Reviews

Diego Garcia by Natasha Soobramanien, Luke Williams

zoolmcg's review

challenging informative reflective slow-paced

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

3.25

I read this one for an upcoming book discussion in class, and I came to it with an open mind, ready to enjoy the way it’d break boundaries to win the Goldsmith’s award. What I found with this was a blend of conversation and journalism, of speculation and hard fact.

I really enjoyed the first 2 thirds, with some fascinating use of pronouns and perspective shifting. While I wasn’t so tied to it I couldn’t put it down, I was engaged enough to get through it in a week. The last third, however, that is the exchange of letters between Damaris and Oliver, I became lost in their constant information streams. I wasn’t connected with the referenced texts and I honestly skimmed quite a bit of it.

Overall I’m glad I gave it its full chance and finished it, but I couldn’t say I’m keen for a reread. I’d love to find some analysis of it and see what the general consensus is, because I do note how interesting this piece of work is, I just don’t fully grasp everything in it.

isabellaradley's review

challenging reflective

5.0

samwreads's review

3.0

Fascinating, sad, academic, difficult but important-feeling blend of fiction and nonfiction concerning the deracination of the Chagossian people from the island of Diego Garcia by the UK for the purpose of establishing a US military base. But it's also about the friendship between two young, broke writers living in Edinburgh, thinking and talking about art and artists, Chagos, bitcoin and different ways of storytelling. I'm glad it exists and that I read it, but it is definitely a project rather than a joy to read. but then not everything can be a joy, right? We, or at least I, need this sort of art on balance.

moose222's review

emotional informative reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Felt like a part of me that had withered, slowly growing back. 

I can see how the format of this book some might find difficult to follow, but I found it refreshing.  Critiques of "writing about writing" are entirely missing the point. Writing is about people connecting, to be closer to the author and process, is to be even more integrated. If this is uncomfortable to you, ask yourself why. 

This book is like walking into a well traveled person's home, and seeing the collection of objects and art, each with their own story, come together to show a life.

hasayo's review

dark emotional inspiring reflective sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

inesparis's review

emotional hopeful informative reflective fast-paced

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

3.75

carlaonion's review

challenging dark emotional informative reflective slow-paced

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

I haven’t given this book stars as I don’t know on what aspect of reading it I should rate. I found much of the text almost impossible to read, lacking clarity but for no real purpose. The characters at times feel “thin” as if just describing their actions but never understanding the motivations. Yet, I come out of this book having learned huge amounts and having felt empathy and sadness for the Chagossian people - was that not the aim? 

sharkybookshelf's review

4.0

After a chance meeting with Diego, a poet named after his mother’s island in the Chagos Archipelago, two rather aimless writer friends become obsessed with the forced exile of the people of Diego Garcia…

This is a bit of a tricky book to review and do justice to - it faffs around for about 60 pages for no clear reason before turning into an interesting presentation of the plight of the people of Diego Garcia, who were effectively evicted from their island to make way for a US military base in 1973. The British Government managed to act particularly villainously - the ICJ has ruled the situation illegal and its clinical handling is horrifying, yet…in the context of colonialism, little of it is especially surprising (an outrage in itself). Except the detail of the dogs, which still makes me feel sick to think about.

By writing collaboratively and blending fact, autofiction and critiques, the authors are experimenting with form and style. It didn’t all work for me - the main characters had some odd linguistic quirks, there were distracting tangents (bitcoin…?), the narration was a disorienting combination of third person singular/first person plural - but it was original and the overall topic was absorbing, so I’m really glad to have read it.

Via the main characters, the authors grapple with the critical question of how to tell a story that isn’t theirs to tell, cleverly solving the dilemma by repeatedly referencing and discussing documentaries, books and art created by those whose story it is. It’s an interesting way of exploring the topic, and it’s kept accessible with enough background and summary for a reader like me who hasn’t read or seen the mentioned works to follow along, while also providing discussion for readers who have. Added bonus: it’s a readymade list of further reading suggestions (thanks!).

A unique, experimental way of telling the heartbreaking, anger-inducing and unresolved story of the people of Diego Garcia and their appalling treatment by the British Government.

floodingfloods's review

1.0

Inadvertently I keep reading novels by writers about writers - they’re so complex, so interesting, so clever, don’t you know - and it is an absolutely joyless affair. No fictional character should think this much about literary theory.

Just because the author stand-ins are thinking loudly about colonialism this time round doesn’t make it less masturbatory. 1/5.

samdobbo's review

challenging informative

3.5