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atyab's review
3.0
3.5/5
Overall, the book was somewhat enjoyable to read. It is really not a deep foray into the life of a gay middle eastern, as the reviews on the cover would suggest. Any introspections and observations are repeated so much that they are diluted into having no meaning or they are encompassed in so much unnecessary detail that they go amiss. The story is enjoyable but stagnant which makes it feel too long and repetitive.
this book was very interesting, to say the least.
Firstly, the synopsis says '24hrs in the life of' but the whole middle section is his life during college like bffr rn. I didn't mind reading that section but just wasn't what I was expecting from the book.
One perturbation that I had with the book was that it was quite repetitive, which I really didn't enjoy. There was a quite a lot of 'telling' of the same points continuously, instead of 'showing', which got quite boring and annoying whilst reading. This made me think parts of this book could've been chopped off to make it shorter because it weighs in at approx 350 pages and atleast 50 pages could've been taken off. It was like the writer knew what his book was going to be about but didn't know how to create a story so just kept writing his original themes in so many different ways. Also, the main character has no development in his thought process for much of the book, which is what makes it feel so repetitive, as he constantly reflects on the same principles over and over.
I did enjoy reading about this and the story flowed quite well. I took gaps in-between my reading sessions but always returned and never put it down, which is always a good sign. The writing was good too. Nothing exceptional but it was enjoyable.
Another review said that the ending randomly derailed and I totally agree. Where the hell did this random plot device come from in the last 20 pages that we had absolutely no mention of throughout the whole book? Made the ending feel really rushed and just left me dissatisfied. I really hate when authors do this and bring something out from left field that is crucial to the plot that you have no idea about
The semi plot twist I actually quite enjoyed. I didn't expect that much. And that whole scene was really well written. I felt very anxious as the tension built and was very on edge to see what would happen. Had to remind myself it was a book and there was nothing I could do to change it cause woahhhhh nelly I was stressing.
Overall, the book was somewhat enjoyable to read. It is really not a deep foray into the life of a gay middle eastern, as the reviews on the cover would suggest. Any introspections and observations are repeated so much that they are diluted into having no meaning or they are encompassed in so much unnecessary detail that they go amiss. The story is enjoyable but stagnant which makes it feel too long and repetitive.
this book was very interesting, to say the least.
Firstly, the synopsis says '24hrs in the life of' but the whole middle section is his life during college like bffr rn. I didn't mind reading that section but just wasn't what I was expecting from the book.
One perturbation that I had with the book was that it was quite repetitive, which I really didn't enjoy. There was a quite a lot of 'telling' of the same points continuously, instead of 'showing', which got quite boring and annoying whilst reading. This made me think parts of this book could've been chopped off to make it shorter because it weighs in at approx 350 pages and atleast 50 pages could've been taken off. It was like the writer knew what his book was going to be about but didn't know how to create a story so just kept writing his original themes in so many different ways. Also, the main character has no development in his thought process for much of the book, which is what makes it feel so repetitive, as he constantly reflects on the same principles over and over.
I did enjoy reading about this and the story flowed quite well. I took gaps in-between my reading sessions but always returned and never put it down, which is always a good sign. The writing was good too. Nothing exceptional but it was enjoyable.
Another review said that the ending randomly derailed and I totally agree. Where the hell did this random plot device come from in the last 20 pages that we had absolutely no mention of throughout the whole book? Made the ending feel really rushed and just left me dissatisfied. I really hate when authors do this and bring something out from left field that is crucial to the plot that you have no idea about
The semi plot twist I actually quite enjoyed. I didn't expect that much. And that whole scene was really well written. I felt very anxious as the tension built and was very on edge to see what would happen. Had to remind myself it was a book and there was nothing I could do to change it cause woahhhhh nelly I was stressing.
namakurhea's review against another edition
4.0
There is not a lot of books that I 'inhaled' but this is one! Guapa tells the story of Rasa, a gay man living in an unnamed Arab country. He grew up under the grip of his grandma, found liberation when he went to the US for his studies, got disillusioned, returned home and lived his life in secret before everything changed.
