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dukegregory's review against another edition
I 100% failed this book. I read it in clumps, as if it were a novel. As a former blog, this leads to a grating sense of plotless repetition, which is a byproduct of expectation rather than execution. Regardless, my experience was mixed, yet I really do love the text as it is. A work of satire exploring the absurdity of the end of the reign of Saddam Hussein and the downtrodden false promise of American occupation, all in real time. The first three quarters are comic pieces about deceitful democracy, sectarian shenanigans, and the convergence of progressive politics in a region defined (by politicians and outside powers) by a certain out-of-dateness. Is Iraq to continue to fall prey to the Islamic Republic of Iran's immense conservatism or become akin to Jordan or Palestine or Kuwait or neither or, by the time a decision is actually made, will brain drain occur to the point that all the Iraqis who can will flee to Denmark? The last quarter takes on a distinct, solemn tone. A fatalism asserts itself as hatred and fear embroil with corpse mountains and bleeding hope. Really really really worthwhile reading as an American who grew up recalling PBS reports about the death toll for American soldiers in the Iraq War. I can so vividly see the images of war, tank sieges, sandy wounds, a nation in a state of collapse: an abstraction of the Middle East as a space of ceaseless conflict, unending usurpation, and totalizing death. Reading Shalash's work, which is so specifically meant for Iraqi eyes, challenges and reenvisions American involvement as the global perpetrator of "democracy." Hegemony be damned.
see_reads's review against another edition
challenging
dark
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Shalash the Iraq is a book that defies characterisation in many ways. By it's very nature it is emphatically not a novel, but the satirical vignettes are more than blog posts (now recorded for posterity) yet not short stories. These tales are delightful, cutting, bitter, unfiltered and occasionally joyful. While having medium knowledge of Iraqi politics in 2003-2006 would be beneficial to get the majority of the jokes, it's not wholly necessary. Indeed, some jokes hold up amid the current Iraqi political climate too...
The greatest achievement of the book is to demonstrate to non-Arabic readers that Iraq in this tumultuous period wasn't just invasion and terrorism, but that its people were and are individuals who have petty greviances and triumphs, who mock and are mocked by their neighbours and electorate. Leafgreen's translation captures the heart of Thawra City's imagined inhabitants while ensuring readability and avoiding preconceptions associated with particular English language accents.
If you're interested in Iraq go read this. If you need help understanding the context Ayub Nuri's Bring Kurdish in a Hostile World, Ghaith Abdul-Ahad's A Stranger in Your Own City, and Rory McCarthy's Nobody Told Us We Are Defeated all cover the period and libraries exist.
The greatest achievement of the book is to demonstrate to non-Arabic readers that Iraq in this tumultuous period wasn't just invasion and terrorism, but that its people were and are individuals who have petty greviances and triumphs, who mock and are mocked by their neighbours and electorate. Leafgreen's translation captures the heart of Thawra City's imagined inhabitants while ensuring readability and avoiding preconceptions associated with particular English language accents.
If you're interested in Iraq go read this. If you need help understanding the context Ayub Nuri's Bring Kurdish in a Hostile World, Ghaith Abdul-Ahad's A Stranger in Your Own City, and Rory McCarthy's Nobody Told Us We Are Defeated all cover the period and libraries exist.
aviv18's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
5.0
aront's review against another edition
4.0
Read this book. I question sometimes my And Other Stories subscription, but then they publish a book like this which more than makes up for the occasional resounding failures. A brave book by a brave man about the human condition and the inhumanity of humans. I only hope Shalash is safe and well and married the woman of his dreams!
thomasdj's review against another edition
funny
informative
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.25
stacysma's review against another edition
emotional
funny
sad
fast-paced
4.25
Crying at the end of the book. All the nihilism, absurdism, and banter boiled down to an Iraqi’s deep love and hopeless hope for their people. Inshallah.
"I love you, Shalash, and I can't give you up. You've protected me from danger. You've liberated me from myself, from my fear, from the people, from hypocrisy, and from flattery. You're so much better than me. Sometimes I'm afraid, and you just laugh. I'm weak in the face of temptations, and you give me strength. There are so many times I've felt crushed, and then you pick me back up by yelling in my ear: 'Stay where you are! You haven't been beaten. Life is about the conflict! Sit down and write!"
"I love you, Shalash, and I can't give you up. You've protected me from danger. You've liberated me from myself, from my fear, from the people, from hypocrisy, and from flattery. You're so much better than me. Sometimes I'm afraid, and you just laugh. I'm weak in the face of temptations, and you give me strength. There are so many times I've felt crushed, and then you pick me back up by yelling in my ear: 'Stay where you are! You haven't been beaten. Life is about the conflict! Sit down and write!"
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