I was disappointed in this one, perhaps I had the wrong expectations AND I should have heeded the red flag that it won the International Man Booker prI was disappointed in this one, perhaps I had the wrong expectations AND I should have heeded the red flag that it won the International Man Booker prize which indicates literary fiction to me. And I admit that literary fiction is not one of my favorite genres. So why did I try this one? I read a fantastic review from a GR friend, I do love learning about different cultures, and I had a cousin who was stationed with the State Dept in Oman with his family & they enjoyed their tour.
I thought this would be a generational saga of Omani families in the 20th century and how their lives/culture were impacted by the changes throughout the century. But that is not what this is. The story is told from multiple POVs and jumps around time and story threads. It was so hard to keep track and became very disjointed for me. There is a family tree at the front of the book and especially in the first 50% of the book, I had to go back and refer to it frequently, disrupting any flow of thought that may have been occurring in that section.
Aspects of the culture were woven in throughout and I especially was taken with the mysticism of the traditional lore and medicine. There was one chapter in particular that was so lyrical and poetic that I thought it had to be a different translator doing the translation as it stood out as a beautiful aberrancy. Now if the whole book read like that, I probably would have mollified and could forget all the jumping around.
2.5 stars. An early DeMille and it shows. It probably could be 100pp shorter. Premise was good: Israeli/Arab peace negotiations to occur in NYC when a2.5 stars. An early DeMille and it shows. It probably could be 100pp shorter. Premise was good: Israeli/Arab peace negotiations to occur in NYC when a Concorde carrying part of the delegation is forced down by a Palestinian terrorist group in the ancient area of Babylon. A predominately non-military group has to defend themselves against this radical group until they can be rescued but no one knows when that will be. Can they hold out and who will survive? The uneven pace of the novel and an irrelevant love triangle (at least to me) marred the reading for me. I felt it could have been tighter and still plenty suspenseful. ...more
A fun Raiders of the Lost Ark type adventure read. Great escapism. Originally written in 1963 when Higgins was writing as Hugh Marlowe and this updateA fun Raiders of the Lost Ark type adventure read. Great escapism. Originally written in 1963 when Higgins was writing as Hugh Marlowe and this updated edition fleshed out in 1995. Very enjoyable, despite some stock characters. Set during WWII.
An exotic locale, smuggling, archaeology, and Nazi's. How does the invasion of Poland, a plot to blow-up the Suez Canal and a search for the temple of the Queen of Sheba come together? Higgins tries to pull it off but the scheming and search for a lost adventurer consume the first half of the book, & the action of discovery, improbable rescues & escapes makes up the rest of the story. The Nazi plot is just a flimsy story device on which to hang the action, you almost forget about it. But I was right there with our intrepid little group as they battled the elements and nogoodniks alike!...more
I marked this as historical fiction although at the time of publication in 1984 it doesn't quite meet the 50 yr guideline. Anyway, I'm torn in how to I marked this as historical fiction although at the time of publication in 1984 it doesn't quite meet the 50 yr guideline. Anyway, I'm torn in how to review this book is it biased? Probably. There are certainly some very black & white situations & characters; however I felt like the descriptions of traditional Arab tribal culture in many areas of the Middle East seems to be as true today. Hatred, vengeance, barbaric brutality, the subjugation of women, the brainwashing of young boys and men.
The primary setting is Palestine and covers the period from just before WWII through 1956. Told from the Arab point of view it follows the creation of Israel and the Palestinian refugee crises. It is brutal, and tragic. Told in the first person (young Ishmael) and 3rd person narration, which did not bother me as much as other reviewers, it explored both history and a culture that rigidly stuck to their dogma to the detriment of its people. As you take this journey with Ishmael and his family, you hold out hope for a brighter future for someone in this novel, it is not to be.
The best part of the novel I felt was the complicated relationship that develops between Ishmael's father, the muktar of his village Tabar, and Gideon Asch, a Jew....more
3.5 stars. I definitely want to read the bio of this intrepid woman. I am fascinated by those women of the 19th & early 20th C who lived outside the b3.5 stars. I definitely want to read the bio of this intrepid woman. I am fascinated by those women of the 19th & early 20th C who lived outside the boundaries of a traditional life/role of women of their time and went exploring!! Stark apparently wrote about 30 books about her various travels. She was working for the Royal Geographical Society & British Intelligence mapping those remote unmapped areas of the world and this trek into Luristan, a mountainous part of Persia, was one of her first written. My perception of the topography of the Middle East was definitely one of mainly desert with towns huddled around the rivers that ran through it, I had not thought of any alpine environment or forests. My ignorance was showing.
