tonythep's review against another edition
5.0
This amazing debut is called a novel, but it's really a sprawling, wonderful mess of linked stories exploring the world of migrant guest workers in the United Arab Emirates. Foreign nationals make up over 80% of the population there, but have few rights and no hope of citizenship. Deepak Unnikrishnan was raised in this world, and he immerses us in it with playful surrealism and linguistic invention. The author cites Salman Rushdie and George Saunders as influences, and I think it safe to add Kafka to that list.
7anooch's review against another edition
4.0
This book is important. The UAE is the embodiment of parallel universes, that rarely, if ever, intermingle. The result is much tension and confusion, and a rigid social hierarchy. The novel makes an effort to convey these feeling, along with a bunch of various perspectives of what it’s like to live here (primarily as a malayalee man).
kaileycool's review against another edition
4.0
Read this for In-Brief book club at City Lit. I was not immediately grabbed by the style, and in fact found it a bit of a chore to get through. After discussion, however, I have a great deal more appreciation for the way the author captures the immigrant experience.
paulap's review
medium-paced
3.25
This was a very imaginative collection of short stories interspersed with magical realism to tell the story of immigrant workers in the gulf, and more specifically Malayalam immigrants in UAE. It was poininiengt and experimental. I liked it.
scottishben's review against another edition
2.0
This is a book I would not have finished were I not trying to read a book from a writer from every country. It is not that this has nothing to recommend it. The idea of writing a book about temporary workers is a great one and there are moments of greatness here.
I am not usually a fan of the sort of George Saunders esque magical realism and this is full of it. About a quarter of the time it works really well for me but the rest I bounced off. Weaknesses in charactorisation and just general writing also got in the way.
Some parts were really memorably good. But there were a lot of times I winced.
I am not usually a fan of the sort of George Saunders esque magical realism and this is full of it. About a quarter of the time it works really well for me but the rest I bounced off. Weaknesses in charactorisation and just general writing also got in the way.
Some parts were really memorably good. But there were a lot of times I winced.
curiouslykaylee's review
2.0
This was a difficult one to rate. I picked it up not knowing much about it, and the synopsis didn’t tell me too much.
I enjoyed some of the stories. But too many were unnecessarily vulgar. The synopsis did mention that these stories were interconnected, but I only noticed a few chapters with connections. Overall it was a confusing read, though I acknowledge that may just be me.
I enjoyed some of the stories. But too many were unnecessarily vulgar. The synopsis did mention that these stories were interconnected, but I only noticed a few chapters with connections. Overall it was a confusing read, though I acknowledge that may just be me.
tuch's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
anetq's review against another edition
2.0
Srange and disjointed (bits of) stories - I struggled to get through as it lacks real story, or it’s stories fail to captivate me. On the surface it does tell the story of immigrant men or boys struggling to survive and have anything resembling a live in the Emirates, where everyone but the arab speaking Emirati are almost subhumans in a society where their lives can be messed with as it pleases the übermensch ‘natives’. It is also the story of the struggles and internal strife and business of living poor in a hostile environment. And of mens lust and debauchery. Women do not exist except for a few hookers, wifes and harassed (or raped) women and children, and frankly none of the characters are sympathetic. While this says something about the circumstances for the hordes of people keeping the Emirates working is it also a not very likeable book. Doesn’t help that the writing is wordy whether it pretends to be the voice of the uneducated or fables about cockroaches taking over buildings. There is plenty to analyze for the students in literary classes, and literary praise awaits, I’m sure - however I found it a very annoying and unpleasurable read. Took me three months and a stubborn streak to get through it!
hebzy's review against another edition
3.0
Not my cup of tea at all.. but some parts were good and/or interesting.