Manto was discussed here previously not too long ago. I already commented my thoughts on the subject there. Don't really feel like discussing the same subject again.
First of all mere bhai, thank you very much for the correction...i can always use help of an urdu speaker....:)
Now to your question, Yes, if reality is crude, a pure artist will represent it in crude manner....when an artist draws a picture on canvas he tries his best to make it look real and natural...
Manto was an artist; yes he was different coz he chose a different art form to express himself...but he never claimed to be an abstract artist or romanticist. He was a Realist and a naturalist and he presented things in their natural and real form...and you know what is most amazing thing about his writings, he never invented any characters....he took them right from the real life...they were all real flesh n blood people around him....:)
And about writing a book using gali galoch...well fraud if you really want to represnt a street culture, you'll have to use those maa behn ki galiyaaN unless its a bollywood lollywood movie where a poor dehati girl is bein represented wearing j.j.valaya and ritu berri's lehngas:)
Ability part....
hmmmm read the works of other realists (past or present) in urdu literature and then decide who is a better artist...i think even Bedi and Krishan chandar can not stand infront of him...he was da master of his art...:)
...and you are right, you don't need to read all of his works inorder to decide whether you like him or not, Asif read just couple of pages and put it away...but inorder to make a statement like, "he was over-rated or he was not better (better than who?)", you need to have a lil bit of solid background about the author and his works....
and you are welcome to your views too bhai mere...i know he dinn write for sensitive readers:)
Asif, you can always sue me for dat...but for you i can edit it....how about rehmat-ullah alaih??? Hazrat Manto per Allah ki rehmat ho???
yeh TTS was a good story but i like khol du much better which is also about partition...i have the english translation of the story too ...i might post it during my vacations:)
Some other good stories are "Babu Gopi nath" , "Mozaile", "Hatak", "Kaali Shalwar", and "Jaanki" ....and these are not as crude as thanDa gosht so give them a try too...:)
Naik, if you've got some English translations or know where I can get a hold of any, mail 'em to me. I need to be de-sensitised.
Xtreme, i’ll post “khol du” here but if you wanna read more of his works, www.amazon.com has collection of his partition stories “Mottled Dawn” and “Saadat Hasan Manto; Selected Stories”
by Madan Gupta…
or check at www.Indiaclub.com they might have something by manto too…
Naiko. Kiyoon logoN key Bachay Kharab karti ho tum? Poor Xtremo is gona grow up so fast reading Manto. Let him enjoy his younghood.
Fikar mat karo NYA sahib, it's not the social issues I'm concerned with re Manto, the pornographic element will do just fine.
Xtremo. That’s fine then. Except you might need a separate manual to consult on the use of the jargon. Thanda Gosht, for example, doesn’t mean a rare steak.
Havea a good weekend guys, i am outa here.. see you monday.