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Hanif Kureishi’s “Shattered”: A year of Imprisonment, Resilience, and Dark humor

By archyde.com News Desk

october 26, 2024

In January 2023, the celebrated English author Hanif Kureishi shared a stark message with his Substack followers, one that would dramatically alter the course of his life and career. The post began innocently enough:

On Boxing Day, in rome, after taking a pleasant walk to the Piazza del Popolo, followed by a stroll through the Villa Borghese, and then back to the apartment, I had a fall.

What followed was a revelation that shook his readers.

I cannot move my arms and legs. I cannot scratch my nose, make a phone call or feed myself.As you can imagine,this is both humiliating,degrading and a burden for others.

The diagnosis was severe: a neck hyperextension resulting in immediate tetraplegia. An MRI revealed a critical stenosis of the vertebral canal, with spinal cord damage spanning from C3 to C5. the future was uncertain, with Kureishi facing the possibility of never walking again or even holding a pen. His partner, Isabella D’Amico, became his lifeline, painstakingly typing his words into her iPad.

“Shattered”: A Memoir Forged in the Crucible of Immediacy

Kureishi’s subsequent book, Shattered, is a compilation of dictations recorded from his hospital bed over the year following his fall. This isn’t a reflective memoir crafted from a distance; it’s a raw, unfiltered account of a life irrevocably changed, written in real time. As Kureishi navigates the brutal realities of his condition, his entries range from astute observations to nostalgic reflections, from tender gratitude to searing anger, and from scatological humor to profound emotional depths. In a moment of dark levity, he observes, “The only good thing to be said for paralysis is that you don’t have to move to shit and piss.”

The book’s power lies in its relentless forward momentum, mirroring the agonizingly slow passage of time as kureishi confronts the daily grind of immobility. Each dispatch, whether delivered via Substack or within the book’s pages, serves as a marker of survival. Though,the narrative defies customary storytelling conventions,eschewing a neatly plotted arc in favor of the unpredictable,frequently enough incomprehensible,nature of life itself.

Suspense in the Face of Uncertainty

Despite the grim circumstances, Shattered generates a unique form of suspense. Readers are drawn into the unknown, grappling with the same uncertainties that Kureishi himself faces.The question “What will happen next?” lingers with each turn of the page, not driven by a fictional plot, but by the capricious nature of fate.

The unexpected becomes the norm. Kureishi recounts a near-fatal choking incident and the profound connection he forges with Miss S., a fellow wheelchair-bound patient with shining-blue hair, who becomes a vital source of support.

I’ve had enough of this shit. I feel I lack the strength to take this on. I really don’t want to live like this. It’s shit and I’m tired of asking isabella to do so much for me. Then, a wheelchair-bound woman in her late thirties, with long dyed bright-blue hair, rolls herself into the room and we introduce ourselves. I’ll call her Miss S.

I ask if we can be friends. I plead with her to not let me go. She tells me she won’t. She says, “After the accident, when I first came here, I could only use one eye.”

These friendships, both new and old, highlight the poignant mix of kindness, awkwardness, and the unique bonds formed in the crucible of shared experience.

The Uncooperative Body: Hands as Alien Objects

The author underscores the daily trials he faces with his uncooperative body. His hands, in particular, become a source of frustration and longing.

I envy those who can scratch their own heads. I envy those who can tie their own shoelaces. I envy those who can pick up a cup of coffee.When I saw a man waving to his own wife, I couldn’t believe that he didn’t see what a profoundly intricate act this was. I envy anyone who can use their own hands.

Kureishi vividly recalls the simple pleasure of holding a pen, a sensuous act now denied to him.

My hands continue to feel like alien objects. They’re swollen, I cannot open or close them, and when they are under the sheets, I could not tell you where they are precisely. They may in fact be in another building altogether, having a drink with friends.

Identity Shattered,Humor Preserved

Kureishi grapples with his redefined identity in the wake of his accident. “Paki, writer, cripple: who am I now?” he asks, wrestling with labels and societal perceptions. Despite the profound challenges he faces, he clings to his characteristic humor, recognizing its essential role in how he processes the world.

Sometimes I’m asked why I put humour in my books, but to me that is like asking why you write a book with a story. The humour is integral to the idea and the language, just as it might be integral to a person, the way they speak and view the world….

Freud…recognized that humour, like sexuality, is where we can be taken by surprise, and where the unconscious exposes itself.

A Satirical Twist: Life on the Dementia Ward

In June 2023, Kureishi’s journey takes a darkly comedic turn when a lack of available beds leads to his placement on a dementia ward in a London hospital. Amid the chaos and disorientation, he finds himself in a scene worthy of a satirical play.

a patient is wailing, another is banging on his table with a spoon…. I can see a disabled, half-naked man dragging himself across the floor pulling a leaking piss bag behind him.Then, a zombie-like patient who regularly approaches my door, now comes in, stands beside my bed and stares at me vacantly, before shuffling off.

