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owenblacker's review
challenging
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
4.0
The Way it Breaks is a lushly described visit to the author’s native Cyprus, telling us not only the story of the 4 protagonists — including a bisexual man, a polyamorous asexual man and 2 women important in both their lives — but also giving us a feel for Lemesos and some of the impact that the Soviet collapse has added to the long and diverse history of this jewel of the Eastern Mediterranean. As Dr David Gordon Wilson 🇪🇺🇬🇧🇨🇾🏳️🌈 put it in his review (which you should read), Cyprus is “an island whose geography makes it a valuable prize, yet never rich and powerful enough in its own right to resist those who would possess and use it”, which is part of why all Polis’s characters having complex, layered identities. I’ll quote Wilson’s review again, as he put it far better than I could:
These are rich characters, and we access their inner lives because the author tells the tale from the perspective of different characters in different chapters, which become shorter and more focused as the tale develops, and the possibilities open to them narrow. As we follow the characters, seeing how they use their inheritances to navigate life and grow, we see also how choices can leave us boxed in, reducing our available options. Yet this is still growth, for progress in life is so often about choosing which doorways to leave closed, as much as those we choose to open and enter.
… It has been said often that character is fate but this book reminds us that history is also fate, for in human beings, these two are interwoven, like the strands of the baskets crafted by the village women.
Again, you should go read Dr Wilson’s review, which is far better-written, far more detailed and far more interesting than I could manage, not least on the deeper thoughts inspired by Polis’s writing. Also, go read this thread by Polis, about an anecdote that made its way into the book.
Finally, I should disclaim that Polis is a friend of mine, though the only way in which this has influenced this review is by making me take longer on it (over 6 months since finishing the book!), to ensure that my review does his work justice. I’m not sure I’ve achieved that, tbh, but you should get hold of a copy of his gorgeous prose and step into the lives of his characters so you can obviate the need for me to have done a better job 😉
Content Warnings
Graphic: Biphobia, Body shaming, Death, Fatphobia, and Terminal illness
Moderate: Racism
Minor: Car accident
CN: poor self-image, including internalised fatphobia; racism; death of relative
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