Reviews

No Windmills in Basra by Diaa Jubaili

iines_t's review

dark emotional funny lighthearted reflective relaxing sad fast-paced

4.5

translatedgems's review

challenging dark reflective sad

4.5

vomaleki's review

dark funny medium-paced

5.0

bites_of_books's review

challenging dark emotional funny informative mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced

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

3.25

This collection of 75 short stories (some as short as one page) is all set in Basra, Iraq. There are 7 different sections focused on various aspects, from war to women. There is a sense of the fantastical in these stories, which reminded me of the magical realism found in Latin American works, but there's also a sense of being told a fable by an elder. 

Some stories completely surprised me and made me gasp with the fantastical twist or moral. Others were just heartbreaking and sad, or simply reflected toxic relationships. There's a good mix and spread of stories so anyone can certainly find at least one or two that they'll enjoy and since they are all quite short, it's a very quick read. 

I'd recommend this to anyone who wants to read something inspired by Iranian folktales with a contrast of modern life and fantastical imaginings. 

nfiertz's review

funny lighthearted fast-paced

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

hannicogood's review

2.0

I’m biased because I don’t usually love short stories and these were basically micro-stories. Not necessarily a bad volume, but not what I prefer.

eunicek82's review

challenging emotional mysterious slow-paced

4.0

Really cool collection of micro-stories that were packed with imagery, magical realism and heart. Some were funny, some were sad and some were shocking. A perfect book to pick up and put down when I just wanted a bite-sized read.