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4.05 AVERAGE
4.05 AVERAGE
dark
informative
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
N/A
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Murder, War
Moderate: Islamophobia
Minor: Rape
emotional
informative
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
medium-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:
Complicated
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
N/A
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
All my reviews live at https://deedispeaking.com/reads/.
TL;DR REVIEW:
The Haunting of Hajji Hotak is a fantastic collection featuring characters either from or in Afghanistan. I found it both wrenching and full of heart.
For you if: You like great short stories and/or want to read more Afghan-American literature.
FULL REVIEW:
The Haunting of Haaji Hotak is a finalist for this year’s National Book Award, and after reading it, I’m not surprised. It’s a masterful collection, equally wrenching and full of heart. I liked it a lot and am glad I read it.
Each of the stories in this collection focuses on characters who are either living in Afghanistan (usually the province of Logar), or else Afghan / Afghan Americans living in California. Some of them are loosely connected, orbiting around a man who built a life in California before an injury led to a workers’ compensation battle and financial hardship. Many of the stories also have different formats, which gave the collection overall more texture and helped each story stand out.
As he explores the ideas of survival, family, home, and the generational trauma of war, Kochai engages with the war on terror but purposefully calls attention to stereotypes by refusing to either refute or acknowledge them at all — his characters simply be, their stories simply are.
Kochai’s writing pulses with life, and there were a lot of stories here that really impressed me. The first one and the last one are especially noteworthy, as other reviewers have said, but I also really loved “Enough.” I actually listened to that one on audio while out for a run, and as soon as I finished it, I rewound and started it over from the beginning. Gutting.
If you’re a short stories person, this one is worth picking up.
TL;DR REVIEW:
The Haunting of Hajji Hotak is a fantastic collection featuring characters either from or in Afghanistan. I found it both wrenching and full of heart.
For you if: You like great short stories and/or want to read more Afghan-American literature.
FULL REVIEW:
The Haunting of Haaji Hotak is a finalist for this year’s National Book Award, and after reading it, I’m not surprised. It’s a masterful collection, equally wrenching and full of heart. I liked it a lot and am glad I read it.
Each of the stories in this collection focuses on characters who are either living in Afghanistan (usually the province of Logar), or else Afghan / Afghan Americans living in California. Some of them are loosely connected, orbiting around a man who built a life in California before an injury led to a workers’ compensation battle and financial hardship. Many of the stories also have different formats, which gave the collection overall more texture and helped each story stand out.
As he explores the ideas of survival, family, home, and the generational trauma of war, Kochai engages with the war on terror but purposefully calls attention to stereotypes by refusing to either refute or acknowledge them at all — his characters simply be, their stories simply are.
Kochai’s writing pulses with life, and there were a lot of stories here that really impressed me. The first one and the last one are especially noteworthy, as other reviewers have said, but I also really loved “Enough.” I actually listened to that one on audio while out for a run, and as soon as I finished it, I rewound and started it over from the beginning. Gutting.
If you’re a short stories person, this one is worth picking up.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Islamophobia, War
Moderate: Kidnapping
dark
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Murder, War
Moderate: Pedophilia
dark
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Islamophobia, War
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
fast-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:
Complicated
adventurous
challenging
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
informative
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No