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amysou0204's review
emotional
funny
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
I had very high hopes for this book and sections of it delivered but many others did not. I did not like that there were no chapters in this book which made it difficult to read as there was often no "good" places to stop for a break. I thought the beginning of the book was very slow. Only halfway through did I start to get more invested but many references were made about books and authors and such that I do not know, which made it a bit less interesting. I found Hannah's story very interesting and during the retelling of her story found myself having no problems reading through page after page. In the end, as Aaliya's chatacter grows and develops, I began to enjoy her story more but I was disappointed with how the book ended.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide and War
fernz's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
Content Warnings
Minor: War
smiti_nathan's review against another edition
challenging
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
This story is more of a character study, than one with a gripping plot. The narrator (Aaliya) is a 72-year-old Beiruti woman, which I appreciated. It was fascinating to hear about Lebanon's history and Aaliya definitely had a strong perspective. I appreciated Rabih Alameddine's characterization of Aaliya, as he made her feel human. Yes, she is a bit of a misanthrope, but she's a complex human and that came though. She's also a book lover. Some of her perspectives about other people and nations were a bit jarring. I'm not completely sure how I feel about them and if they are situated well enough for me. The reader is told at certain points that they aren't going to get big answers or epiphanies. The way the story unravels is more about daily life and recalling memories from the past.
I listened to this as an audiobook, and that narrator did a fantastic job. This was a great listen for running errands, travel, or when you have bits of time here and there. I don't think I would have finished it if I had read it, but listening to it was great.
I listened to this as an audiobook, and that narrator did a fantastic job. This was a great listen for running errands, travel, or when you have bits of time here and there. I don't think I would have finished it if I had read it, but listening to it was great.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: War, Antisemitism, Violence, and Suicide
charliebe's review against another edition
challenging
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
best read in a buddy read because there is a lot to think and talk about
Content Warnings
Moderate: Suicide and War
teresareads's review
This is the kind of book I can imagine myself loving five or six years ago, but I'm currently not in a place where I can easily sink into the kind of meandering, plotless book that this is. I liked the main character and her voice quite a lot, but her disjointed storytelling style, plus the lack of chapter breaks, made it hard for me to get a purchase on this book. I think it's a very good example of the kind of thing that it is, but this kind of thing is just not for me right now.
Content Warnings
Graphic: War, Violence, and Sexual violence
rieviolet's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
I think I had a bit of a fluctuating appreciation of the authorial voice. Some sections I did not like much, they left me quite bored and also a bit perplexed on why they were included. Some parts I enjoyed more, especially the ones focused on the themes of litearture and translation (though I have to say the literary references were a bit relentless sometimes), and also the descriptions of Beirut and its troubled history.
Also, I quite liked the storyline surrounding the character of Hannah, but I have to say that the way the author handled certain aspects of her story did not sit quite right with me I'm talking about her relationship with food, or maybe I should say her eating disorder, I still do not know what to make of it.
The story centers around Aaliya and the readers view characters, events and the surroundings through her point of view, so it is inevitable for the narration to get a bit "stream-of-consciousness-y" but I think that at times it can become too much. Sometimes I felt like the narration was too much disjointed, without a structure to connect the narrative jumps. I'm just not the biggest fan of this kind of narrative style.
Overall, it was a bit of a up-and-down reading experiece, but I quite liked the final section so the book ended on a higher note for me.
Also, I quite liked the storyline surrounding the character of Hannah, but I have to say that the way the author handled certain aspects of her story did not sit quite right with me I'm talking about her relationship with food, or maybe I should say her eating disorder, I still do not know what to make of it.
The story centers around Aaliya and the readers view characters, events and the surroundings through her point of view, so it is inevitable for the narration to get a bit "stream-of-consciousness-y" but I think that at times it can become too much. Sometimes I felt like the narration was too much disjointed, without a structure to connect the narrative jumps. I'm just not the biggest fan of this kind of narrative style.
Overall, it was a bit of a up-and-down reading experiece, but I quite liked the final section so the book ended on a higher note for me.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Antisemitism, Sexism, War, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Death, and Child abuse
Moderate: Fatphobia, Eating disorder, Panic attacks/disorders, Infidelity, Blood, Excrement, Sexual content, Gore, Mental illness, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Torture, Homophobia, Pedophilia, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Car accident, Rape, and Death of parent
smavy's review
emotional
reflective
slow-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
One of the best narrative voices I've ever read. Almost nothing happens in the plot, and yet I could not stop reading. It is a book for book lovers, philosophy lovers, music lovers, lovers of all things art, and for anyone who wants to read a story set solely in the character's head. Set against the backdrop of Beirut through the 20th century, the book is about belonging/not belonging, about loneliness, loss, impending death, legacy, family and the-friends-who-are-family. It's about the questions that keep us up at night. So many quotable lines, but this sums it up: It has bothered me all my life that I am not like everyone else”; ..... “May I admit that being different from normal people was what I desperately sought?”
Content Warnings
Moderate: War
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