Al Arabian Novel Factory bristles with ideas of revolution and social justice—and the ways in which these impulses are harnessed by real politics. It exposes the toxic schisms within Islamic society, where the struggle between Shias and Sunnis has led to a bankrupt humanity.
Al Arabian Novel Factory plunges the reader into a dizzying labyrinth of suspense and intrigue. Set in an unnamed Arab city, the novel is rooted to the world that is conjured up by its predecessor. It is the story of Pratap and his colleagues on a strange work assignment in the 'City'. An unnamed Arabian city we also saw in Jasmine Days.
The assignment along with their individual pasts takes them to various people in the city, weaving a wholesome picture of the situation. By far not pleasant, it breaks your heart the cruelty described, it questions revolutions and governments for all the right reasons. All their attempts to understand the people and the city is finally linked to a singular story that ties to a copy of a banned book written by an immigrant Pakistani radio jockey called Sameera Parvin, who worked in the city before vanishing mysteriously one day.
The novel attempts to be inclusive of every kind of perspective in a post revolutionary/conflict situation. Along with exploring the role of poetry and literature and how often times it incites fear in the establishment.
