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internationalreads's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
informative
reflective
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
4.5
The Art of Losing follows three generations of a family from 1940s Algeria through France today. Zeniter’s writing is beautiful, though it feels like she’s trying too hard at times.
I loved the historical pieces depicting Ali as a powerful olive farmer in the period preceding the war for independence. This is a Kabyle community - a large Berber minority ethnic group with its own language and culture that I knew nothing about before reading this novel. As the war finds their small, remote community, Ali is forced to make a choice, which results in the family being forced to flee to France. The majority of the book seemed to focus on Ali’s son Hamid and his experiences growing up in France. This is where the book really shines. It’s a powerful depiction of the lives of immigrant families and communities, the hatred they face, the in-between-ness that children especially feel. Eventually the narrative shifts to Hamid’s daughter Naïma, who feels adrift in life, working at an art gallery in Paris and unaware of the specifics of her family’s history or why they fled Algeria.
I found the first two generations far more interesting than the third, but the story certainly benefits from seeing the impact of colonization, war, and immigration on another generation. (It should be said that Zeniter herself went to Algeria as an adult to find out more about her family, just as Naima does in the novel.) This book was a hit in France, winning two major awards, which I find fascinating as France still has an extremely fraught relationship with Algeria 👀
Ultimately an important story that I’m glad I read, especially prior to my trip to Algeria. While there, it was very clear that the emphasis is on the revolution and the glorification of those who fought to free the country from French colonization. What I appreciated about The Art of Losing is that it opens up history to be much longer than that and complicates the narrative of the war. No one is glamorous or righteous. People are complicated and, when forced to make decisions, are just trying to protect their families.
One pet peeve: the origin of the title was way too *hit you over the head.* I loved the title before we came to this part near the end of the book. As a reader I want to be trusted more to understand it on my own.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Racism, Sexism, Terminal illness, Torture, Xenophobia, Blood, Islamophobia, Grief, Murder, Pregnancy, Alcohol, Colonisation, and War
rieviolet's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
informative
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
4.0
I actually enjoyed the book much more than I had expected going into it. I really liked the first section set in Algeria and I got to experience a place and time that I'm not at all familiar with.
I found the second and third sections less compelling (maybe because they veer towards a more "literary ficton-y" style that is not entirely my cup of tea) but I still appreciated a lot the nuanced reflections on the immigrant experience and the connected themes of assimilation, integration, and self-identity.
Overall I liked the writing style, but at times it was a bit too much convoluted and there were some more experimental bits that I did not particularly care for.
In the first section, there are some episodes that are already quite gruesome as it is, where I felt like the very specific details were added a bit unnecessarily, sort of like throwaway specifications just for shock value. I could also have done without a very explicit circumcision scene.
I found the second and third sections less compelling (maybe because they veer towards a more "literary ficton-y" style that is not entirely my cup of tea) but I still appreciated a lot the nuanced reflections on the immigrant experience and the connected themes of assimilation, integration, and self-identity.
Overall I liked the writing style, but at times it was a bit too much convoluted and there were some more experimental bits that I did not particularly care for.
In the first section, there are some episodes that are already quite gruesome as it is, where I felt like the very specific details were added a bit unnecessarily, sort of like throwaway specifications just for shock value. I could also have done without a very explicit circumcision scene.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gore, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Torture, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Islamophobia, Grief, Murder, Colonisation, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Child death, Confinement, Gun violence, Infidelity, Sexual content, Mass/school shootings, and Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Alcoholism, Cancer, Drug use, Infertility, Terminal illness, Excrement, Antisemitism, Kidnapping, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, and Pregnancy
mephistofelix's review against another edition
informative
reflective
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
5.0
vraiment un très bon livre, j’ai appris plein de choses sur la guerre d’indépendance de l’Algérie et les conséquences sur les gens que ça a touchés.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Gun violence, Racial slurs, Racism, Torture, Blood, Alcohol, Colonisation, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Animal death, Child death, Infertility, Misogyny, Sexism, Terminal illness, Police brutality, Islamophobia, Grief, Death of parent, and Pregnancy
ça raconte des choses dures donc des fois c’est violent mais ça n’en fait pas trop, j’ai trouvé en tout cas