Re: Novels on Pakistani culture and Pakistan Overall
Yes Shahb Nama tells us about history, bureaucracy, etc of Pakistan in detail but its a debatable thing whether it can be called a novel. Many ppl consider it as novel though and a work of fiction, considering the chapters related to ghost of Bimla Kumari and magicians of Isreal and reasons behind death of Mrs Iffat Shahab. The last chapter of the book is quite controversial for some readers and some takes it as the hilight of the book. I think OP may also find ‘Alakh Nagri’ by Mumtaz Mufti quite interesting.
As far as Raja Gidh is concerned it really depicts about the life styles of the people from different classes. Personally, I don’t remember any Urdu novel (other than Raja Gidh) which tells us the stories of different women from so many different classes. From ultra mod Seemi of Gulberg to Solat Bhabi of Sanda Kala (wife of a clerk), from teenage girl Roshan from Bhati Chowk (Andron e Lahore) to Qayyom’s mother in a small village of Sahiwal, and many other women characters that are very well defined by Bano Aapa alongwith the main theme of distinction between Rizq e Halal and Haram, always tempted me to read this novel again and again.