Rasa has got to be one of my favorite characters of this year. He stands outside of the bell curve, be it in terms of sexuality, politics, and national identity. One of the themes that stood out was when he did his studies in America. He wanted so bad to leave his country to embrace his sexual identity. Upon arriving at America, instead of that, everyone else see him for his ethnic identity. Irony kicks him harder when he started to become an activist for his country but then his own countrymen pointed out that he's am American now. Identity and self-making are huge themes within the book and Saleem Haddad did an amazing job, I think. Definitely recommend!
Rasa has got to be one of my favorite characters of this year. He stands outside of the bell curve, be it in terms of sexuality, politics, and national identity. One of the themes that stood out was when he did his studies in America. He wanted so bad to leave his country to embrace his sexual identity. Upon arriving at America, instead of that, everyone else see him for his ethnic identity. Irony kicks him harder when he started to become an activist for his country but then his own countrymen pointed out that he's am American now. Identity and self-making are huge themes within the book and Saleem Haddad did an amazing job, I think. Definitely recommend!
psycheros's review
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
nicolasvallaey's review against another edition
5.0
Vond dit echt een goed boek! Denk dat ik het zeker ga herlezen. Voelde echt alsof ik alles samen met het personage beleefde. De reflecties op de boeken die het personage las waren en van mijn favoriete delen
liv__28's review against another edition
- 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
5.0
juusosalmi_'s review against another edition
4.0
"Being gay, that wasn't for me. My homosexuality would leave me alienated wherever I went. In America the gay world touched my life at the margins, through references and images and occasional conversations with men and women who celebrated their homosexuality with pride. As far as I could see there was nothing to be proud about. There was only pain, humiliation, and shame."
Guapa written by Saleem Haddad, is a story set over the course of twenty-four hours. The story follows Rasa, a gay man living amid the political and social upheaval of an unnamed Arab country. Rasa spends his days translating for Western journalist and pining for the nights when he can sneak his lover, Taymour, into his room. One night Rasa's grandmother (the woman that raised him) catches them in bed together.
"Because Mama was upset a lot there were onions in everything: with our stuffed grape leaves, our bamia, our morning eggs, and our fresh fish on Fridays."
I found Haddad's writing to be extremely beautiful! I literally had to hold myself back from underlining every other sentence. I think he managed to describe all of the feelings Rasa felt almost perfectly!
"All around me I smelled loneliness and rejection, and it smelled like butter."
BUT, even if I found his writing to be gorgeous, I have to say, I was a bit confused throughout the reading experience. I think, I could have understood stuff better if I would have better understanding of Middle Eastern culture and history. I have hard time understanding what was actual reality and what was only fiction?! While Haddad wanted the readers to not really know which Middle Eastern country this book took place on, there were places (like al-Sharqiyeh) and other huge hints of what country this book may take place in. I also have no idea whether this book took place in current days or many centuries ago!? Maybe, I would have preferred to know better what was fiction and what was the truth, because this book just made me a bit confused. Maybe that was the point? I don't know...
"The possibility of abandonment colored what we had. The fear of it lingered between us, so that rejection became an ever-present threat. We were in competition, Taymour and I, over who would leave first. The threat of abandonment is worse than to be abandoned, I think. I couldn't stand the waiting, so I introduced Taymour to Leila."
While being written five years ago, I sadly doubt, books (and other media) like this one have caused any major change. This book is extremely important to read and to REALLY understand, I think, so that we could change the situation many Middle Eastern countries are at, in the moment. After the way Iranian government treats women (and sure, some other communities), has gotten more view on media, this book got a much deeper and more concrete basis, which was very needed! I think other people, may as well, have a poor understanding of Middle East, so I definitely think this book is very important and solid book to read and learn from!
I think this book is something I will be thinking of for quite some time!
Guapa written by Saleem Haddad, is a story set over the course of twenty-four hours. The story follows Rasa, a gay man living amid the political and social upheaval of an unnamed Arab country. Rasa spends his days translating for Western journalist and pining for the nights when he can sneak his lover, Taymour, into his room. One night Rasa's grandmother (the woman that raised him) catches them in bed together.
"Because Mama was upset a lot there were onions in everything: with our stuffed grape leaves, our bamia, our morning eggs, and our fresh fish on Fridays."
