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jasperfrancis's review against another edition
reflective
medium-paced
4.0
This book is like going to a family reunion and your extended relatives who you haven't seen for years are there, and you're older and have a mind of your own now so you think 'oh, these people are really not how I remember them.'
The protagonist has come back to his hometown after studying abroad in Europe, now seeing his environment with a white eurocentric gaze. More reasonably, he's surrounded himself with young people who don't hold traditional values. His hometown is now under the damask of his new worldviews; on race, Eurocentric education, and women.
The only man piquing his interest is an older extended relative, and this man tells the story of his life, one much like the protagonist's: an Egyptian man, he went to Britain and studied English, where he gradually comforted in the white culture there-- however, one difference is that there's deeper secrets beyond his education and culture exposure, something far from simply veering beyond tradition and roots.
after finishing this I stared at a wall for five minutes. the misogyny also was really hard to get through.
The protagonist has come back to his hometown after studying abroad in Europe, now seeing his environment with a white eurocentric gaze. More reasonably, he's surrounded himself with young people who don't hold traditional values. His hometown is now under the damask of his new worldviews; on race, Eurocentric education, and women.
The only man piquing his interest is an older extended relative, and this man tells the story of his life, one much like the protagonist's: an Egyptian man, he went to Britain and studied English, where he gradually comforted in the white culture there-- however, one difference is that there's deeper secrets beyond his education and culture exposure, something far from simply veering beyond tradition and roots.
after finishing this I stared at a wall for five minutes. the misogyny also was really hard to get through.
taima00yaghi's review against another edition
dark
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
4.5
alisarae's review against another edition
4.0
This story carries with it the rich traditions, sounds, ideologies, smells, and sights of the MENA region. If I did not live in the Middle East I would have missed out on so much of the truth that is thoughtfully and provocatively slipped into the lines. Poetical.
janey's review against another edition
5.0
Beautiful and richly layered. I'm really looking forward to The Casual Academics' podcast on this one, since I know I have only scratched the surface of this short, but powerful, work.
sebastianhafner's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
vasanta's review against another edition
challenging
dark
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
4.5
axwosa77's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
vanessaobi's review against another edition
4.0
beautifully written book, equal parts sad and entertaining. i almost couldn’t put it down!!
kana's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
I read this book for a class, and it was out of my typical comfort zone. However, I really wanted to love it, and I think that its exploration of the effects of colonialism on both individuals and their communities is an important topic. Unfortunately , the story just didn’t resonate with me. The characters and their motivations felt disconnected, and the ending didn’t leave an impact on me. This book’s plot is driven by the violent experiences of the women in Mustafa Sa’eed’s life, which is used to explore its theme of colonialism and show the narrator’s warring sides between the culture of his hometown and that of his place of education. I personally was not a big fan of this, as I wish the author chose to explore multiple avenues of these differing cultures, rather than solely focusing on women.