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4.08 AVERAGE
4.08 AVERAGE
I've been seeing that Homeland Elegies is on many Best of 2020 lists, but I was unprepared for what an engrossing read it is. It makes sense -- Akhtar is a playwright so he has a strong feel for dramatic arc and storytelling. Still, I would not have expected to be so deeply moved and so entertained at the same time. Great book.
This is a hard book to rate. It was sort of a stream of consciousness format for much of the book until closer to the end. The point of the book was really unclear for most of it. Had it been written in short story format, maybe it would have worked a little better. That said, the stories were really interesting and It was well-written. It was a long slog for 2/3 of the book, but had a much more defined ending.
Disappointing and schizophrenic. The parts of the book focusing on the author's (presumed) Muslim experience in America are the most effective, and the most compelling. There's also some trenchant observations, and an interesting, though too short, perspective on the practically unprecedented, and unexpected, influence of Robert Bork. Unfortunately, large chunks of the book needlessly detail the author's (again presumed) sex life, and frequently depict other people in a harsh and negative light - without providing any narrative or other value to the reader. Despite being a Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright, the author frequently describes events or shares information out of order, which when done purposefully and well can be very powerful, but in this case it seems done for, again, no discernible narrative value.
I will say that the author made a wonderful narrator, and deserves 4 or 5 stars for that. The content itself, however, does not.
I will say that the author made a wonderful narrator, and deserves 4 or 5 stars for that. The content itself, however, does not.
Elegy: (noun) a poem of serious reflection, typically a lament for the dead.
There is as much ambiguity and ambivalence in that title as you'll find in this novel that reads like a memoir. Ostensibly a narrative of the author's own search for identity, the book is also a cogent (often searing) analysis of American identity, the tension between its promise and its reality, especially for people of color.
There is as much ambiguity and ambivalence in that title as you'll find in this novel that reads like a memoir. Ostensibly a narrative of the author's own search for identity, the book is also a cogent (often searing) analysis of American identity, the tension between its promise and its reality, especially for people of color.
I adored reading this book, and I want to capture for myself that I put down a book I wasn't enjoying to pick this up. I'm often reluctant to abandon a book, but this was a good reminder to abandon freely because there are always great books to pick up instead!
The story here was very compelling (and I have to admit that I often did wonder what was fact or fiction, while at the same time thinking that it didn't really matter to me, and then coming back to the question and wondering why it persisted so much for me), but the language was what really kept me enthralled. I think I kindle-highlighted a greater fraction of this book than any other book I've read!
The story here was very compelling (and I have to admit that I often did wonder what was fact or fiction, while at the same time thinking that it didn't really matter to me, and then coming back to the question and wondering why it persisted so much for me), but the language was what really kept me enthralled. I think I kindle-highlighted a greater fraction of this book than any other book I've read!
Fiction but with enough facts that I learned some things. Author used at least 5 words that I've never seen before and a few I wasn't familiar with. A depressing take on the US, but I found the disillusionment very relatable.
I suppose I was mistaken about the premise of the book. Or perhaps the first few paragraphs lead me down the wrong path. A book about Muslim American or American Muslim identity is not what the reader will get. The book focused on an American exploring what ails America and Americans, including himself.
The author described his book as a novel, though there is nothing novel -like about this work. The book is organized as a memoir; the writer’s name and those of his parents are used, as well as the town he grew up, his college, and his place of residence.
The writer stated in an interview that some parts of the book are true and others fictional. As I read on, I became skeptical of the entire narrative. Fact and fiction are frequently confused nowadays in the media—especially by some— so why not have a book that includes both but not explaining which is which? Or who is who? And what is what?
My problem--little is accomplished or communicated except confusion. Perhaps this technique is more effective on stage? Mr.Ahktar has written several plays to wide acclaim.
I agree with the writer’s political opinions. However, the protagonist—who may or may not be the writer—often indulges in what he has spent pages criticizing. The main character is a hypocrite in these cases. Perhaps that is the writer's intention, but it confabulated the message of the book. I missed a main point; the work contains a great deal of wandering.
Outrageous characters and excessive behavior is described ad nauseum. Bragging? Truth? And what about the misogyny--not one positive female character, except one lawyer.
The long and short of this review is the following: Is the writer playing with the reader, confusing us for some outlandish artistic purpose? Is the book an absurd portrait of a love/hate relationship with the U.S.A.? Is the wealthy, Ivy League educated author shocking the readers because he can or as revenge?
I, too, can engage in the abusurdist viewpoint--nothing is real, true, etc. There is a place for such philosophy in literature. So was the joke on us, the readers?
The author described his book as a novel, though there is nothing novel -like about this work. The book is organized as a memoir; the writer’s name and those of his parents are used, as well as the town he grew up, his college, and his place of residence.
The writer stated in an interview that some parts of the book are true and others fictional. As I read on, I became skeptical of the entire narrative. Fact and fiction are frequently confused nowadays in the media—especially by some— so why not have a book that includes both but not explaining which is which? Or who is who? And what is what?
My problem--little is accomplished or communicated except confusion. Perhaps this technique is more effective on stage? Mr.Ahktar has written several plays to wide acclaim.
I agree with the writer’s political opinions. However, the protagonist—who may or may not be the writer—often indulges in what he has spent pages criticizing. The main character is a hypocrite in these cases. Perhaps that is the writer's intention, but it confabulated the message of the book. I missed a main point; the work contains a great deal of wandering.
Outrageous characters and excessive behavior is described ad nauseum. Bragging? Truth? And what about the misogyny--not one positive female character, except one lawyer.
The long and short of this review is the following: Is the writer playing with the reader, confusing us for some outlandish artistic purpose? Is the book an absurd portrait of a love/hate relationship with the U.S.A.? Is the wealthy, Ivy League educated author shocking the readers because he can or as revenge?
I, too, can engage in the abusurdist viewpoint--nothing is real, true, etc. There is a place for such philosophy in literature. So was the joke on us, the readers?
A good narrative about the struggle the author went through as a Muslim after 9/11
I had a really hard time getting into this one as my mind couldn't quite figure it out. I kept checking over and over again to see that is was in fact a novel, not a memoir, because it easily could be. The narrator's voice is clear and I enjoyed the progression throughout the book, especially the relationship between father and son.