teriboop's review against another edition
4.0
Anthony Shadid's House of Stone: A Memoir of Home, Family and a Lost Middle East is not your typical memoir that reminisces about one's life, but about the life of Shadid's ancestors, their physical home, their town of Marjayoun in Lebanon, and the people that live there. It is about Bayt, which literally translates to "house" but means so much more. Bayt is the family home, and all that goes in and on there.
Shadid recounts the years of rebuilding his great grandfather's home in Marjayoun after civil war has destroyed part of the physical building, interspersing stories of how his ancestors left to move to Oklahoma to start a new life. Shadid has now returned to the home his ancestors left to rebuild the home and to gain an understanding and perspective into his own life.
I enjoyed this book. It makes you contemplate what is important in life (family!) and what Bayt might mean to you. I think people often think of the home they grew up in, but is it the home that makes those memories, or is it what happens there and everything that pertains to it? Sadly, Shadid died just a few years after the home was complete, so he was unable to enjoy it along with his family, but they have kept his spirit alive in this House of Stone.
Shadid recounts the years of rebuilding his great grandfather's home in Marjayoun after civil war has destroyed part of the physical building, interspersing stories of how his ancestors left to move to Oklahoma to start a new life. Shadid has now returned to the home his ancestors left to rebuild the home and to gain an understanding and perspective into his own life.
I enjoyed this book. It makes you contemplate what is important in life (family!) and what Bayt might mean to you. I think people often think of the home they grew up in, but is it the home that makes those memories, or is it what happens there and everything that pertains to it? Sadly, Shadid died just a few years after the home was complete, so he was unable to enjoy it along with his family, but they have kept his spirit alive in this House of Stone.
rwarner's review against another edition
5.0
As we age, our hearts eventually turn to our fathers, and we try to understand those who went before, what they were like, how they faced life, what challenges they overcame, and we gauge whether we measure up to our ancestors. House of Stone chronicles Shadid's return to his roots as he tries to restore the family home in Marjayoun, Lebanon, and also tries to understand his ancestors and his homeland. His quest evokes admiration for Shadid's family, sorrow for the tragedies they faced, and thoughts to return to one's own roots.
As I read, I marveled at the wars and strife that pervade Shadid's homeland, which stem from the intolerance people have for others' beliefs. In the United States we deplore such violence and intolerance, believing ourselves much more tolerant and open to others. If we honestly look at ourselves, however, we find that we are becoming much less tolerant, much more judgmental, and much less able to acknowledge that others' world views have us much validity as our own. We avoid bloodshed over religion and politics only because we avoid discussing them, but we avoid them less and less and clash more and more. Shadid helps us understand what we are becoming.
Knowing that Shadid has passed away brought melancholy as I read. I went to high school with Shadid and have seen his passion, and I felt his pain as he discussed his broken marriage and agonized over his faulty fatherhood. I loved learning about his family history as he made his ancestors come alive. I would love to see the home he restored, and applaud him for making that happen.
As I read, I marveled at the wars and strife that pervade Shadid's homeland, which stem from the intolerance people have for others' beliefs. In the United States we deplore such violence and intolerance, believing ourselves much more tolerant and open to others. If we honestly look at ourselves, however, we find that we are becoming much less tolerant, much more judgmental, and much less able to acknowledge that others' world views have us much validity as our own. We avoid bloodshed over religion and politics only because we avoid discussing them, but we avoid them less and less and clash more and more. Shadid helps us understand what we are becoming.
Knowing that Shadid has passed away brought melancholy as I read. I went to high school with Shadid and have seen his passion, and I felt his pain as he discussed his broken marriage and agonized over his faulty fatherhood. I loved learning about his family history as he made his ancestors come alive. I would love to see the home he restored, and applaud him for making that happen.
marisa_jarrett's review against another edition
3.0
Interesting to read about the history and local life. I enjoyed learning about the author's family and his dream to rebuild his ancestral home as well as the stories about his neighbors and friends. However, I lost interest halfway through the book where I feel like it really slowed down and became very repetitive. I wish it would have been a more concise book.
aurorabulgaris's review against another edition
5.0
I bought that book for a few cents when the library in town was doing a sale to renew their catalog and what a find.
I had no idea what I was buying, I just wanted to read something from a non-western author.
I loved every page of that book!
It's so simply and yet beautifully written. As in many memoirs (or semi/fictionalized versions), nothing much happens except a whole family tree of lives.
I don't want to romanticize the struggle of a region thorn by conflict for decades on end, but there is something comforting in reading about the resilience of life and the normalcy people can establish in a situation which is anything but nornal!
There were also many references to feelings and thoughts that, I think, are truly understood only by immigrants.
I had no idea what I was buying, I just wanted to read something from a non-western author.
I loved every page of that book!
It's so simply and yet beautifully written. As in many memoirs (or semi/fictionalized versions), nothing much happens except a whole family tree of lives.
I don't want to romanticize the struggle of a region thorn by conflict for decades on end, but there is something comforting in reading about the resilience of life and the normalcy people can establish in a situation which is anything but nornal!
There were also many references to feelings and thoughts that, I think, are truly understood only by immigrants.
aborham's review against another edition
3.0
A bit lengthy, sometimes delve too deep in situations without apparent cause. Nonetheless, it draws a wonderful sketch of Marjayoun within a wider context and across time.
ajnaddaff96's review against another edition
4.0
Slow at times but beautifully descriptive, taking us into the mind of one of the greatest Middle East correspondents of all time. He writes about the country of Lebanon, his ancestral land, from a place of pure love and honesty. This sort of writing on the Middle East is rare and often caught up in partisanship. I learned many new words along the way as well.
hannah_em's review against another edition
5.0
Really fantastic book. He offers such an interesting perspective on his life, the history of his home, and living life. Some of the passages are really very haunting given that he reflects escaping death and trying to live a meaningful life.
jules723's review against another edition
This book is a gorgeous elegy to home. I am saddened to hear that Shadid passed away this last February as I would have loved to read more of his work. He does a great job of questioning what home is while at the same time describing exactly what home is to him and how his family has gotten to where they are and what lead him back to his family home. A beautiful memoir that should be read by anyone who enjoys reading about place and how that affects the person.
in2reading's review against another edition
3.0
Anthony Shadid was a wonderful writer and I enjoyed the book. It took me a while to sort out all the various family and members and friends and he moves constantly between the history of his family, the history of the Middle East, and his quest to restore his great grandfather's house. It was worth being patient as I felt he provided a perspective not often shared.