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serendipitysbooks's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Frankenstein in Baghdad is a book very much outside my wheelhouse and was in many ways a challenging read with a blurry line between what was real and what was not, frequently changing perspectives, and a large cast of characters to keep track of. There was a character list provided, but I found it a lot less helpful on audio than it would have been in print when flipping back and forward is so easy. This novel takes the broad outline of the Frankenstein story, shifts it to a neighbourhood in Baghdad around the time of the US invasion and the death of Saddam Hussein, and uses it to make some very insightful comments about the horrors of war generally and that war in particular. Hadi, a local scavenger collects body parts left on the streets after bombings and other acts of violence, and stitches them together in order to have the government recognise them as people and to give them a proper burial. But the creature called Whatsitsname comes to life and goes on a killing spree, first for revenge and then simply because it needs fresh flesh to stay alive, "aided" by a varied cast of followers with contradictory motives which soon brought them into conflict. I thought this was a brilliant allegory for occupied Iraq at the macro level whilst specifically highlighting the impacts of the violence at the microlevel in Hadi's Al-Batween neighbourhood. There are more layers to this novel, but for me, its strength lay in its seamless transfer of the Frankenstein tropes to Baghdad of the early 2000s and the pertinent social and political commentary that resulted.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gore, Violence, and War
jillaay_h's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- 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
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Body horror, Death, Gore, Violence, Police brutality, Medical content, Medical trauma, Murder, and War
tashtasher's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Body horror, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Torture, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Grief, Murder, Alcohol, and War
Moderate: Physical abuse and Toxic friendship
draven_deathcrush's review against another edition
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
I'm obsessed with Frankenstein now and I thought this would be like a retelling, but it wasn't really. It didn't really focus much on the actual Frankenstein part, which is completely fine, but I just thought/hoped it would. It's a good book, but I just had different expectations.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence
Moderate: Gore and Police brutality
Minor: Sexual content
aliciawithoutkeys's review against another edition
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore and Murder
emburs's review against another edition
challenging
dark
reflective
slow-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? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Gun violence, and Violence
hoppskotch's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Honestly, one of the finest adaptations of classic literature into modern sociopolitical contexts. I highly recommend this to anyone who either enjoys the creature feature genre or just in general is looking to expand their adult fiction and horror bookshelf. So many of the characters are complex that equally measures that they are written with deep respect to each person's humanity. That being said there are quite a handful of characters who I could have lived without but were essential for the plot and overall were enriching. An incredible dive into the moral and philosophical nature of death, murder, criminality, and victimhood within the context of war and loss. This has become one of my favorite books nearly overnight.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Gore, Torture, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Grief, Car accident, Murder, Colonisation, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Alcoholism, Misogyny, Medical trauma, and Alcohol
laurenbookwitchbitch's review against another edition
challenging
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I’ve been on a big reinterpretation of Frankenstein kick so I had to read “Frankenstein in Baghdad,” translated from Arabic. In the midst of the Iraq War a junk dealer begins to sow human body parts together from people killed in bombings. What follows is a gut wrenching tale of chase and pursuit, grief and saints, war and friendship, death and destruction. A powerful story about what it takes to create and maintain life in the worst of war zones.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Body horror, Death, Gore, Physical abuse, Islamophobia, Grief, Religious bigotry, Car accident, Death of parent, Murder, Colonisation, War, and Classism
sugarbucky's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
reflective
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
Content Warnings
Moderate: Gore
Minor: Gun violence and Violence
saint_eleanor's review against another edition
emotional
funny
informative
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
I loved this book very terry pratchett esque. A little hard to follow at times but thats partially because i can’t keep track of more than like 3 characters in a book. The time skips were a little confusing, but ultimately this is like a lovable folktale urban legend with heavy philosophical undertones.
Content Warnings
Minor: Child death, Death, Gore, Sexual content, and Sexual harassment