A review by tevreads
No Friend but the Mountains: Writing from Manus Prison by Behrouz Boochani
5.0
“The right to have rights.”
When I first read this line by Hannah Arendt, it so aptly defined my views of asylum seekers and their plight. To me, a grasp of simple human decency would surely afford rights to those escaping horrible conditions. A basic understanding of economic principles and empathy refutes the loaded rhetoric and false pretences surrounding the politics of ‘stopping the boats.’
_________
Behrouz Boochani’s retelling of his own story, writing from Manus Prison, is powerful. A well-educated man and journalist by trade, Boochani writes with cutting prose. If No Friend but the Mountains was a work of fiction, it would still be celebrated for its gripping narrative, so eloquently constructed, eliciting moments of grandeur and deep sorrow.
_________
Unfortunately, Boochani’s story is real, it is so visceral and raw that in parts it’s simply too hard to read without turning away and contemplating how innocent people can be treated in such a way. To be Australian and read Boochani’s writing makes me embarrassed to be associated with such governmental policies, and with people that support them.
_________
Pleading ignorance to the knowledge that asylum seekers are herded to an island in cages and treated like cattle is horrifying. No Friends but the Mountains is an exceptional book, its message demands reading and should be mandatory for all.
When I first read this line by Hannah Arendt, it so aptly defined my views of asylum seekers and their plight. To me, a grasp of simple human decency would surely afford rights to those escaping horrible conditions. A basic understanding of economic principles and empathy refutes the loaded rhetoric and false pretences surrounding the politics of ‘stopping the boats.’
_________
Behrouz Boochani’s retelling of his own story, writing from Manus Prison, is powerful. A well-educated man and journalist by trade, Boochani writes with cutting prose. If No Friend but the Mountains was a work of fiction, it would still be celebrated for its gripping narrative, so eloquently constructed, eliciting moments of grandeur and deep sorrow.
_________
Unfortunately, Boochani’s story is real, it is so visceral and raw that in parts it’s simply too hard to read without turning away and contemplating how innocent people can be treated in such a way. To be Australian and read Boochani’s writing makes me embarrassed to be associated with such governmental policies, and with people that support them.
_________
Pleading ignorance to the knowledge that asylum seekers are herded to an island in cages and treated like cattle is horrifying. No Friends but the Mountains is an exceptional book, its message demands reading and should be mandatory for all.