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misty_h's review against another edition
4.5
A dir poco geniale. Il racconto si sviluppa proprio come una rapsodia, dove eventi apparentemente scollegati l'uno all'altro si alternano con le vicende della prigionia della voce narrante, la quale salta da uno spettatore indefinito ad un "tu", rivolgendosi all'amata che lo attende fuori, e in cui si alternano uno stile poetico e ricercato a parolacce e descrizioni violente.
Come in 1984, romanzo su cui il protagonista aveva intenzione di strutturare la sua tesi di laurea per riflettere sul linguaggio, l'uso della lingua - e nel caso dell'arabo, dei segni diacritici - svolge un ruolo prioritario nella caratterizzazione della dittatura, e il racconto รจ ricco di giochi di parole in quel senso (se non si conosce l'arabo, purtroppo, si perdono). E come nel finale di 1984, la conclusione risulta fatalista e rassegnata.
Sicuramente una delle migliori scoperte di quest'anno.
Come in 1984, romanzo su cui il protagonista aveva intenzione di strutturare la sua tesi di laurea per riflettere sul linguaggio, l'uso della lingua - e nel caso dell'arabo, dei segni diacritici - svolge un ruolo prioritario nella caratterizzazione della dittatura, e il racconto รจ ricco di giochi di parole in quel senso (se non si conosce l'arabo, purtroppo, si perdono). E come nel finale di 1984, la conclusione risulta fatalista e rassegnata.
Sicuramente una delle migliori scoperte di quest'anno.
paulamarie1468's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault, Death, Sexual violence, Colonisation, Forced institutionalization, Police brutality, Death of parent, Car accident, Torture, Violence, Medical content, Rape, Sexual harassment, and War
hala_00's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
nclar17's review against another edition
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
I felt somewhat let down by the follow through on the linguistic premise of this book. That said, there are some brilliant moments and it managed to convey both suffering and beauty without being too traumatizing or over the top. Definitely a book ripe for discussion
greeniezona's review against another edition
4.0
I randomly stumbled across a used copy of this book at the bookstore and picked it up mostly because I hadn't read many books from Iraq. Months later it became my first read for the April in Arabia and Read the World 21 challenges on bookstagram.
This book is an experimental prison novel. The protagonist is arrested for reasons that are never really made explicit. The novel is told in non-linear fragments with the repeated refrain "I awoke to find myself (t)here." The fragments depict life under an authoritarian regime during the Iraq-Iran War, between the two American wars in the region. The story has a Kafkaesque feel, in a society where you are "free" to do anything but have your own thoughts or feelings, and public displays of gratitude are regularly insisted upon.
There is also a meta-narrative representing this book as a found document โ specifically papers found in the prison in preparation for a move โ handwritten without dots. Because in Arabic, dots can radically change one word to many others, it requires a level of translation by someone going in and adding the dots โ the intended meaning usually clear by context, but not always. There were sometimes "notes from the translator" on this uncertainties.
Overall I found the form very effective in evoking the struggle to hold on to one's identity in such a dehumanizing system, and the power of language, writing, and reading.
This book is an experimental prison novel. The protagonist is arrested for reasons that are never really made explicit. The novel is told in non-linear fragments with the repeated refrain "I awoke to find myself (t)here." The fragments depict life under an authoritarian regime during the Iraq-Iran War, between the two American wars in the region. The story has a Kafkaesque feel, in a society where you are "free" to do anything but have your own thoughts or feelings, and public displays of gratitude are regularly insisted upon.
There is also a meta-narrative representing this book as a found document โ specifically papers found in the prison in preparation for a move โ handwritten without dots. Because in Arabic, dots can radically change one word to many others, it requires a level of translation by someone going in and adding the dots โ the intended meaning usually clear by context, but not always. There were sometimes "notes from the translator" on this uncertainties.
Overall I found the form very effective in evoking the struggle to hold on to one's identity in such a dehumanizing system, and the power of language, writing, and reading.
chelsearadler's review against another edition
5.0
"At night, footage of these crowds of students rallying around their leadership were distributed and sent out to the world, where experts and analysts would compete to explain to their honorable audiences the mystery of our love for tyranny."
Brief, smart and beautifully crafted, this is a vivid and disturbing portrayal of adolescence under tyranny. Relevant, too: a humanizing reminder of what life in Syria was like for many, as well as a potent warning against strongman presidents who brook no criticism... Although I can't compare it to the original Arabic, this must be a triumph of translation as well to communicate the frequent double entendres.
I've taken to leaving good books in public places for others to pick up, but I'm going to keep this one to revisit again soon. Highly recommend for students of conflict, the modern Middle East, and humanity.
Brief, smart and beautifully crafted, this is a vivid and disturbing portrayal of adolescence under tyranny. Relevant, too: a humanizing reminder of what life in Syria was like for many, as well as a potent warning against strongman presidents who brook no criticism... Although I can't compare it to the original Arabic, this must be a triumph of translation as well to communicate the frequent double entendres.
I've taken to leaving good books in public places for others to pick up, but I'm going to keep this one to revisit again soon. Highly recommend for students of conflict, the modern Middle East, and humanity.
yarnylibrarian's review against another edition
4.0
I read this to preview it for possible inclusion in a future reading series about the Middle East at my library.
This is a short (97 pages) but moving piece of prison literature that includes flashbacks to life outside prison - which, of course, is its own kind of prison in an autocratic society. The title refers to the "dots" in Arabic script which significantly affect the meaning of the words. The author plays with this throughout the novel, often footnoting words with various meanings. I have to wonder how much more effective this is in the original, since of course I read an English translation.
Very powerful.
This is a short (97 pages) but moving piece of prison literature that includes flashbacks to life outside prison - which, of course, is its own kind of prison in an autocratic society. The title refers to the "dots" in Arabic script which significantly affect the meaning of the words. The author plays with this throughout the novel, often footnoting words with various meanings. I have to wonder how much more effective this is in the original, since of course I read an English translation.
Very powerful.