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jonjee's review
3.0
I can't even put a rating on this because I'm still trying to decide what I think of it. It's written in the style of a vision/prophecy/fable that rather defies "good" or "bad". It was...interesting....
kiramke's review
adventurous
informative
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.75
As a story or plot, mmm, I have reservations. But as a thinking-through of the desert, lovely; and as a reconstruction of stories and myth, interesting and worthwhile.
karinlib's review
4.0
This is the story of the desert (I am assuming the Sahara), and of the people who inhabit it. It is a love story for an unforgiving land.
george_salis's review
I interviewed the author here (available in English and Arabic): https://thecollidescope.com/2021/07/15/secret-ink-%d8%ad%d8%a8%d8%b1-%d8%b3%d8%b1%d9%91%d9%8a-a-bilingual-interview-with-ibrahim-al-koni/
'"We must slay our father in order to search for our father. We must slay our father in order to find our father."'
According to the author's note, al-Koni crisscrossed the desert in search of every shred and variant of a tale about someone who crisscrosses the desert in search of every shred and variant of their elusive father. Thus, this strange little book is a patchwork interpretation of a cave-scrawled, leather-etched, campfire tale. And so while it's labeled "a desert novel," its origins should be kept in mind.
The story, in which the spiritual world is omnipresent and metamorphoses are quotidian, somewhat evokes Ben Okri's The Famished Road, although it's more sparse and leans on paradoxical/philosophical musings about paternal longings and the unreliability of 'reality.' The last part of the novel is a collection of (un)related aphorisms that al-Koni encountered during his journey. More than a handful of them hold fairly regressive views about women. Here are some non-sexist ones:
"The desert is a paradise of nonexistence."
"The tree is a hero that only falls once."
"Sweat is the body's blood. Blood is the spirit's sweat."
"Time is a vessel with life on its outside and annihilation inside."
"The creator vanishes with the death of his creation. The creation becomes eternal through the creator's death."
While not mind-blowing, Anubis is worth the brief read. If nothing else, it definitely illustrates the desert's menagerie of mirages, a parched fever dream that might make you reach for a glass of water.
'"We must slay our father in order to search for our father. We must slay our father in order to find our father."'
According to the author's note, al-Koni crisscrossed the desert in search of every shred and variant of a tale about someone who crisscrosses the desert in search of every shred and variant of their elusive father. Thus, this strange little book is a patchwork interpretation of a cave-scrawled, leather-etched, campfire tale. And so while it's labeled "a desert novel," its origins should be kept in mind.
The story, in which the spiritual world is omnipresent and metamorphoses are quotidian, somewhat evokes Ben Okri's The Famished Road, although it's more sparse and leans on paradoxical/philosophical musings about paternal longings and the unreliability of 'reality.' The last part of the novel is a collection of (un)related aphorisms that al-Koni encountered during his journey. More than a handful of them hold fairly regressive views about women. Here are some non-sexist ones:
"The desert is a paradise of nonexistence."
"The tree is a hero that only falls once."
"Sweat is the body's blood. Blood is the spirit's sweat."
"Time is a vessel with life on its outside and annihilation inside."
"The creator vanishes with the death of his creation. The creation becomes eternal through the creator's death."
While not mind-blowing, Anubis is worth the brief read. If nothing else, it definitely illustrates the desert's menagerie of mirages, a parched fever dream that might make you reach for a glass of water.
ohlhauc's review
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
Another great addition to the author's body of work. Per his style, it's precisely but evocatively written, full of aphorisms, has an introspective narrator, and incorporates the desert, Tuareg spirituality, and fabulism/magic realism.
It follows the life of a boy who eventually becomes a sovereign, but more important, it's a story that looks at the forces of greed, fatherhood and family in general, solitude, keeping promises, inclusion and banishment. Note: while the introduction mentions a bit about Anubis, the Egyptian god, this story does not go in-depth of that deity but rather anubis, plural of anubi, which means a fatherless child.
If you enjoy al-Koni's works, you'll love this. If you love fable-like, reflective stories where the entire world has a soul and which makes sharp commentary on social issues, you'll love this too. Highly, highly recommend.
It follows the life of a boy who eventually becomes a sovereign, but more important, it's a story that looks at the forces of greed, fatherhood and family in general, solitude, keeping promises, inclusion and banishment. Note: while the introduction mentions a bit about Anubis, the Egyptian god, this story does not go in-depth of that deity but rather anubis, plural of anubi, which means a fatherless child.
If you enjoy al-Koni's works, you'll love this. If you love fable-like, reflective stories where the entire world has a soul and which makes sharp commentary on social issues, you'll love this too. Highly, highly recommend.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty and Animal death
Moderate: Death, Sexual content, Blood, and Murder
Minor: Incest, Infidelity, Misogyny, Sexual assault, Slavery, Excrement, and Vomit