Scan barcode
A review by nastian
Ali and Nino by Kurban Said
2.0
It has redeemed itself once I learned when the book was written, but the only thing that kept me going was the fact that I had not read many books about the region and definitely not any by Azerbaijani authors.
That being said, the novel was "male" through and through, with an almost impossible union of beliefs in the central character, which I suppose is what made it interesting. Yet it was very disappointing how little this inner conflict was explored. The central theme seems to be Asia vs Europe and Christianity vs Islam, whereas the actual main plot line - Ali's love story with Nino, is barely touched upon. Nino seems to be merely a narrative device, a beautiful wild thing to be admired and ultimately tamed. So all in all, it was not so different from other novels of the time.
I believe that it is high time to change the narrative and give way to modern authors that can also deal with cultural and historical narratives, but from a more balanced perspective.
That being said, the novel was "male" through and through, with an almost impossible union of beliefs in the central character, which I suppose is what made it interesting. Yet it was very disappointing how little this inner conflict was explored. The central theme seems to be Asia vs Europe and Christianity vs Islam, whereas the actual main plot line - Ali's love story with Nino, is barely touched upon. Nino seems to be merely a narrative device, a beautiful wild thing to be admired and ultimately tamed. So all in all, it was not so different from other novels of the time.
I believe that it is high time to change the narrative and give way to modern authors that can also deal with cultural and historical narratives, but from a more balanced perspective.