“A woman Wearing a Man's Shoes”
Writer: Asha Naznin
Cover: Charu Pintu
Genre: Fiction-Novel/Log
Dedicated to: The Writer's First Boyfriend
Target Reader: Adult
Publisher: Abosar Prokashana Sangstha (Book Fair Stall#Pavilion-3)
1st Published: February 2017
©: Not Mentioned
Writer's Photograph: Shuvo Bakar
Price: 250/- (At Book Fair: 190/-)
ISBN: 978-984-8798-13-3
The advertisement posted online about this book on the publisher's page says- “Is your wife not amenable to reason? Is your married life full of 'storms'? You can't tell anyone what you truly like? Then read this best seller writer's...”.
And the 'best seller' writer here is Asha Naznin, a young but multiple award winning, NRB writer. In her novel this year, she writes about an affair where Tirtho, a middle-class boy studying Economics in DU falls madly in love with a girl from the upper-class of the society, a first year student of Salimullah Medical College – that turns to marriage and then the real story begins, or rather the real 'fight' begins – the never answered, centuries old question “Mother or Wife, which side are you on?” being the issue.
Oh before a word more, fun fact – this is a novel written by a woman from a man's point of view, for a change. Specifically – a boyfriend turned husband's point of view. If the reader is a man, keep this in mind and you'll get a value added reading experience! To me, as a man, at some points of the story found the thought process of the man more like the moment when a man tries to think like a woman to understand her. So in this case, as much as I loved the novel, would give the writer 8 out of 10.
There are countless characters in this log styled novel where the writer jumps around different timelines. But most characters appears and vanishes too quickly playing a vital role, which gives this novel a flavor of a short story. I specifically loved Tirtho's colleague Golam Rabbani's character in whose case I'd give the writer full marks in portraying a man as a man.
This book 'The Husband Formula', is full of very interesting one on one conversations even if you find them cheesy at times, you will be amazed by many of the philosophical statements that the writer places very carefully in the right places.
'The Husband Formula' is a fun read for smart readers only who can take a fiction as a fiction and surprisingly at the end of the story, a very interesting chapter of formulas (Mantras) for a happy married life pops up meant for a man, thought by a man, but again to be honest, to me it seemed like the writer giving a 101 on 'what women wants' – hence, thank you very much, Asha Naznin!
Anik Khan is a Poet and a Journalist.
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