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dipescara's review against another edition
2.0
I was very excited about this book but was ultimately frustrated and annoyed by it. It is incredible how much praise has been heaped on this book and the author. He makes one of the most basic mistakes of writers, telling, rather than showing who his characters are. Rather than reading about the characters through their actions and dialogue, the reader is constantly given summaries of who they are through the main characters voice.
The dialogue throughout is one of the weakest parts and of course there is plenty of it. It comes across as stilted and not true to life in many parts. Just a terrible rendering of how two human beings speak.
There is some annoying semi magical realism aspect where the author goes on and on about how magical the presence of a little girl and her friend are that is just cringe inducing.
On cringe, the main character makes such bizarrely naive remarks about violence and his capacity to commit it that I couldn't help but imagine this was the author speaking which was just disheartening. This last point may just be an annoyance that is specific to me as dealing with morons who go into war zones with a toddlers understanding of danger and violence are a trigger for me. But wow does the main character and I very much suspect the author fits the bill for that.
Really shitty experience reading. The positive parts for me were all the instances describing somali culture/society during this time period. Depending how you score that, that amounts to maybe 30 pages of the book.
The dialogue throughout is one of the weakest parts and of course there is plenty of it. It comes across as stilted and not true to life in many parts. Just a terrible rendering of how two human beings speak.
There is some annoying semi magical realism aspect where the author goes on and on about how magical the presence of a little girl and her friend are that is just cringe inducing.
On cringe, the main character makes such bizarrely naive remarks about violence and his capacity to commit it that I couldn't help but imagine this was the author speaking which was just disheartening. This last point may just be an annoyance that is specific to me as dealing with morons who go into war zones with a toddlers understanding of danger and violence are a trigger for me. But wow does the main character and I very much suspect the author fits the bill for that.
Really shitty experience reading. The positive parts for me were all the instances describing somali culture/society during this time period. Depending how you score that, that amounts to maybe 30 pages of the book.
nataalia_sanchez's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
sde's review against another edition
4.0
Great book. I felt it gave a good sense of what it is like to be in Somalia yet without a great deal graphic violence. There was more of a focus on the people. It also delved into the complexities of people torn between their native homeland and their much better life in their new home. The main character, Jeebleh, returns to Somalia after many years. Before leaving Somalia as a young man, he was jailed (for his political beliefs, actions, a feud between clans? I was never clear.) Upon his return to Somalia years later, he sees that things have gotten worse, yet also realize that he has a love for his country and people despite what they have done to him and his family. The book helps to portray Somalis as real people, although not always in a flattering light, and not just starving, war-torn people on our television screens in the West.
My one complaint is that there were some things that I never quite understood in the story, but maybe that was the author's intent. For instance, why were the two girls kidnapped,and why were they returned? And what was exactly the deal between Caloosha, Jeebleh & Bile? Also, in a city as huge and in such turmoil as Mogadishu, why did everyone seem to know one another?
This is the first book I have read by Farah, and I will definitely be reading more.
My one complaint is that there were some things that I never quite understood in the story, but maybe that was the author's intent. For instance, why were the two girls kidnapped,and why were they returned? And what was exactly the deal between Caloosha, Jeebleh & Bile? Also, in a city as huge and in such turmoil as Mogadishu, why did everyone seem to know one another?
This is the first book I have read by Farah, and I will definitely be reading more.
rachelp's review against another edition
2.0
Jeebleh leaves America for his home country, Somalia when he learns that his dear friend's niece has been kidnapped. His city, Mogadiscio, is now split in half and ruled by warlords. There are young men carrying guns everywhere he looks.
This book seemed very slow to me. There was a lot of explanation and not enough action and movement.
This book seemed very slow to me. There was a lot of explanation and not enough action and movement.
stern_klee's review against another edition
dark
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
jdukuray's review against another edition
3.0
I struggled with this book, persisting because I am interested in trying to understand something about Somalia and the history of conflict there. I have moved on to another of his novels, Maps, and am reading that now. I find Farah's writing to be indirect and allusive, giving me the feeling that I might understand it better if I were Somali. But having said that, I did come to care about the main characters and to be able visualize the environments where the story took place. I feel like I don't totally get the symbolism (if it is that) of the two small girls that the story turns on. In any case, I'm glad I read this novel.
emily_britton's review against another edition
3.0
Very interesting look at the Somali civil war and its aftermath. I get the feeling that a lot of the writing mimicked the style of Somali conversation, but I'm not sure.
pturnbull's review
3.0
From the opening pages, when Jeebleh, a long-time exile, leaves his airplane upon arrival in Mogadiscio, Somalia, and witnesses the random shooting of another passenger and comprehends the danger inherent in all choices he makes, he is assailed by unbearable stress. Mogadiscio is a land in which almost no one can be trusted, where kidnappings and murders are simply part of the day. The opening chapter describes Jeebleh's journey from the airport to a hotel, and its intensity makes other novels purporting to describe similar border crossings into dangerous global hotspots, such as those found in books by John Le Carre, seem dull. Jeebleh quickly learns how to navigate Mogadiscio's complex and lawless society, where someone who bullied him as a child has amassed power as a warlord, where his movements are constantly monitored, and where people hide their names and their past identities, making his encounters constantly puzzling and fraught with fear. Jeebleh determines two projects for himself: one is to find two kidnapped children and to reunite them with their parents, long-time friends of his. One child has Down's Syndrome, the other is attributed other-worldly powers; simply being in her presence is considered protective. The second goal is to find his mother's grave and to honor her memory. He is changed by the city and by the company he keeps, a small security force whose heavily armed presence begins to feel empowering and seductive. Still, Jeebleh notes small signs of normalcy within the chaos, such as men lining up at the barber's for shaves and haircuts. The value of friendship, as well as its limits, is well depicted here. This novel is a visit to a place most of us would not care to visit; to go there and survive is an accomplishment. We don't know the long-term impact of living through this hell on Jeebleh or his compatriots, but the character of Raasta, the divinely touched girl, is one form of hope.
rachelp's review
2.0
Jeebleh leaves America for his home country, Somalia when he learns that his dear friend's niece has been kidnapped. His city, Mogadiscio, is now split in half and ruled by warlords. There are young men carrying guns everywhere he looks.
This book seemed very slow to me. There was a lot of explanation and not enough action and movement.
This book seemed very slow to me. There was a lot of explanation and not enough action and movement.
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