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vegronica's review
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
I think a lot of what I love about this is Leila Buck's narration in the audiobook. I wouldn't re-read it but I was hooked the whole time.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Toxic relationship, Sexual content, Sexual assault, Miscarriage, Blood, Violence, Sexual harassment, Hate crime, Homophobia, Drug use, Infidelity, Grief, Abortion, Medical content, Injury/Injury detail, Lesbophobia, Alcohol, and Dementia
Moderate: Death, Death of parent, and Fire/Fire injury
Minor: War and Islamophobia
bookishevy's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
"Everyone deserves their secrets."
The Nasr family is spread across the globe. Mazda and Idris, Syrian and Lebanese respectively, live in California. Their eldest Ava lives in Brooklyn with her family, middle child Mimi lives in Austin with his girlfriend, and Naj, the youngest, lives in her ancestral home of Beirut, in a house that has served as the family's nucleus. When Idris decides to sell his childhood home following his father's death, the family descends on the house to unite against him.
The prologue sets the tone of the story. It's from the perspective of a young man in a refugee camp in 1970s Lebanon. He feels guilt while reflecting on the choices he's made and the people he's hurt as he faces imminent death. A complication of the civil war. This young man, though not in the present, has a presence that is felt throughout the story.
Most of the story is told from the perspectives of Mazna and her children. The longer chapters are Mazna's with the longest being 114 pages. If long chapters are a deal breaker, this book is not for you. If you're like me and are willing to push through, it will be worth it. In Mazna's flashbacks, we experience her childhood in Damascus, her ambitions, her romantization of Beirut, her first love, her dashed dreams, her grief, acrimony for her husband.
The Syrian-Lebanese Civil War serves as a backdrop to Mazna's flashbacks, and the ongoing tension between the two nations mirrors that of this family with all its secrets that threaten to bubble to the surface now that they're all under the same roof.
This warm and funny read provides insight into this family's rich history while exploring the legacy of war in the Middle East, the Arab immigrant experience in the U.S., the LGBTQ experience in the Middle East, and shows us that sometimes we can't escape our past.
The Nasr family is spread across the globe. Mazda and Idris, Syrian and Lebanese respectively, live in California. Their eldest Ava lives in Brooklyn with her family, middle child Mimi lives in Austin with his girlfriend, and Naj, the youngest, lives in her ancestral home of Beirut, in a house that has served as the family's nucleus. When Idris decides to sell his childhood home following his father's death, the family descends on the house to unite against him.
The prologue sets the tone of the story. It's from the perspective of a young man in a refugee camp in 1970s Lebanon. He feels guilt while reflecting on the choices he's made and the people he's hurt as he faces imminent death. A complication of the civil war. This young man, though not in the present, has a presence that is felt throughout the story.
Most of the story is told from the perspectives of Mazna and her children. The longer chapters are Mazna's with the longest being 114 pages. If long chapters are a deal breaker, this book is not for you. If you're like me and are willing to push through, it will be worth it. In Mazna's flashbacks, we experience her childhood in Damascus, her ambitions, her romantization of Beirut, her first love, her dashed dreams, her grief, acrimony for her husband.
The Syrian-Lebanese Civil War serves as a backdrop to Mazna's flashbacks, and the ongoing tension between the two nations mirrors that of this family with all its secrets that threaten to bubble to the surface now that they're all under the same roof.
This warm and funny read provides insight into this family's rich history while exploring the legacy of war in the Middle East, the Arab immigrant experience in the U.S., the LGBTQ experience in the Middle East, and shows us that sometimes we can't escape our past.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder
Moderate: War, Violence, and Abortion
danielnski's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
The family of characters are all deeply flawed, but also relatable once you have their complete picture. As someone who is not super well-connected to their Middle Eastern roots, it was really wonderful to get a sense of the atmosphere of Beirut, Damascus, and Palestine and its thoughtful approach to the history and politics of the region. I think there are parts of the story that were hurt by the shifting perspective, but overall, I found myself so invested in their dynamic and their story.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infidelity, War, and Violence
Moderate: Abortion
Minor: Sexual violence
cjlacyhanks's review against another edition
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia, Violence, Sexual content, Sexual assault, Murder, and Grief
Moderate: Abortion and Dementia
Minor: War
amberinpieces's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
reflective
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? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail and Hate crime
Moderate: Classism, Dementia, Pregnancy, Racism, Vomit, Violence, Infidelity, Lesbophobia, Sexual content, Alcohol, Death, and Grief
Minor: War, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Drug use, Excrement, Fatphobia, Fire/Fire injury, Medical content, Racial slurs, Car accident, Abortion, Blood, Cursing, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Murder, and Toxic relationship
kquixotic's review against another edition
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Oooo I love a family saga full of secrets, revelations, romance, and existential crises. The Arsonist’s City has it all.
I appreciate this book for upending western stereotypes of Arab people, particularly around women, sex, and sexuality, with every character navigating contradictions.
The backdrop of the impact of Western intervention in Palestine, Syria, and Lebanon further, complicates and enriches the narrative. I was affected! Upon finishing this book I had to go to the local Lebanese buffet to eat my feelings.
I appreciate this book for upending western stereotypes of Arab people, particularly around women, sex, and sexuality, with every character navigating contradictions.
The backdrop of the impact of Western intervention in Palestine, Syria, and Lebanon further, complicates and enriches the narrative. I was affected! Upon finishing this book I had to go to the local Lebanese buffet to eat my feelings.
