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kalyaniwarrier's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
The Beekeeper of Aleppo is a brilliant piece of work that is heavily regarded in temporal distortion as the timelines shift after every chapter. But unlike other works where such skipping of timelines makes the plot difficult to visualise and piece together, Christy Lefteri has done an incredible job in the pacing and sequencing the plot, readers can be gratified by following the plot without having to give thought to the timelines despite the lack of linearity.
Apart from the various sensitive topics discussed, what one could find most appealing about the novel is the characterisation of Nuri, the protagonist and narrator and his mental health struggles. After losing his son to war, Nuri suffers with PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) as he tries to distance himself from the trauma he has suffered by making illusions of various sorts to cope with the distress.
I could not point out flaws as the plot and characterisation of the novel does a wonderful job at portraying the tragedies of violence in an apolitical manner.
Graphic: Child death, Confinement, Death, Torture, Violence, Grief, and War
Moderate: Mental illness, Physical abuse, Rape, Police brutality, and Murder
Minor: Child abuse and Xenophobia
leoniefnk's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Graphic: Child death, Gun violence, Violence, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Self harm, Murder, and War
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Blood, and Kidnapping
melisayasilem's review against another edition
- 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
4.5
Graphic: Confinement, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Blood, Police brutality, Murder, and War
Moderate: Child death, Death, Gun violence, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Forced institutionalization, Pregnancy, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, and Xenophobia
katsbooks's review against another edition
- 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
4.5
“But in Syria there is a saying: inside the person you know, there is a person you do not know.”
“Sometimes we create such powerful illusions, so that we do not get lost in the darkness.”
“When you belong to someone and they are gone, who are you?”
This was a beautifully written novel. I really loved the format. Each chapter was split into two timelines and the transition happened literally mid-sentence. It was a super interesting way to format. The beginning of each chapter followed the main character and his wife in their current timeline as refugees seeking asylum in England and the end of every chapter recounted part of their journey from Syria. This story was so heart-breaking and intense. This is one of the few novels that made me genuinely cry. Nuri and Afra's journey was traumatic in so many ways and they way the author explored that was incredibly compelling. In her author's note, she wrote that she sought to answer the question "What does it mean to see?" While Nuri is the narrator, both he and his wife's narratives both explore that question. The novel really looks at what both Nuri and Afra "see" and how it affects their relationship. Afra is blind for most of the story and figuring out what caused her blindness is a major plot point. With Nuri, he sees things that make the reader question if they're real or not. I won't spoil anything but figuring out what Nuri is seeing (and if it is real) is also a major plot point. I found it to be a very interesting theme and I'll be thinking about it for a while.
Graphic: Child death, Chronic illness, Confinement, Death, Mental illness, Rape, Violence, Grief, Colonisation, and War
Moderate: Rape, Sexual assault, Trafficking, Murder, and Pregnancy
Minor: Drug use and Injury/Injury detail