Thoughts on O’tkir Hoshimov’s novel ‘Lifes Passed in a Dream’
This insightful analysis explores O’tkir Hoshimov’s powerful novel Lifes Passed in a Dream, highlighting how the tragic fates of its characters reflect the devastating physical and psychological scars of the Afghan war. Through their shattered lives, the piece exposes the deeper horrors of Soviet colonialism and totalitarian rule, where an entire nation’s existence was reduced to a state-controlled illusion.
By Tuliyeva Sarvinoz | Uzbekistan
O’tkir Hoshimov is one of the most prominent writers of Uzbekistan to have made a monumental contribution to twentieth-century Uzbek literature. His renowned works, such as Between Two Doors, The Affairs of the World, and Spring Does Not Return, have earned a permanent place in the hearts of readers. Among his exceptional literary contributions is the novel Lifes Passed in a Dream (Tushda Kechgan Umrlar), written between 1991 and 1992 and first published in the magazine Sharq Yulduzi.
The novel possesses a uniquely structured narrative, masterfully weaving together excerpts from the protagonist Rustam’s diary with cold, official information from investigation documents. The story opens and closes with the poignant imagery of autumn:
“Autumn is like a patient lying on his deathbed. The sick man groans underfoot… He looks at the world sadly, realizing that all his efforts have been in vain. A white fog covers the sky like a shroud. The inexplicable cry of crows echoes from the white darkness.”
This vivid personification of autumn—comparing it to a dying patient whose groans echo underfoot while a shroud-like fog rolls in—brilliantly foreshadows the tragedy, despair, and dark realities that unfold within the book.
At the center of the narrative is Rustam, a young man who drops out of school to join the army, only to be deployed to the raging war in Afghanistan. Tragically, he fights not for his homeland or his people, but to serve the aggressive political interests of the Soviet regime. He witnesses the needless, agonizing deaths of young compatriots like Temur and Hayriddin, while also beholding the immense suffering inflicted upon the Afghan people. Rustam returns home physically broken and deeply traumatized by the horrors of war.
The lives of the central characters—Rustam, his father Shomatov, Commissioner Soat Ganiyev, and Aunt Kurbanoy—are uniformly chaotic and unfulfilled, drifting by listlessly like a dream.
Rustam is entirely unable to escape the ghosts of his past. Although he marries Shahnoza, the girl he loves, and despite their deep mutual affection, true happiness eludes them due to the psychological scars left by the war. Witnessing consecutive societal injustices upon his return, compounded by a suffocating guilt over his inability to make his wife happy, ultimately drives Rustam to a tragic end.
Conversely, Commissioner Soat Ganiyev evokes pure revulsion. Following in his father’s footsteps to become a Soviet tool of oppression, Ganiyev is a man who spent his youth unjustly persecuting innocent people (such as neighbors Husan and To’lagan) and violating the honor of women. Even in old age, he feels no remorse, refuses to alter his worldview, and remains unrepentant. The Commissioner embodies the absolute tyranny of the 70-year Soviet regime; he is not merely a dangerous man, but a mankurt—a person completely stripped of his humanity, memory, and conscience.
Meanwhile, Aunt Kurbanoy represents the tragic, unrecognized casualty of labor exploitation. Even as her health fails and doctors forbid her from working, she remains perpetually trapped in grueling daily chores. Her existence passes away joylessly and without meaning, another life dissolving into the background.
Why did Hoshimov title this work Lifes Passed in a Dream? The poignant answer lies in a letter written by Shomatov to his son, Rustam:
“When I think about it, my past life was not a life, but a dream. It’s as if someone, without my knowledge, gave me a sleeping pill—and I just kept dreaming, sometimes sweet, sometimes dangerous dreams. Wherever that ‘someone’ dragged me, I followed; whatever they ordered, I obeyed… And I was afraid to wake up… Now, when I finally wake up and look around, I see that there are so many others just like me…”
In this devastating revelation, Shomatov’s eyes are finally opened to the profound injustices surrounding them. He realizes, too late, that their entire destinies were built upon a massive lie. This is precisely why the author characterizes their existence as a dream: it was a life governed by false ideologies, senseless warfare, ruthless political repression, and the persecution of the innocent.
Ultimately, this novel is not something that can be read lightly. The compelling conclusion to be drawn is that while the Afghan war inflicted immense trauma on individuals, the overarching policy of Soviet totalitarianism and repression was far worse. And what was the root cause of this collective tragedy? Colonialism. When a nation is stripped of its independence, invaders manipulate its people like pawns, wasting generations to satisfy their own imperial ambitions.
Read: Contemporary World Literature: Short Story from Uzbekistan
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Tuliyeva Sarvinoz | Uzbekistan
