Reviews

در کشور مردان by Hisham Matar

maiamiga's review against another edition

emotional informative reflective sad tense medium-paced

4.25

Una gran primera novela, donde ya se nota la profundidad psicológica propia de este autor y donde las relaciones familiares y de amistad son muy reales y te hacen feliz y desgraciado como lector, tal y como ocurre con las relaciones en la vida real. La visión del niño como narrador está muy conseguida y al leer sus pensamientos y sus sentimientos te sientes en sus zapatos. La parte social y política del país que retrata ayuda mucho a entender y sirve asimismo como denuncia.

marcymurli's review against another edition

3.0

I liked Matar's novel, but I didn't love it. I enjoyed the voice of Suleiman, the nine-year-old narrator. I think in many ways his innocence and ignorance about all that is going on around him in Libya makes the novel far more interesting. Readers who don't know what was happening in Libya and more regionally at that time (late 1970s) will feel quite lost, however--perhaps as lost as Suleiman. In any case it's a good first novel with vivid characters and an intriguing plot.

vodzak's review against another edition

dark slow-paced

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

3.0

jsyn's review against another edition

dark emotional informative sad tense 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

4.0

dibookchronicles's review against another edition

challenging dark sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

laurengrubbsshaney's review against another edition

challenging dark informative mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

4.0

evaaander's review against another edition

3.0

3.5 — interesting story but the ending was so rushed and parts of the historical context were not explained that well so I was a tad confused while reading

elnaann1313's review against another edition

3.0

Nationalism is as thin as thread, perhaps thats why many feel it must be anxiously guarded. Page 231

How readily and thinly we we procure these fictional selves, deceiving the world and what e might become if only we hadn't got in the way, if only we had waited to seed what might have become of us. P. 233

tessyoung's review against another edition

5.0

Wow, such beautiful writing delivers a narrative of everyday emotional brutality. I found this a difficult read in places, as one can see the cruelty of the political context at one remove through the eyes of a child. An absolutely compelling and totally unsettling read.

andbarr_'s review against another edition

dark reflective sad medium-paced

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

3.5