This jarring experience underscores the frequently enough-absurd realities of healthcare systems, a situation familiar to many in the U.S., where overcrowded hospitals and understaffed facilities can lead to similarly unsettling circumstances. Such as, a 2022 report by the American Hospital Association found that over 25% of hospitals in the U.S. were operating at or above capacity, a situation that can compromise patient care and safety.

Viewpoint and Prose: Finding Beauty in the Absurd

Shattered ultimately becomes a testament to the power of perspective. despite his physical immobility, Kureishi retains a remarkable fluidity of thought, seamlessly navigating between ideas and emotions. He begins one dispatch with an account of a hospital pedicure, finding in the mundane task an possibility for darkly humorous observation.

the technician, sporting a headlamp and a whirring machine, “resembles someone cleaning the inside of a nuclear dump.” This vivid imagery highlights Kureishi’s ability to extract the absurd from the everyday, a quality he extends to his interactions with fellow patients.

In the gym today a man tried to sell me a horse. He showed me a picture of the horse. I can confirm the horse is very pretty. I had to explain to him my garden in London is not big enough for a horse. Like you, I was wondering whether this patient became paralysed after being kicked in the back by said horse. But there is an etiquette when it comes to othre patients’ injuries. You have to know them reasonably well before asking about their accidents.

This blend of humor, sympathy, and precise observation characterizes Kureishi’s approach to the world, even in the face of profound adversity.

How do you think Kureishi’s experiences might change teh way we, as a society, approach disability and caregiving?

Interview with Literary Critic, Dr. Eleanor Vance on Hanif Kureishi’s “Shattered”

interviewer: Welcome to Archyde, Dr. Vance. “Shattered,” Hanif kureishi’s new memoir, has created quite a buzz. As a literary critic, what are your initial thoughts?

Dr. Vance: Thank you for having me. “Shattered” is a remarkable work. Kureishi has delivered a raw,unflinching account of his life-altering accident.It’s a testament to the power of human resilience.

The Power of Raw emotion in “Shattered”

Interviewer: The book is described as a compilation of real-time dictations. How does this immediacy impact the reading experiance?

Dr.Vance: The lack of distance is crucial. It puts the reader alongside Kureishi, experiencing the shock, frustration, and the daily grind of immobility. It makes the narrative incredibly compelling, almost voyeuristic, in the best sense.

Interviewer: The memoir doesn’t follow a customary narrative arc. How does this unconventional approach contribute to its impact?

Dr. Vance: It mirrors the unpredictable and often incomprehensible nature of life itself, especially when dealing with such a life-altering event. The reader is left grappling with the same uncertainties that kureishi himself faces. It’s not about neat resolutions; it’s about the messy, often absurd, reality of existence.

Humor, Identity, and Finding Meaning

Interviewer: The article emphasizes Kureishi’s humor. How does humor function within the context of such a challenging experience?

Dr. Vance: Humor becomes a survival mechanism.It’s a way to process the unimaginable and find meaning in the face of adversity. The book uses this to convey a sense of both the gravity of the situation, and also the hope that can be found in life.

Interviewer: Kureishi grapples with his redefined identity.How does “Shattered” explore the impact of such a profound physical change on one’s sense of self?

Dr.Vance: That’s a central theme. He challenges the labels society imposes and explores the core of who he is now. The book doesn’t shy away from the difficult questions about identity, vulnerability, and how we perceive ourselves in the face of physical limitations.

the Human Connection and Broader Implications

Interviewer: The memoir also touches on his relationships with others, especially those he meets in the hospital. How are those connections portrayed?

Dr. Vance: They’re beautifully portrayed. the friendships formed, like the one with Miss S., highlight the poignant mix of kindness, awkwardness, and the unique bonds forged in shared experience. They remind us of our shared humanity.

Interviewer: The article mentions Kureishi’s experience on a dementia ward. What does that add to the narrative?

Dr. Vance: It provides a darkly comedic, and yet profoundly unsettling, perspective on healthcare systems. It forces us to confront the realities of our healthcare infrastructure and to consider the human cost of understaffing and overcrowding. It also shows his unflinching ability to find the absurd, even in the most challenging circumstances.

Interviewer: what do you think is the lasting impact of “Shattered”?

Dr. Vance: It’s a call to action, of sorts. It forces readers to think and consider the value of perspective, the importance of resilience, and the power of finding beauty, even in the most shattered of circumstances. More importantly: How do you think Kureishi’s experiences might change the way we,as a society,approach disability and caregiving?