Reviews

Shadows of the Pomegranate Tree by Tariq Ali

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yaizaps's review against another edition

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adventurous sad fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? N/A
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

magidow's review against another edition

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4.0

I've finished re-reading [b:Shadows of the Pomegranate Tree|184305|Shadows of the Pomegranate Tree (Islam Quintet, #1)|Tariq Ali|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1333019267s/184305.jpg|193848], and it seems to me that it's a celebration and testimony to all the cherished parts of Andalusian culture. Many aspects continued in Arabic and Mediterranean cultures, and many have of course changed since the sixteenth century. Those that have changed are recounted with nostalgia (for example, early cooking, medicine, and arts). Those that have not changed are presented with joy (for example, varying shades of religiosity among Muslims, certain cultural expressions and customs). For me, this book is kind of a fictional complement to books and events like [b:What's Right with Islam Is What's Right With America: A New Vision for Muslims and the West|256490|What's Right with Islam Is What's Right With America A New Vision for Muslims and the West|Feisal Abdul Rauf|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1363563166s/256490.jpg|517758], for the title at least. Both focus on a historical moment (Granada in Tariq Ali's book and Cordoba in Rauf's book, both cities in historic al-Andalus / Andalucia / Andalusia), and claim that moment for Muslims and non-Muslims alike to increase appreciation of certain aspects of Muslim and Arabic culture.

Tariq Ali's novel is one of my favorite novels on Andalusia. However, both for its history and for its storytelling, I prefer and highly recommend [b:Granada|218562|Granada|Radwa Ashour|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1386925554s/218562.jpg|3479009] by Radwa Ashour, especially the original Arabic text (because the English does not include the full text). So ultimately, I see the value of Tariq Ali's novel as providing Muslim perspectives in anglophone literature. Another author who does this is [a:Leila Aboulela|62372|Leila Aboulela|https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1260340677p2/62372.jpg]. We recently read her book [b:The Translator|107824|The Translator|Leila Aboulela|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1328856924s/107824.jpg|103915]. Authors such as Tariq Ali and Leila Aboulela allow readers of English fiction to encounter Muslim perspectives through literature, and I think that this is ultimately a service to cross-cultural understanding.

mejraa's review against another edition

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challenging emotional informative slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Loveable characters? Yes

3.5

kecskestimi's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

tronella's review against another edition

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2.0

I picked this up because I was interested in the setting, and I suppose the characters and plot are entertaining enough, but unfortunately this is just not very well written. The ending was very unsatisfying (what is the point of the epilogue?) and there are a lot of misplaced commas, weird line breaks and abrupt mid-scene POV changes. I was also not a fan of the

Spoiler

incest

plotlines.

ayaha's review against another edition

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2.0

I'm always on the lookout for good Muslamic fiction, and I've always especially loved historical fiction. So this book has been on my TBR for a long time. While it did a decent job showing the state of the Muslims in Spain during the 15th century Reconquest, the plot and the characters fell really flat.

The story doesn't have one main protagonist. Instead, it follows the Banu Hudayl, an elite Muslim family in Spain who witness the oppression of the Spanish as they take over their land. Although many allusions were made to their ancestors' past greatness, there was never an explanation of what it was that made them great, nor why they were so rich and elite to begin with.

The characters were all very one-dimensional, each of them having only one major trait that defines their personality. There was barely a plot. Most of the novel is just family members or servants gossiping about each other, telling tales from their past, and then a few love affairs here and there.

Even the Islamic dimension was lacking. While some family members were devout and religious, there was a greater emphasis on those who didn't have strong faith, who mocked belief in the afterlife, and saw no problem with extra-marital relations.

All in all, I wouldn't bother reading the rest of this series, as intriguing as their historical settings and full of potential they are.