"From the day he was delivered in Lahore, Pakistan, alongside his stillborn twin, he proved he was a born survivor. He has been a master of flying escapes, from Cairo to Paris, from London to Hong Kong, humbled by love, outliving his peers, and ending up old and alone in a budget hotel in Biarritz some eighty years later. His chequered history is catching up with him: his tracks have been uncovered and his latest wife, his children, his creditors and former business associates, all want to pin him down. But even at the end, Maqil just can't resist trying it on; he's still playing his game, and the game won't be over until it's been won."
This synopsis of The Flying Man by Roopa Farooki is taken from her website. Read more here:-
www.headline.co.uk/bookdetails.aspx?BookID=227803
This is the first time I'd read anything by Roopa Farooki &I liked this book. It's pacy, light & very funny in places. However, in the end I just couldn't like Maqil. I could admire his determination not to be tied down & to live as he chose but could not ignore or forgive the damage he did to others on the way. I think that I was expected to feel sorry for him as he realised that he had lost the love of his life, that his children hardly knew him & that, ultimately, he wasn't as special as he thought he was. But, as all of his miseries were self inflicted, I reserved my feelings of sadness for those around him who were left to deal with the mess he created. I do think that Roopa Farooki has created a character who will strike chords & I would recommend the story. However, I don't think there is enough balance in Maqil to make him a truly great literary character, he is too selfish & cowardly & lacks the sheer depth of badness that would make a really excellent villain. However, I will definitely be looking out for more by this author.
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