The original publication of this work was in 1934, this edition (2001) includes a brief introduction by her biographer Jane Fletcher Geniesse. Definitely whets one's appetite to learn more about this remarkable woman.
Stark's preface was delightful. An imaginative aunt who, for my ninth birthday, sent a copy of the Arabian Nights, was, I suppose, the original cause of trouble. Unfostered and unnoticed, the little flame so kindled fed secretly on dreams. Chance, such as the existence of a Syrian missionary near my home, nourished it; and fate, with long months of illness and leisure, blew it to a blaze bright enough to light my way through labyrinths of Arabic, and eventually to land me on the coast of Syria at the end of 1927. Yes, books can change everything.
So she saddles up her mule, and without much fanfare and only a couple of guides she goes in search of unmapped areas, relics of ancient times, and fortresses that tell the history of this area. The beginning 1/4 was a wonderful introduction into a culture of hospitality, some of descriptions of the trekking, I have to admit I felt as if I was slogging through at a snail's ( or perhaps a mules pace). The unfamiliar names and words added to the slow read. The last half of the book, I started to enjoy so much more and I could feel like I am right there with this little troop of travelers. I could see the mountains, smell the flowers and hear the water flowing. I pulled out a trusty National Geographic book with maps of the world to see if I could figure out where "we" were at any given time!
There I retired , after an evening of conversation with an old man, Said Ibrahim....discussing Persian history. ….He was a charming old man, with an interest in life and affairs which distinguishes the hillman or tribesman from the peasant, and learning was to him a real divinity. ….If I were asked to enumerate the pleasures of travel, this would be one of the greatest among them-that so often and unexpectedly you meet the best in human nature, and seeing it so by surprise and often with a most improbably background, you come, with a sense of pleasant thankfulness, to realize how widely scattered in the world are goodness and courtesy and love for immaterial things, fair blossoms found in every climate, on every soil.
Dinah is the only daughter of Jacob and according to the Bible, she was raped. Her brothers use that excuse to slaughter the men of that offending triDinah is the only daughter of Jacob and according to the Bible, she was raped. Her brothers use that excuse to slaughter the men of that offending tribe. The Red Tent is Dinah's story and it doesn't exactly match up with the Old Testament version. An interesting read, felt like you were living in Biblical times. Focuses on the women and their lives, both hard and undervalued as well as joyful in their connectedness....more
The author is a female journalist that meets Sultan Khan, a bookseller, when she was covering the invasion of Afghanistan. He generously agrees to havThe author is a female journalist that meets Sultan Khan, a bookseller, when she was covering the invasion of Afghanistan. He generously agrees to have her come live with his family to write about a "typical" Afghani family's life. I only put the typical in quotes because this family is better off than most of the common Afghani. A fascinating portrait of life in Kabul during the Taliban rule. Although the book is titled after the head of the family, Asne spends the most time with the women learning about the hardships & lack of freedom the women endure.
WOW! This is an engrossing read, amazing story of a courageous young woman that takes Ayaan from a tribal way of life in Somalia, including enduring gWOW! This is an engrossing read, amazing story of a courageous young woman that takes Ayaan from a tribal way of life in Somalia, including enduring genital mutilation, into the fervor of the Muslim Brotherhood, to escaping an arranged marriage seeking asylum in Holland-eventually working, getting an education, becoming a citizen, an apostate of Islam, a member of Dutch Parliament & an outspoken advocate for Muslim women's rights. The latter put her in direct odds with Qu'ranic teaching & fundamentalist Islam- which appears to be stuck in the middle ages. Her actions have led to her living under the threat of death by those who kill in the name of the Prophet Mohammed.
Ayaan showed an inquisitive nature from an relatively early age, wanting to know not only what but why. She tried to understand the dissonance she saw & lived between men and women in her Muslim community and countries, with the Kind and Merciful God they prayed to. At one point, she actually tried to live the life of submission & joined the Muslim Brotherhood, but her niggling sense of unfairness persisted. That spark eventually ignited a spontaneous action when forced with an arranged marriage. That sent her life on a trajectory that she could have never imagined. It is an eye-opening journey for not only the author but the reader as well. This is not just a life story it is an education and call to action. She can be heavy-handed in her message but it is HER life experience & HER conclusions. Hopefully the reader will delve more deeply into the issues and come to their own conclusions, support and/or actions....more
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