
Alison Bradbury
，
Fahad is 17 when he is called to spend the summer at the family estate in Pakistan instead of in London as he prefers。 Fahad is reluctant to be involved with estate life and shows little interest in anything other than reading。 But then he is introduced to the son of his fathers friend。 Fahad learns much about Pakistan from Ali and has his first taste of love too which causes him to flee from Pakistan and himself in shame。 Fast forward 20 years and Fahad's father is visiting him in London and mu Fahad is 17 when he is called to spend the summer at the family estate in Pakistan instead of in London as he prefers。 Fahad is reluctant to be involved with estate life and shows little interest in anything other than reading。 But then he is introduced to the son of his fathers friend。 Fahad learns much about Pakistan from Ali and has his first taste of love too which causes him to flee from Pakistan and himself in shame。 Fast forward 20 years and Fahad's father is visiting him in London and much has changed for Ali。This is a novel that covers many many years but does so in such a disjointed fashion that it is very difficult to get into。 With chapters that flick back and to between Fahad and his father we often get a couple of different views of the same event。 It is a novel that requires close reading as things are hinted it， approached and then whirled away from before you can really get a handle on what you have read。 It is super descriptive - there is a very good sense of place but the characters are described almost from a distance， it's like watching the action through a curtain so you only ever get glimpses of the people involved。 I am sorry that I couldn't rate this book higher but I just couldn't get into it and almost abandoned it at several points。 Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for the ARC in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Rachel A
，
There is much to like about this book; it creates a world you can feel and the main character shows their flaws and attributes in equal amounts。 At times I got a little lost in terms of narrative/plot but on the whole enjoyed the read。 （Copy received from Netgalley in return for an honest review）。
Sofia
，
Fathers and sons， inheritance， birth rights， acceptance。 All complicated and intricately woven。The only way we can get others to love something as much as we do is to give away or share the ownership of the 'loved' thing。 Here I'm not talking about legal ownership but rather the sharing of decisions， the sharing of the care and the 'bounty' that comes from the love。In Soomro's story Rafik's love for Abad was great but he was unable to share that love with his cousin or his son or the other peopl Fathers and sons， inheritance， birth rights， acceptance。 All complicated and intricately woven。The only way we can get others to love something as much as we do is to give away or share the ownership of the 'loved' thing。 Here I'm not talking about legal ownership but rather the sharing of decisions， the sharing of the care and the 'bounty' that comes from the love。In Soomro's story Rafik's love for Abad was great but he was unable to share that love with his cousin or his son or the other people who live in Abad， so his love could not then be inherited and continue。 I see this in my own life as well， holding on and keeping others away is a short term policy。 Sad just like the book left me。An ARC gently provided by author/publisher via Netgalley 。。。more
Aria Harlow
，
I really liked this book and I still don't really know what to say about it - it was that good。 Well written， with a cast of well developed characters and a completely riveting storyline。 It is such a powerful and thought provoking book that I will think about for a long time。 I really liked this book and I still don't really know what to say about it - it was that good。 Well written， with a cast of well developed characters and a completely riveting storyline。 It is such a powerful and thought provoking book that I will think about for a long time。 。。。more
Sarah
，
Fahad， 17， has grown up in London but his father has decided it is high time he returns to Pakistan to teach him the ways of the family and their estate in Abad。 There he spends an initially reluctant but eventually transformative summer， a lot of which hinges on his meeting of a local boy， Ali。There is no doubt that this book is very beautiful and in parts evocative， you can smell the undergrowth in the jungle， feel the harsh rains on your face。 Fahad's relationship with his father is the most Fahad， 17， has grown up in London but his father has decided it is high time he returns to Pakistan to teach him the ways of the family and their estate in Abad。 There he spends an initially reluctant but eventually transformative summer， a lot of which hinges on his meeting of a local boy， Ali。There is no doubt that this book is very beautiful and in parts evocative， you can smell the undergrowth in the jungle， feel the harsh rains on your face。 Fahad's relationship with his father is the most important one in this story and we jump between each of their perspectives as well as moving 20， 30 years into the future。Ultimately I did find it quite disjointed and felt as though as I was being kept at arms length the entire time。 I think it really had the bones of a sweeping， generational epic but would've needed to be quite a bit longer for that。 The jumps between Fahad and his father Rafik took me out of the story and I never felt like I really got to know either of them。I would have loved a bit more on Fahad and Ali and how their relationship shaped Fahad's life。 I can see a lot of people really enjoying this due to the gorgeous writing and vivid imagery。Read via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Laurel
