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elwoodicious's review against another edition
5.0
Incandescent. The words ripple with electricity.
This is not an easy book, the tale loops back in and around itself and the narrative surges along in the mind of someone with profound emotional and mental issues. There are brief moments, early on, where al-Shaykh offers two additional perspectives that serve to underscore the tragedy of Zahra.
In the end, as a reader you are only there to bear witness, nothing more. Which makes for a more difficult read as nearly none of the characters choices make sense from the perspective of sitting comfortably, turning pages leisurely, viewing Zarha’s life.
It’s a worthwhile read: impactful, jarring, sad, and frightening.
This is not an easy book, the tale loops back in and around itself and the narrative surges along in the mind of someone with profound emotional and mental issues. There are brief moments, early on, where al-Shaykh offers two additional perspectives that serve to underscore the tragedy of Zahra.
In the end, as a reader you are only there to bear witness, nothing more. Which makes for a more difficult read as nearly none of the characters choices make sense from the perspective of sitting comfortably, turning pages leisurely, viewing Zarha’s life.
It’s a worthwhile read: impactful, jarring, sad, and frightening.
sarah_who_reads's review against another edition
4.0
It remains one of my "favorite" works of Arabic literature in translation. I'm not sure if "favorite" is a good word for this kind of story, though.
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