Forysth again though he may not be at his best!. Review on Afghan, The - Frederick Forsyth

This is just the kind of book you would expect from Frederick Forsyth - thoroughly researched, good build up of character personalities, engaging style, excellent writing style which makes the book totally un-put-downable!

However it is on his research that I would like to make a point or two, though probably minor indiscrepancies. India has been mentioned thrice in the book and twice in the context of Kerala, the other being that the book’s protagonist had an Indian grandmother.

He mentions Kerala in India as being a hotbed of Islamic terrorists, once having being a hotbed for communism.

Well the communism part is right- but I hope he knows that communism came to Kerala through an election, not as a revolution or a coup in other parts of the world - so it had to be a sort of popular communism and not the darker meaning his words intone.

Kerala being a hotbed of islamic terrorism is a new idea to me. Kerala has never witnessed a terrorist act. People generally respect the law, are highly educated and ever vigilant. It’s commmon for complete strangers while travelling, to ask each other their destination, their native town, about their close family, even their married status, and most people reach out to each other in times of distress.

The other time he mentions a couple of Indians from Kerala as being part of a pirate gang on the high seas. Likely.

The third instance he mentions Keralites is of them being part of a crew of a ship hijacked by terrorists. Here there is a mention of them being "good Christians" and "trusted". Well religion is never an issue in Kerala and people of every caste and creed enthusiastically celebrate each others festivals and intermingle amongst themselves as family. If Forsyth wants to hint that Christians anywhere in the world can be trusted, they be Indians or whatever, then he is wrong. Terrorism and religion cannot be interlinked. Especially in the context of Kerala.

These may be minor flaws but I wanted to keep the record straight through this forum, though of course the book was fiction.

I would say his book is good except for the feeling one gets that he is being partial to his own culture as compared to other cultures.

Well todays reader is cosmopolitan and his book would be read by almost anybody in any part of the world.

His book is a classic I agree, but reading trends are changing and the audience is a global one. Forsyth cannot belittle a country or a culture with prejudiced notions, marginalizing some of his readers that way.

English books are no longer for the English, by the English and of the English!