，
4。5 It's been a while since I've come across a novel with writing as beautiful as the prose in this book。 I didn't actually cry while reading this story， but it ignited such a deep sadness in my chest， it was almost destabilizing。 I felt a longing for a made-up city that I've never visited， and a nostalgia for an adolescence that I'd never lived。 It is truly a beautiful masterpiece。 I do think that the synopsis on Goodreads is a little misleading。 While the MCs relationship with Ali is crucial t 4。5 It's been a while since I've come across a novel with writing as beautiful as the prose in this book。 I didn't actually cry while reading this story， but it ignited such a deep sadness in my chest， it was almost destabilizing。 I felt a longing for a made-up city that I've never visited， and a nostalgia for an adolescence that I'd never lived。 It is truly a beautiful masterpiece。 I do think that the synopsis on Goodreads is a little misleading。 While the MCs relationship with Ali is crucial to the story， this is not a romance novel。 It is much more about family and politics than it is about love。 The most important and developed relationship is the one between Fahad and his father。 This is in no way a bad thing; in fact the story was much more powerful and poignant than I was anticipating。 However， readers should not pick up this book expecting a whirlwind summer romance， but rather something much more deep， complex and personal。 The one critique I have about this book is the timeline。 It splits almost exactly at the halfway mark between the MCs teenagerhood and adulthood。 While I understand why Soomro formatted the novel this way， considering how equally important both stages of the character's life are， it makes it a little difficult to really attach yourself to the characters。 Right when you finally feel connected to Fahad at age sixteen， there's a huge time jump decades into the future and you're left feeling a little throw off。 And then， because the story is now set so much later in the MC's life， you almost have to restart the whole process of getting to know him。 He is now an almost completely different person and you can't exactly pick up right where you left off the chapter before。 I feel that the book should have been overall longer to give the reader time to settle in with the characters， or there should have been a stronger emphasis on one of the time settings so as to not interrupt the reader's experience。 Overall， I would absolutely recommend this book and I am so excited for it to come out so that I can share this work of art with everyone。 Source: NetGalley 。。。more
Laura Sackton
，
Towards the end of this gorgeous novel， the two main characters—Rafik， a Pakistani politician farmer， and Fahad， his queer son—are having a conversation。 Fahad has spent most of his adult life in London， and has returned to Pakistan to help his parents， who are in financial trouble。 They are discussing what to do with the family farm in Abad， land that Rafik’s family has owned for generations。 For both Rafik and Fahad， the farm is a mythical beginning， an idealized homeland， at once beloved and Towards the end of this gorgeous novel， the two main characters—Rafik， a Pakistani politician farmer， and Fahad， his queer son—are having a conversation。 Fahad has spent most of his adult life in London， and has returned to Pakistan to help his parents， who are in financial trouble。 They are discussing what to do with the family farm in Abad， land that Rafik’s family has owned for generations。 For both Rafik and Fahad， the farm is a mythical beginning， an idealized homeland， at once beloved and unknowable。 It is central to their understanding of themselves but also a source of endless confusion and pain。 Rafik says to Fahad: ‘Sometimes you don’t know what you remember and what you think you remember。 Sometimes， even my father’s face， when I remember it， it is one way， sometimes another。 But what is there to be afraid of？ A man is more than his face。 He is more than the places he has been。 And the places he has been， they are in here’—again he tapped his chest—‘nowhere else。 We carry it where we go。 Everything。 What does it mean to leave？’ he said。 ‘We can only leave ourselves。’ This whole novel—quiet， hypnotic， sad and soft， a book that floats along like seeds on a breeze， drifting here and there， never settling—reads like an attempt to untangle the questions buried in this passage。 What does it mean to leave？ Can we ever leave the places that have shaped us？ Is a person more than the places they’ve been， more than their face？ And what does it mean to ‘leave ourselves’ somewhere？ Neither Rafik （despite his confident assertions in the quote above， a hallmark of his character） nor Fahad ever come to any definitive answers。 They spend their lives muddling through—as so many of us do。Read my full review here: https://booksandbakes。substack。com/p/。。。 。。。more
Tom
，
