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kmerms's review against another edition
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
wicked_sassy's review against another edition
4.0
Elegant, despairing, lacerating, poetic. I appreciated the family tree at the beginning of the book and the use of fonts to differentiate characters as they spoke. The men's voices are in first person and the women's voices are in very close third person; the men are pitiful, unkind, and cruel while the women are solemn, hopeful, expansive. What an incredible book.
tomleetang's review against another edition
3.0
The attraction of this novel is largely limited to the fact that it offers a fascinating glimpse into modern Omani society - or, as the blurb on the back so eloquently puts it, "poetic insight into a society in transition and into lives previously obscured."
Celestial Bodies is an exploration of Oman's past as seen through the eyes of Abdallah and the women who spin around him. Are they in his orbit or he in theirs? I'm inclined to think the former, considering the patriarchal nature of the society, as well as the fact that it is Abdallah's story, shot through with physical and mental abuse and the burdens placed upon him by his father, that link the disparate episodes together.
The non-linear narrative is like the spinning of the planets, revealing new mental contours and remembered landscapes as it revolves, uncovering historical wounds, fractured families and the vagaries of love (whatever 'love' may mean, the author leaves the definition open). It's a meditation on memory, cyclically returning to remind us of the past. And, as the final few chapters show, we can never forget that past.
Celestial Bodies is an exploration of Oman's past as seen through the eyes of Abdallah and the women who spin around him. Are they in his orbit or he in theirs? I'm inclined to think the former, considering the patriarchal nature of the society, as well as the fact that it is Abdallah's story, shot through with physical and mental abuse and the burdens placed upon him by his father, that link the disparate episodes together.
The non-linear narrative is like the spinning of the planets, revealing new mental contours and remembered landscapes as it revolves, uncovering historical wounds, fractured families and the vagaries of love (whatever 'love' may mean, the author leaves the definition open). It's a meditation on memory, cyclically returning to remind us of the past. And, as the final few chapters show, we can never forget that past.
kura2ninja's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
3.0
juli_mod's review against another edition
4.0
The Story is woven of different female voices. Women from different Generation and different background, what they have in Common? They are all celestial bodies to the planets of men. It is a story about boundaries and walls in which women have to live: tradition, love, family, origin.
I enjoyed getting to know Oman, a country I know very little about. All the little storys and details and knowledge about it, made the novel even more interesting.
Of course the Splitted narrator comes with a price, I didn’t connect with any story of any of the women deeply, so in the end: i didn’t connect with the novel. But it moved me, it interested me. Four stars seem fair for this ;)
I enjoyed getting to know Oman, a country I know very little about. All the little storys and details and knowledge about it, made the novel even more interesting.
Of course the Splitted narrator comes with a price, I didn’t connect with any story of any of the women deeply, so in the end: i didn’t connect with the novel. But it moved me, it interested me. Four stars seem fair for this ;)
futaims's review against another edition
3.0
This novel gave close insight on the generational shifts in Oman during some of the major economic developments in the late 1900's, with a special focus on family bonds and cultural values. I enjoyed Abdullah's chapters the most because he told his side of the story with sheer vulnerability. However, wasn't fond of the writing style, the constant shifts in POVs and timelines made it difficult to maintain the plot.
aleenasbooks's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
bennashe's review against another edition
1.0
that was really confusing. too many pov shifts and too much jumping from present to past. i cared about maybe 1 character. n