Scan barcode
A review by jordinna
Mother of All Pigs by Malu Halasa
3.0
i liked this book - i truly did. the dynamic storylines and perspectives were what made this otherwise painfully slow-paced novel a bit more enjoyable. there was much to learn about the characters, the women of the Sabas family, as well as hussein and abu za'atar, muna as an american cousin visiting - but i find it difficult to sympathize with any other character than mother fadhma, whose tender moments are actually shared properly and, at times, breaks my heart. explanations and lengthy paragraphs occasionally got confusing and sore to read - a family tree would've helped a lot, but nonetheless, it was interesting reading about the family history of a christian family in a predominantly muslim town.
however, halasa really could have done better with where she put the climax of the story. i'm not even entirely sure which part that is. the only genuinely thrilling part of the book is the ending, where hussein is beaten and the precious umm al-khanaazeer is killed, and samira is offered a life-changing experience. where was all of this in the first 260 pages of this 266 page novel? most of the plot just follows the family's day-to-day lives, and thanks to halasa's witty and descriptive writing, it wasn't all that boring. i wouldn't recommend this book to anyone who doesn't care for intricacy. it's definitely not a book full of action or drama. it's a very sit-down, peaceful sort of read. i don't feel like i've wasted my time, and i can still praise this book and its wonderful dynamics, but i just might pull my hair out if i was ever forced to read it again.
however, halasa really could have done better with where she put the climax of the story. i'm not even entirely sure which part that is. the only genuinely thrilling part of the book is the ending, where hussein is beaten and the precious umm al-khanaazeer is killed, and samira is offered a life-changing experience. where was all of this in the first 260 pages of this 266 page novel? most of the plot just follows the family's day-to-day lives, and thanks to halasa's witty and descriptive writing, it wasn't all that boring. i wouldn't recommend this book to anyone who doesn't care for intricacy. it's definitely not a book full of action or drama. it's a very sit-down, peaceful sort of read. i don't feel like i've wasted my time, and i can still praise this book and its wonderful dynamics, but i just might pull my hair out if i was ever forced to read it again.