#OtherNamesforLove #NetGalleyNot much for me to say about this book。 I gave it a lower score because of the choppy writing style。 The story itself is beautiful and interesting。 But unfortunately the style in which it was written was not as beautiful。 Don't take this in a harsh way。 Because like I said the story is great。 Certain scenes I felt were unnecessary and out of place。 Like the ones when the pov switched to the father。 I found his character uninteresting and during those scenes I found m #OtherNamesforLove #NetGalleyNot much for me to say about this book。 I gave it a lower score because of the choppy writing style。 The story itself is beautiful and interesting。 But unfortunately the style in which it was written was not as beautiful。 Don't take this in a harsh way。 Because like I said the story is great。 Certain scenes I felt were unnecessary and out of place。 Like the ones when the pov switched to the father。 I found his character uninteresting and during those scenes I found myself skimming to get to the scenes with our main character。 But by the time I got involved fully with the story was too far in for me。 Overall 3。25 out of 5 is my final score。 Not everyone will like the work of authors while other people love them。 In my opinion this book fell flat， but that doesn't mean it will for others。 I'm just another soul living， reading， and writing reviews on books。 。。。more
James B
，
Thanks to Netgalley and FSG for the ebook。 At age sixteen， Fahad is taken from London to spend the summer with his father， Rafik， in rural Pakistan。 Rafik， a large landowner and regional political leader， hopes that with his guidance that he can toughen up Fahad。 Fahad shows little interest in his surroundings until he meets a boy his age named Ali。 Their friendship leads to a brief affair and then Fahad’s fleeing back to London。 The second part of the book concerns Rafik’s rise in National poli Thanks to Netgalley and FSG for the ebook。 At age sixteen， Fahad is taken from London to spend the summer with his father， Rafik， in rural Pakistan。 Rafik， a large landowner and regional political leader， hopes that with his guidance that he can toughen up Fahad。 Fahad shows little interest in his surroundings until he meets a boy his age named Ali。 Their friendship leads to a brief affair and then Fahad’s fleeing back to London。 The second part of the book concerns Rafik’s rise in National politics。 The third section shows us a middle aged Fahad， an author and university professor who lives with his boyfriend， who is summoned back to Pakistan as his aging parents are approaching financial ruin after Rafik’s two failed attempts to run for PM。 Fahad has to try and sell the family farm， but also try and find Ali all these years after their brief affair。 。。。more
Alec Ashlark
，
Review removed。
Neil Czeszejko
，
OTHER NAMES FOR LOVE sinks into a froth of emotion， whipping the senses and diluting reason。 We're left fighting for grip alongside Fahad， whose physical displacement is only the first step of a haunting emotional dislocation。 The novel's sweltry aura inflames its chaotic setting， darkens the yoke that blends human savagery with the predatory wilderness of upcountry Pakistan。 It also exposes the suffocating view of masculinity nurtured within。 This compression， when balanced against Fahad's sens OTHER NAMES FOR LOVE sinks into a froth of emotion， whipping the senses and diluting reason。 We're left fighting for grip alongside Fahad， whose physical displacement is only the first step of a haunting emotional dislocation。 The novel's sweltry aura inflames its chaotic setting， darkens the yoke that blends human savagery with the predatory wilderness of upcountry Pakistan。 It also exposes the suffocating view of masculinity nurtured within。 This compression， when balanced against Fahad's sensitivity， gains a slinking body of its own。 That's why， through the boy's senses， we can feel oppression's muggy breath on our skin。 And， just like Fahad， we struggle to cross the void separating sultry desire from its sated form， the volatile impulse that leaves a fusty aftertaste for the mind to cleanse afterward。Both Ali's appearance and the unpredictability of violence that he embodies add to the novel's tension。 What feeds it is the pace， which behaves like a drumbeat steadily gaining momentum; a foreboding rhythm that works the characters' guts like marionettes。 It torments Fahad wherever he goes， whoever he's with。 Displaced memories ripple through his uprooted existence as an immigrant in London， leaving Fahad a stranger to his body and mind。 Similarly， time both spills through his fingers， and clings to them like freshly-peeled onion skins。 Which provocation his mind will get stuck on， which impulse will further challenge the sanity of his father， is a mystery that taunts until the end。OTHER NAMES FOR LOVE gains its physicality from Soomro's writing， which is both poignant and poetic。 His focus is glued to the few sharp points of each scene， with the rest only hazily hemming them in。 This gives form， texture and taste to Fahad's dreamlike experience in Abad。 His prose is also impossibly tender as it bares the fragile foundations of all that we yearn for， stripping our desires， pointing to the elongated shadow of the past that's forever dimming our view of the present。Likewise， the story keeps pulling on knotted relationships， trying to even them out。 Caged reflections tear their way through form and expression in an effort to restitch fates。 The hopelessness of this task， weakened by the soul's yearning for both the body and devotion of another， serves as the pulse of OTHER NAMES FOR LOVE; one that we keep tracing with our thumbs as we slip deeper into its bloodstream。 We're left searching for answers， indulging the caprices of identity; attempting to cement and name that， which is fluid。This review was originally published by Delphic Reviews on January 21， 2022。 。。。more
Reference
google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=Other Names for Love
hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=Other Names for Love&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft
The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,Other Names for Love&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0