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joanauve's review
challenging
dark
informative
mysterious
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
katy_bee's review
challenging
dark
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
This was interesting, but a difficult read. I've looked at a couple of other reviews and the word used which I think I'm looking for is dense. It interweaves two stories, the- largely true- last year and subs quent death of the Uzbek writer Abdulla Qodiriy when he was imprisoned by the NKVD targeting intelligensia in Stalin's purges of the 1930s and the novel about 19th century Uzbek dynastic history he had been writing and continues to imagine to help him deal with his imprisonment.
I felt I took a lot on faith in believing that the poetry and the lives of the characters in the second story reflect Abulla's situation. I simply don't know enough about the region or the time to get all the references and names of important people. Elements which I suspect may have had emotional impact in the original didn't resonate and the translated poetry which was declared to be breathtaking simply isn't in English (at least to me). I found I did a fair amount of summarising the passage I'd just read and accepting I'd probably missed much of it.
Despite that- which is obviously my limitation, not the author's- I was genuinely curious to find out what happened to both Abdulla and Oyxon/Nodira and wanted to come back to the book to read more. It's made me curious to learn more about both recent and older history of Uzbekistan
I felt I took a lot on faith in believing that the poetry and the lives of the characters in the second story reflect Abulla's situation. I simply don't know enough about the region or the time to get all the references and names of important people. Elements which I suspect may have had emotional impact in the original didn't resonate and the translated poetry which was declared to be breathtaking simply isn't in English (at least to me). I found I did a fair amount of summarising the passage I'd just read and accepting I'd probably missed much of it.
Despite that- which is obviously my limitation, not the author's- I was genuinely curious to find out what happened to both Abdulla and Oyxon/Nodira and wanted to come back to the book to read more. It's made me curious to learn more about both recent and older history of Uzbekistan
Content Warnings
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail and Police brutality
Moderate: Colonisation, Death, Pregnancy, and Sexual violence
paulap's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
2.75
This was a story based on a real Uzbek writer spending time in prison in the early 1900s. It grapples with both religion and the government treatment, especially by the Russians. It was very literary, but also very dense. I felt I didn't engage enough with the book, although I could see the merit of the book.
octavia_cade's review against another edition
challenging
dark
informative
reflective
sad
slow-paced
3.0
I enjoyed this, but I have to wonder if I would like it better if I had more familiarity with the history and culture involved. There are really two stories going on here: the first, which frames the narrative, is a fictionalised account of the imprisonment and subsequent execution of the Uzbek writer Abdulla Qodiriy in one of Stalin's many purges of people who might have disagreed with him even once, or could potentially do so in the future. I've had a similar story published on the Soviet biochemist Lina Stern, who was also persecuted in this way (but who thankfully survived) so I was interested to read a longer and more writer-centric version. Qodiriy was apparently working on his own historical novel, also set in Uzbekistan, at the time of his arrest. This work has been lost, and Ismailov tries to recreate it, having Qodiriy plotting out the story during his detention... but the stories begin to blur together, as deprivation, torture, and fear make Qodiriy stumble through his own creation.
It's very cleverly done - or at least I can see it's been cleverly done, even if I don't understand the extent of the cleverness. There's clearly a lot of historical and literary resonance here that I just don't get - time to add some central Asian history books to my to-read pile - and that's especially so when it comes to the poetry that's been included here. Uzbekistan, apparently, has a long and distinguished history of poetry, and of course I don't know anything about that either (I say with exasperation, annoyed at my own ignorance). Oh well, more background reading for me to do, then. As it is, there are times when I found this a little scattered, a little too fragmented... but I'm pretty sure it's my own lack of understanding that's contributing most to this impression.
It's very cleverly done - or at least I can see it's been cleverly done, even if I don't understand the extent of the cleverness. There's clearly a lot of historical and literary resonance here that I just don't get - time to add some central Asian history books to my to-read pile - and that's especially so when it comes to the poetry that's been included here. Uzbekistan, apparently, has a long and distinguished history of poetry, and of course I don't know anything about that either (I say with exasperation, annoyed at my own ignorance). Oh well, more background reading for me to do, then. As it is, there are times when I found this a little scattered, a little too fragmented... but I'm pretty sure it's my own lack of understanding that's contributing most to this impression.
fruitsandbarley's review
challenging
dark
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
jochno's review against another edition
4.0
Whilst it was a bit slow to start and is initially difficult to understand if you don't know anything at all about Uzbek history, you soon become initiated into what is in all senses of the word, two novels in one. The first is of the writer, now political prisoner, Abdulla Qodiriy and the second is of his famous lost manuscript which he is writing in his head in jail. A book that is well-worth reading and certainly grew on me as it progressed.
sar4_ggg's review
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
zoemcl's review
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
You could not make literature out of meaningless death. Death had to interact with life. Life was not more expressive than love, because love was a life-giving force.
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a difficult read due to dense language mixed with a slow pace and horrific subject matter. however, a comprehensive and informative look at Uzbek history (although as i went into this blind, i didn't learn until halfway that it was all based on real people and history...heartbreaking).
a difficult read due to dense language mixed with a slow pace and horrific subject matter. however, a comprehensive and informative look at Uzbek history (although as i went into this blind, i didn't learn until halfway that it was all based on real people and history...heartbreaking).
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Toxic relationship, Violence, Death, and Domestic abuse
Moderate: Rape and Sexual assault
Minor: Child death