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A review by roenfoe
Frankenstein in Baghdad by Ahmed Saadawi
dark
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
I wanted to love Frankenstein in Baghdad so, so badly. The blurb was witty, darkly tantalizing, and hinted at an upsetting, modern take on a familiar Western classic. Unfortunately, the actual novel fell very short of my expectations and said summary.
First off, the prose was staccato and largely devoid of flavor. It was difficult to imagine the titular Baghdad, as the luscious descriptions of decaying architecture and its unsettling inhabitants were largely absent. There was a mystery element, but very little intrigue generated. The supernatural elements were not frightening or dark- rather they were discussed in a dry, matter-of-fact way. I read several reviews and papers that classify Frankenstein in Baghdad as a modern Gothic novel, but in my opinion it is severely lacking the crucial Gothic elements to classify it as such. However, after consulting a friend with some expertise, it seems this may have been due to a poor English translation. Over 100 pages were cut from the original text, which likely included some of the meat I felt it lacked.
The characters were one-dimensional and each felt the same as the next. Beyond their initial descriptions, their unique characteristics or personalities were never expounded upon, resulting in a cast of virtually identical men (and a handful of women). The most memorable character was Elishva, and I still had to google her name just now because I couldn't remember. The list of names and roles at the beginning of the book is a necessary tool to understand the story at all. Because these characters all felt the same, I was not invested in any of them and struggled to care about the problems they faced. Even the monster (called Whatsitsname) had the same character voice as the rest of the crew.
It may seem that this book was terrible, but the themes were fascinating: the banality of violence, creation (and the morality of creation), survival in the face of collapse, ritual, religion, and belief, the decay of norms under occupation... I just wish that the author had done something more interesting with them within the story.
I can't remember the ending other than it was underwhelming and gave us no answers. A book doesn't need to do the latter, but after such a drag of a read I was hoping for something good at the end. Part of me thinks I should have DNFed this one, but it was extremely short and I wanted to love it so badly.
First off, the prose was staccato and largely devoid of flavor. It was difficult to imagine the titular Baghdad, as the luscious descriptions of decaying architecture and its unsettling inhabitants were largely absent. There was a mystery element, but very little intrigue generated. The supernatural elements were not frightening or dark- rather they were discussed in a dry, matter-of-fact way. I read several reviews and papers that classify Frankenstein in Baghdad as a modern Gothic novel, but in my opinion it is severely lacking the crucial Gothic elements to classify it as such. However, after consulting a friend with some expertise, it seems this may have been due to a poor English translation. Over 100 pages were cut from the original text, which likely included some of the meat I felt it lacked.
The characters were one-dimensional and each felt the same as the next. Beyond their initial descriptions, their unique characteristics or personalities were never expounded upon, resulting in a cast of virtually identical men (and a handful of women). The most memorable character was Elishva, and I still had to google her name just now because I couldn't remember. The list of names and roles at the beginning of the book is a necessary tool to understand the story at all. Because these characters all felt the same, I was not invested in any of them and struggled to care about the problems they faced. Even the monster (called Whatsitsname) had the same character voice as the rest of the crew.
It may seem that this book was terrible, but the themes were fascinating: the banality of violence, creation (and the morality of creation), survival in the face of collapse, ritual, religion, and belief, the decay of norms under occupation... I just wish that the author had done something more interesting with them within the story.
I can't remember the ending other than it was underwhelming and gave us no answers. A book doesn't need to do the latter, but after such a drag of a read I was hoping for something good at the end. Part of me thinks I should have DNFed this one, but it was extremely short and I wanted to love it so badly.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death
Moderate: Gore