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A review by eli_abroad
The World and All That It Holds by Aleksandar Hemon
adventurous
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
An adventure story from Sarajevo to Shanghai set in the early half of the 20th century. It crosses through wars and conflicts in a sort of tragic Forest Gumpesque style - visceral and painful, yet sadly beautiful in its portrayal of love. Hemon's attention to the plight of refugees makes it relevant to modern times, and the story incited investigation into some historical events I knew little or nothing about.
The author employs some multi-lingual narration, which gives depth to the main character's history, background, and way of thinking. But, even having an understanding of 2 of the foreign languages incorporated into the narrative, it was disorienting and contained relevant ideas/imagery that are lost to those with no knowledge of the languages.
The author employs some multi-lingual narration, which gives depth to the main character's history, background, and way of thinking. But, even having an understanding of 2 of the foreign languages incorporated into the narrative, it was disorienting and contained relevant ideas/imagery that are lost to those with no knowledge of the languages.