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Before getting to the story, I'll start with the fact that Rawi Hage is brilliant, original (any riff on Kafka is coincidental, I think), imaginative and musical. There's a pace and thythm to his words and images that captivated me even when the narrative remained sprawling as opposed to forward-driving.
Narrated in first person by a nameless character who has immigrated to Montreal from Beirut at a time perhaps late 80s or early 90s (nobody uses a cell phone), the protagonist is an anti-hero. A B&E artist in his home country, he continues to practice that craft in Montreal, though typically selecting the homes of those he knows. He collects welfare, bums cigarettes, gets high, befriends and then steals from bourgeois acquaintences, resorts to threats and violence, and beds as many women as possible. Oh, and he often imagines himself as a cockroach.
The cockroach as metaphor for immigrant/outsider isn't quite cut-and-dry, however. There are strong indications it is also manifestation of a mental illness which may be consuming him. Perhaps traceable to memories and events concerning his sister in Beirut, or maybe organic, or a bit of both. But there are many scenes when the world is evocatively described from the ground up, so to speak, and it's not always clear if it's mere imagination since the narrator's details of his cockroach journey take on a highly granular and specific level of detail and vision. Confusing at times for me, but I liked it.
The story itself is initially the day-to-day travails of the narrator post-suicide attempt, as he meets with a court-appointed therapist and we learn some of his life story this way. With much of the rest of the story coalescing around his efforts to get high, have sex, feed himself and stay warm in winter, and generally deriding those around him as either bourgeoise or posers among the immigrant (mostly Iranian) circle with whom he's acquainted. He eventually makes a notable exception for Shohreh, an Iranian immigrant with whom he builds greater intimacy which may or may not be love.
It's only perhaps two-thirds to three-quarters through that a more linear narrative surfaces, as a powerful member of the Iranian regime pops up at the restaurant where our narrator works as busboy. From that point, the drama heightens and races towards a rather rapid climax. The speed with which the final scene plays out and story ends didn't bother me since I felt I could imagine the cockroach's next manouever (as I believe we're meant to do). And even though there's a almost npolemical quality to this aspect of the story, it seems warranted and I didn't find it too heavy-handed, especially from the perspective of the story's characters.
For me this was a rich story that combined in some ways the European surrealist or absurdist traditions of Kafka and Camus with Canadian immigrant/outsider tales from Richler or Ricci. Quite a feat and a terrific book.
Narrated in first person by a nameless character who has immigrated to Montreal from Beirut at a time perhaps late 80s or early 90s (nobody uses a cell phone), the protagonist is an anti-hero. A B&E artist in his home country, he continues to practice that craft in Montreal, though typically selecting the homes of those he knows. He collects welfare, bums cigarettes, gets high, befriends and then steals from bourgeois acquaintences, resorts to threats and violence, and beds as many women as possible. Oh, and he often imagines himself as a cockroach.
The cockroach as metaphor for immigrant/outsider isn't quite cut-and-dry, however. There are strong indications it is also manifestation of a mental illness which may be consuming him. Perhaps traceable to memories and events concerning his sister in Beirut, or maybe organic, or a bit of both. But there are many scenes when the world is evocatively described from the ground up, so to speak, and it's not always clear if it's mere imagination since the narrator's details of his cockroach journey take on a highly granular and specific level of detail and vision. Confusing at times for me, but I liked it.
The story itself is initially the day-to-day travails of the narrator post-suicide attempt, as he meets with a court-appointed therapist and we learn some of his life story this way. With much of the rest of the story coalescing around his efforts to get high, have sex, feed himself and stay warm in winter, and generally deriding those around him as either bourgeoise or posers among the immigrant (mostly Iranian) circle with whom he's acquainted. He eventually makes a notable exception for Shohreh, an Iranian immigrant with whom he builds greater intimacy which may or may not be love.
It's only perhaps two-thirds to three-quarters through that a more linear narrative surfaces, as a powerful member of the Iranian regime pops up at the restaurant where our narrator works as busboy. From that point, the drama heightens and races towards a rather rapid climax. The speed with which the final scene plays out and story ends didn't bother me since I felt I could imagine the cockroach's next manouever (as I believe we're meant to do). And even though there's a almost npolemical quality to this aspect of the story, it seems warranted and I didn't find it too heavy-handed, especially from the perspective of the story's characters.
For me this was a rich story that combined in some ways the European surrealist or absurdist traditions of Kafka and Camus with Canadian immigrant/outsider tales from Richler or Ricci. Quite a feat and a terrific book.
I didn't enjoy this book. I read it since it's part of Canada Reads 2014. I felt no connection with the narrator and felt the book went nowhere. It is certainly not plot driven. The people he encounters are not likeable at all.
This was an incredibly bizarre and uncomfortable read. I wasn't rooting for the main character but I did want to see how far he could go. I was not disappointed, he redeemed himself in the end, in my opinion.
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Well written. The overall theme touches on some pretty heavy topics and intentionally uses a rougher presentation of them to dig into the reader. Not the typical way you may want to hear about something but that's probably the point. The main character's inner monologue at times reminded me of the catcher in the rye.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Drug use, Gun violence, Rape, Violence, War
Oh this one was dark! I had heard about it from Canada Reads and knew it was totally my type of book. This was actually a lot more raw and disturbing than I thought it would be, but I couldnt put it down. I'll have to come back to this review once I stew a while! Excellent!
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
obsessed.... a piece where surrealism and realism meet and nothing could've prepared me for how i'd feel these last 5 days. A real life, with very real problems but with a touch of insanity, cockroach successfully represents the normal life of an immigrant going through "l3orba" and a very dark past. I cannot describe how much I enjoyed this book.
dark
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
reflective
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
An absolutely mesmerizing read. Incredible voice. A must read.