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balladofreadingqueer's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.0
I enjoyed this short story collection. Many of the stories covered experiences of the Ethiopian civil war and people who left the country. It covers death, family, sex and relationships.
remigves's review
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
shablakapi's review
dark
emotional
funny
informative
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
stunnerz25's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
4.0
filaughn's review
4.0
I went into this knowing that the anthology wasn't exactly classic noir. Mazaa Mengiste said on a podcast that "the noir of it was less about crime and more about intimate or personal terrors or horrors that might creep in from the outside" - and I could see that clearly. I was fine with that, and this is certainly a dark collection with a lot of the elements of noir without ever fully being a prototypical part of the genre.
As with all anthologies, some of these stories work better than others. Mengiste's own stands out as excellent and I added Meron Hadero's upcoming short story collection to my TBR on the basis of her work here. Girma Fantaye's also stood out. There is a strong thread through many of these stories around experiences during the Derg, afterwards, and the national trauma and legacy around that period. Many of the stories also have dark magical realism elements - generally these work really well in the stories, and I appreciated them.
Overall, I don't know if it's technically "Noir" or not, but I highly recommend reading it.
As with all anthologies, some of these stories work better than others. Mengiste's own stands out as excellent and I added Meron Hadero's upcoming short story collection to my TBR on the basis of her work here. Girma Fantaye's also stood out. There is a strong thread through many of these stories around experiences during the Derg, afterwards, and the national trauma and legacy around that period. Many of the stories also have dark magical realism elements - generally these work really well in the stories, and I appreciated them.
Overall, I don't know if it's technically "Noir" or not, but I highly recommend reading it.
abookstereotype1's review
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This collection of short stories was my first noir and I really enjoyed it!
bizzerg's review
dark
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
muga's review against another edition
3.0
First we mourn the grief we bear, and then later we mourn the grief we’ve caused.”...
Out of 14 stories i think, only two moved me. I feel like there wasn't the degree of nihilism that I usually expect from noir stories. But I really enjoyed the glimpses of addis ababan culture so overall it wasn't a total loss
Out of 14 stories i think, only two moved me. I feel like there wasn't the degree of nihilism that I usually expect from noir stories. But I really enjoyed the glimpses of addis ababan culture so overall it wasn't a total loss
sannereadstheworld's review
I always love a short story collection as a way of finding new authors and this collection is a great way to get to know some Ethiopian authors.
As with all collections, some stories grab you more than others, but overall this is a very strong bunch of short stories. The theme of 'noir' is very broadly interpreted - some stories don't necessarily have a crime element, others have supernatural elements, or deal with the traumatic recent Ethiopian history. If you're looking for a collection of purely noir fiction, this is not for you. It is of far more interest for readers wanting to sample works from a wide variety of contemporary Ethiopian authors.
The stories I enjoyed the most in the order in which they appear in the collection:
- Ostrich by Rebecca Fisseha
- Dust, Ash, Flight by Maaza Mengiste
Both of these deal with the trauma of the DERG regime and I love the emotional depth in both stories
- Father Bread by Mikael Awake
I love myself a story with a twist. And this twist was just ... WOW. This story is spooky!
- A night in Bela Sefer by Sulaiman Addonia
This is the best story of the entire collection - perhaps the best short story I will read this year. Queer, disturbing, creepy and perfectly atmospheric. Perfection. Clearly I need to read more by this author!
As with all collections, some stories grab you more than others, but overall this is a very strong bunch of short stories. The theme of 'noir' is very broadly interpreted - some stories don't necessarily have a crime element, others have supernatural elements, or deal with the traumatic recent Ethiopian history. If you're looking for a collection of purely noir fiction, this is not for you. It is of far more interest for readers wanting to sample works from a wide variety of contemporary Ethiopian authors.
The stories I enjoyed the most in the order in which they appear in the collection:
- Ostrich by Rebecca Fisseha
- Dust, Ash, Flight by Maaza Mengiste
Both of these deal with the trauma of the DERG regime and I love the emotional depth in both stories
- Father Bread by Mikael Awake
I love myself a story with a twist. And this twist was just ... WOW. This story is spooky!
- A night in Bela Sefer by Sulaiman Addonia
This is the best story of the entire collection - perhaps the best short story I will read this year. Queer, disturbing, creepy and perfectly atmospheric. Perfection. Clearly I need to read more by this author!
lmg's review against another edition
4.0
Reading the fourteen original stories in Addis Ababa Noir took me to a place I know little about and allowed me to experience different parts of the city through the imaginations of the authors. The book is published in the Akashic Noir series, and betrayal, violence, and death are everywhere. The specter of the Ethiopian Red Terror looms large as well.
The book is divided into four sections: Past Hauntings, Translations of Grief, Madness Descends, and Police and Thieves. While I enjoyed all of the stories, four in particular will stay with me. "A Double Edged Inheritance" by Hannah Giorgis and "Ostrich" by Rebecca Fisseha tell the stories of women living abroad who return to Ethiopia with questions whose answers entangle their own histories with that of their country. Dread sidles up to the reader at the beginning of Solomon Hailemariam's "None of Your Business" and lingers beyond the final words. And the characters in editor Maaza Mengiste's own contribution, "Dust, Ash, Flight," put themselves through a hell that rips the scabs off of their emotional wounds while even as it lets them hold onto the hope of resolution and maybe even redemption.
My enjoyment of Addis Ababa Noir is a great incentive to read more of many of these authors. Thanks to LibraryThing for the advanced reading copy.
The book is divided into four sections: Past Hauntings, Translations of Grief, Madness Descends, and Police and Thieves. While I enjoyed all of the stories, four in particular will stay with me. "A Double Edged Inheritance" by Hannah Giorgis and "Ostrich" by Rebecca Fisseha tell the stories of women living abroad who return to Ethiopia with questions whose answers entangle their own histories with that of their country. Dread sidles up to the reader at the beginning of Solomon Hailemariam's "None of Your Business" and lingers beyond the final words. And the characters in editor Maaza Mengiste's own contribution, "Dust, Ash, Flight," put themselves through a hell that rips the scabs off of their emotional wounds while even as it lets them hold onto the hope of resolution and maybe even redemption.
My enjoyment of Addis Ababa Noir is a great incentive to read more of many of these authors. Thanks to LibraryThing for the advanced reading copy.