Scan barcode
servemethesky's review
4.0
Such an interesting read! The prose is very sparse, which lends itself well to the subject matter. I was so curious to see where this was going and had no idea how it would end.
I found it fascinating that our protagonist was so ambivalent—he doesn’t support the totalitarian regime of the nation he’s filming a documentary in, and he doesn’t condone the actions of the US either. The dictator says to him at one point, “I’m not sure you know what you stand for.” He seemed to stand for telling the truth, but he can’t do that since he becomes a prisoner and is forced to create a fawning documentary about the dictator. And once he’s free, he declines to tell his story and seems lost in memory and what ifs. I wanted a little more from this (it seemed to end abruptly), but I’m glad I read it!
I found it fascinating that our protagonist was so ambivalent—he doesn’t support the totalitarian regime of the nation he’s filming a documentary in, and he doesn’t condone the actions of the US either. The dictator says to him at one point, “I’m not sure you know what you stand for.” He seemed to stand for telling the truth, but he can’t do that since he becomes a prisoner and is forced to create a fawning documentary about the dictator. And once he’s free, he declines to tell his story and seems lost in memory and what ifs. I wanted a little more from this (it seemed to end abruptly), but I’m glad I read it!
katherinevarga's review
dark
reflective
tense
medium-paced
5.0
I love a book you can read in an afternoon but think about for days. As the title suggests, "The Observant" follows a somewhat passive narrator, an American activist documentary maker who gets imprisoned in an unnamed country and threatened with death unless he create a propaganda film for the dictator. Despite the torture and grim circumstances, there's also humor and poetry. Mangla excels at short scenes - concise bursts that propel you through this unsettling, dangerous, luxurious world. Unsettling and immersive, I found this a strangely comforting read (I suppose spending time with a political prisoner in a moral quandary put my own anxiety in perspective).
Content Warnings
Graphic: Torture
More...