I found Haddad's writing to be extremely beautiful! I literally had to hold myself back from underlining every other sentence. I think he managed to describe all of the feelings Rasa felt almost perfectly!
"All around me I smelled loneliness and rejection, and it smelled like butter."
BUT, even if I found his writing to be gorgeous, I have to say, I was a bit confused throughout the reading experience. I think, I could have understood stuff better if I would have better understanding of Middle Eastern culture and history. I have hard time understanding what was actual reality and what was only fiction?! While Haddad wanted the readers to not really know which Middle Eastern country this book took place on, there were places (like al-Sharqiyeh) and other huge hints of what country this book may take place in. I also have no idea whether this book took place in current days or many centuries ago!? Maybe, I would have preferred to know better what was fiction and what was the truth, because this book just made me a bit confused. Maybe that was the point? I don't know...
"The possibility of abandonment colored what we had. The fear of it lingered between us, so that rejection became an ever-present threat. We were in competition, Taymour and I, over who would leave first. The threat of abandonment is worse than to be abandoned, I think. I couldn't stand the waiting, so I introduced Taymour to Leila."
While being written five years ago, I sadly doubt, books (and other media) like this one have caused any major change. This book is extremely important to read and to REALLY understand, I think, so that we could change the situation many Middle Eastern countries are at, in the moment. After the way Iranian government treats women (and sure, some other communities), has gotten more view on media, this book got a much deeper and more concrete basis, which was very needed! I think other people, may as well, have a poor understanding of Middle East, so I definitely think this book is very important and solid book to read and learn from!
I think this book is something I will be thinking of for quite some time!
sam_murray's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
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
3.25
staccatosounds's review
challenging
emotional
reflective
medium-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
4.25
searobin's review against another edition
3.5
I had a hard time getting through the middle of this, and don't feel the blurb on the back really fit the story, but I still really liked it.
paulineleonor's review
1.0
This is my first ever review on Goodreads and I wish it could be a positive one. Unfortunately, there is too much that is wrong about this book to give it more than one star.
The synopsis sells you a riveting story set over a 24-hour period, but even that is misleading. Rasa never looks for his friend Maj (he is actually told quite early one where Maj is and does very little about it) and the absence of tension, action and progress in the story is beyond frustrating.
All the characters are 1D cartoons — the closeted society man, the flamboyant queer, the romantic and passive gay man — and not one of them sees an ounce of character development. The writer doesn't even talk about the first time Rasa had sex with a man, which seems like an even that would have had some impact on Rasa. The whole middle section of the book (around 150 pages) is packed with memories, which not only affect the 24-hour rush the book promised, but also take us far from the actual situation and into stories about Rasa's mother and grandmother that add absolutely nothing to the story.
It's all unbelievably boring, slow, and pointless. There's no real resolution and you finish the last page having gained nothing and lost a whole lot of time. Also I can't believe how badly written this book is. I felt it the entire way but it was hard to ignore when I came across the words "I did a sad little vomit". Not sure why editors allowed that to be kept in.
All in all, a book I wish I hadn't read and one I certainly don't recommend.
The synopsis sells you a riveting story set over a 24-hour period, but even that is misleading. Rasa never looks for his friend Maj (he is actually told quite early one where Maj is and does very little about it) and the absence of tension, action and progress in the story is beyond frustrating.
All the characters are 1D cartoons — the closeted society man, the flamboyant queer, the romantic and passive gay man — and not one of them sees an ounce of character development. The writer doesn't even talk about the first time Rasa had sex with a man, which seems like an even that would have had some impact on Rasa. The whole middle section of the book (around 150 pages) is packed with memories, which not only affect the 24-hour rush the book promised, but also take us far from the actual situation and into stories about Rasa's mother and grandmother that add absolutely nothing to the story.
It's all unbelievably boring, slow, and pointless. There's no real resolution and you finish the last page having gained nothing and lost a whole lot of time. Also I can't believe how badly written this book is. I felt it the entire way but it was hard to ignore when I came across the words "I did a sad little vomit". Not sure why editors allowed that to be kept in.
All in all, a book I wish I hadn't read and one I certainly don't recommend.