Content Warnings
Minor: Misogyny, Racism, Death, Murder, Violence, and Homophobia
pagesintranslation's review against another edition
challenging
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? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: War
Moderate: Abortion and Violence
Minor: Vomit
breeoxd's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
I was about halfway through this book before I realized I've never read anything about Lebanon before! Everything I've read about the Middle East has been Afghanistan or Pakistan. I know nothing about the Paris of the East! Beyond that, I don't think I've read any Eastern books from women's viewpoints. I think that was most surprising- how female-centric this family saga was.
Content Warnings
Graphic: War, Lesbophobia, Islamophobia, Violence, and Murder
Minor: Body shaming, Abortion, Misogyny, Colonisation, and Classism
just_one_more_paige's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
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
5.0
At long last, my final Aspen Words 2022 longlist read is done. I'm feeling very accomplished and enjoying that satisfied feeling of crossing the last thing off a "to-read" list. Go me! Plus, I ended on a high note, since this was also one of the five shortlist picks. And goodness I can see why. This was absolutely one of my favorites of the bunch and completely worth the wait to get my hands on it.
The Arsonists' City is the story of a family, the Nasr family, and a city, the city of Beirut. The story opens in present time with the family patriarch, Idris, deciding to sell his family home in Beirut. Despite the fact that the family hasn't spent time there in years, everyone unites against him, strongly disagreeing with his decision and descends on the house. The oldest daughter, Ava, takes her children (leaving her possibly cheating husband behind in Brooklyn). The middle daughter, Naj, is already living in Beirut and dreads the family coming to town, invading her "privacy" and space, though her bandmate is thrilled to see them all again. The youngest, Mimi, brings his new fiance, Harper, to visit from Austen for the first time (though is maybe not ready to deal with them all after recently giving up on his own dreams of musical success). And their mother, Mazna, agrees to come back to Beirut for the first time since tragedy struck for her there almost a lifetime ago and she left for America with Idris and her own dreams of stardom. The collision of memory and regret and passions and grief and politics/religion and secrets and love and shame and family that follows is fiery.
The star of this novel is the characters. They are incredible: complex and so human in all their perfect imperfections. And despite the gorgeous level of complexity in their development on the page and their interactions both large and small, there is no need for complexity in describing it. It was stellar. I was so invested in each of them. I loved their foibles and their great loves and their passions and their internal dialogues. I loved reading both the vulnerable parts of them and the ugly parts that in real life are, in fact, hard to love. They were just so...real. And recognizable because of it. And I couldn't get enough of them. I think I would have read a book twice this length to get more of both their drama and their everydayness.
There was also a fair amount of plot buoying the character development. It developed in two time periods. Although we start in the present, we also get the background on Mazna and Idris' relationship in the past, how it began and how it brought them to America. The tragedy of lost love (of the romantic and platonic kind, respectively) that set them up for their life together, how they grew into their present partnership, and the massive secret of it all unfolds as we read. And then in the present we get Idris and Mazna coming to terms with the Beirut of their memories, plus all their children's lives (Ava's family and relationship, Mimi's career and relationship, Naj's music and...relationship?), and all their interactions with each other. The way Mazna's secret from the past builds to its peak, and though it seems like it should take down the family in a greater way in the present, ends up just being...the way it is...when it finally comes out, feels the exact right amount of genuinely anti-climactic. I loved it.
And I'd be remiss if I didn't mention the nuances of conflict of politics and religion and nationality (and sexuality) in the Middle East that are addressed throughout the years of this story. Alyan handles the intricacies, the ebbs and flows of it all, with sensitivity, but with an unflinching recognition of the realities. The way the upheavals of the region are paralleled in the (emotional) upheavals of the lives of this one family is so well done. And it carries a lovely larger message with it, if the reader chooses to see it: that this is just one story of upheaval among many, that even in the daily uncertainty of conflict, there will always still be the daily drama of lives interacting.
This could easily have been a very "chick lit" (for lack of a better phrase) type story, with the present day and past dual stories, family secrets and lost loves and infidelity told through connections between times and families, all brought together with a cathartic family moment (at a concert) at the finale that brought me to tears. But with the thoroughness and depth of the characters and the gorgeous portrayal of a region (Syria/Lebanon/Palestine) that is overly maligned and misrepresented, the humanity in these pages makes it something so much more. This family's life, their lies and grudges and forgiveness and grace, were just stunning. Like I said, I loved this book.
“I’d rather be misunderstood by what I say than what someone says for me.”
“How can people bear it, she wonders, loss upon loss?”
“Grief will make you do crazy things. It will electrify the elegant, flower-stem neurons in the amygdala of your brain, will pluck them like an instrument. In ancient Rome, grief made men twirl in their thing, leather sandals and pirouette until their feet bled; in India, it walked widows into pyres waiting for fire. The Persians gave the bodies of their deceased beloveds to dogs; the Egyptians buried them with servants. Grief will make you laugh at the funeral, weep over the cereal bowl; it will buzz your feet until they start dancing in the middle of the night. It's grief that inspires the unlikeliest of bedfellows.”
“If you live a life long enough, it becomes yours.”
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Infidelity, Lesbophobia, Murder, Racism, Religious bigotry, Sexism, Violence, Xenophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Death, Death of parent, and Islamophobia
Moderate: Abortion, Classism, Pregnancy, and War
Minor: Colonisation
kponturo's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Minor: Violence