Reviews

Damascus Nights by Rafik Schami

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jenmat1197's review

4.0

This was a pretty good book. I loved the stories that were told throughout the book - intrigued as always with short stories within a novel. The main character - Salim - has lost his voice and requires 7 stories from his 7 friends to bring it back. The book takes place in Damascus in 1959 when Syria was part of a pan-Arab nation. The storytelling was not prohibited speech, so it was a way that Salim and his friends could get together and talk without chancing prison. The book will draw you in so it is well worth a look. Check this one out.

mkrowley's review

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5.0

This book ruled. I loved it so much. I never wanted it to end. The characters were great, the writing was great. It was funny, charming, fun. I loved every second of it.

lomili's review

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adventurous hopeful medium-paced

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

4.5

rhiannoncs's review

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3.0

Salim the coachman is renowned for his storytelling. One day, however, he is cursed to lose his voice, and can only regain it if he is given seven gifts. His seven best friends eventually set out to tell him a story each, in a take on 1001 Nights.

Schami has two major themes (in the work I've read, at least) - the city of Damascus, and traditional Arabic storytelling. Both are done well here, though neither is explored as thoroughly as in The Dark Side of Love (which was epic and beautiful, and got a lot more into Schami's critiques of Syrian politics, though there is a little of that here). The stories that are told within the story are charming, and run the gamut from fairy tales to episodes from the speakers' lives.