Snakebite

An enchanting tale which kept my eyes glued to it till the very last word.

Though i am not a very big literature critic and i am just a loyal reader of articles published in chowk ,i rarely comment as i presume my thoughts are dust as compared to the more learned members of the chowk-circle but this story commpelled me to write...and think.

a great story by all means -certainly a good one that i have read in a long time.

Quite honestly, i was disappointed. As a reader and not as a critic. I am not exactly a stranger to literary works but at the same time do not believe in doing the superficial `wah wah`s` when i am not sold on the idea. Snakebite requires an antidote which i hope to find in `animal medicine`. Good luck!!

Thank you ALL so much for the wonderful and positive comments on this story.

Omar - I wish my imagination were really that good, but in reality this place is very similar to the farms in the Hala district in Sindh, where my family owns land. The girl described in the story is a product of my imagination, though.

Godot - you picked up very well on the psychological implications of the snake, I realized it myself only after the story was written but that`s what makes it ``not just for kids``.

Ras - I appreciate your words - high praise indeed!

``Animal Medicine`` is being published by Oxford University Press in Pakistan and should be out inshallah by May 1999. I imagine it will be available through its Web site, and possibly WebDukan as well. I will add availability details to my own Web site here at Chowk to let you know as and when I find out.

- Bina.

As this article leaves the current page of CHOWK
I just wanted to comment on writings such as
this one by Bina Shah.
There are writers that write absolutely beautiful
prose but have very little to say and those that
have a lot of messages to convey but do not
succeed in it`s presentation.
The success of a true writer is a combination
of both.
A very fine effort here. I`m looking
forward to ``Animal Medicine``.

Ras

Riveting picture. You`re quite a wordsmith Bina. I am curious from a writer`s point of view as to whether you`ve actually taken the vivid discriptions from a real life place that you`ve visited, and infused them with your imagination, or whether this is entirely one of the products of your flights of fancy. You exercise a simply amazingly hauntingly dexterous control over language. I admire that talent deeply.

Omar

Powerful!

AZ

Superb imagery ........ very well done ...

Superb imagery ........ very well done ...

Superb ending to this story. Great writing!
Quite a message here for the readers.

Ras

WOnder ful as always Ms Shah. I`m one of your greatest fans and when I read you`re releasing a book of short stories, I literally let out a whoop of joy. I`m sure it won`t be a let down.

Keep it coming Ms Shah, you`ll never fall short of readers.

A young girl fascinated by and longing for a snake. I think you are slithering in the psychological realm, Bina. Liked the ending. Would ``Animal Medicine`` be available in the US? I`d like to read it.

WOW!!!

but....did she get bit? or did the men get her before the snake did??

I`m captivated!!!

Dear Ms. Shah,

I just finished reading the story snakebite in chowk. Obviously the story is interesting to me (else I would not bother to waste my and your time providing this feedback). One thing I am curious about. Did the girl preferred death over possible rape or she preferred the snake over her attackers. In other words, what made her to make the choice - her social conditioning or her individual like/dislike.

The story does not clarify the mode of choice - though suggests both possibilities. I understand that it is this ambiguity that makes the story interesting. But I shall appreciate if you tell me what was there in your mind.

Sincerely,