Twilight in Delhi – The Book Review
Submitted by: Monjima Sen (UP3313)

Twilight in Delhi, the first novel beautifully written by Indian born author, Ahmed Ali, talks about Delhi, the city he was born in, and how it was undergoing a phase shift in the 20th Century. Ahmed Ali expresses his own ideas and views along with the grief that the then dwellers of Delhi were going through during the Colonial period. He infuses heart rending poetry composed by some very well known and talented poets such as Zauq, Mir Taqi Mir, Mirza Ghalib and some other Urdu and Persian poets into the novel. Thus, he not only makes the novel a literary classic, but a poetical wonder as well. E. M. Forster, author of the world renowned novel based on the British Era, ‘A Passage to India’ says, “It is beautifully written and very moving… At the end, one has a poignant feeling that poetry and daily life has got parted, and will never come together again”. However, I beg to differ from Mr. Forster because though the daily routine life of a common man in Delhi, like that of Mir Nihal’s (the main character in the novel), is extremely monotonous and not as rich as the poetry it is combined with, but the portrayal in the book is apt. The literature perfectly coordinates with the brief sprinkles of poetry and forms a beautiful string of incidents making the read an interesting one.
Talking about what the novel conveys to the reader, especially from the historic perspective, I would first like to share how