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3.62 AVERAGE
3.62 AVERAGE
challenging
emotional
informative
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The Submission details the story of a contest to design the 9/11 memorial. The winning design is chosen by a blind jury that is unaware of who designed each submission. When it turns out that a Muslim, Mohammed Khan, submitted the winning design, essentially all hell breaks loose.
This book handles its subject matter very well - - showing the issue from every possible angle: the families', the media, the contest winner, the American Muslim community, etc.
This novel was extremely realistic . . .to the point that I almost didn't feel like I was reading a novel. Until the final chapter, it almost read more like an in-depth news expose.
Not quite sure why I couldn't give this five stars. It's very well done, but I think because it is SO focused, and also has a lot of messaging, I think that the impact of the book as a whole is a little bit dulled. I didn't quite care enough about the characters because I didn't see quite enough of their lives outside of the particular specific issue with which they were dealing.
At any rate, if you are interested in 9/11, I definitely would put this on your list. I also feel it would be an excellent book club read with lots to discuss.
This book handles its subject matter very well - - showing the issue from every possible angle: the families', the media, the contest winner, the American Muslim community, etc.
This novel was extremely realistic . . .to the point that I almost didn't feel like I was reading a novel. Until the final chapter, it almost read more like an in-depth news expose.
Not quite sure why I couldn't give this five stars. It's very well done, but I think because it is SO focused, and also has a lot of messaging, I think that the impact of the book as a whole is a little bit dulled. I didn't quite care enough about the characters because I didn't see quite enough of their lives outside of the particular specific issue with which they were dealing.
At any rate, if you are interested in 9/11, I definitely would put this on your list. I also feel it would be an excellent book club read with lots to discuss.
dark
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Liked that the characters, whichever side of the issue they fell on, were portrayed with some depth. Their motivations were not just ideological ones; they were as much driven by their personal attributes and failings, as they were by what "side" they were on. I also think that the book created a level of discomfort for the reader because the discourse was so divided and often ugly, and what seems "right" one moment, can suddenly shift. Mo was by far my favorite character, because he was not made into a villain or a victim: he behaved precisely the way some intelligent, handsome, talented, charismatic men act--like a dbag.
adventurous
dark
emotional
Gelezen in vertaling: "De inzending"
9/11: Ground Zero...
Een architectuurwedstrijd wordt uitgeschreven voor het ontwerpen van een monument ter nagedachtenis van de slachtoffers. Na lang beraad kiest de jury voor "De Tuin": een poëtisch natuurmonument dat schril afsteekt tegen de andere - geweigerde - inzending (staal en beton). Als de auteur van de bekroonde inzending bekend wordt gemaakt, begint dit onwaarschijnlijke verhaal te lopen: de winnaar blijkt een "Mohammed Kahn" te heten... Een moslim? Er is veel discussie en ophef in deze roman. Kahn blijkt eigenlijk een natuurlijke Amerikaan te zijn die met de Islam niet veel te maken heeft. Ironisch gezien ziet men op den duur in zijn monument een symbool voor het "paradijs" voor moslims... Journalisten, radicale moslim-haters, verenigingen van slachtoffers en zelfs islamitische groeperingen zwermen rond het hoofd van de arme architect. Er moet een dode vallen om uiteindelijk Kahn te doen zwichten: hij trekt zich terug in India, wordt een bekend architect op wereldniveau en... vindt toenadering tot het geloof... Het einde is onthullend: verzoening? Wraak? Een zeer clever geschreven roman met veel durf voor uitdagende vragen...Hoe onze visies op iets gekleurd en ongenuanceerd zijn, hoe iemand zijn naam alleen problemen voor hem kan opleveren, hoe de journalistiek ons in de war brengt... Soms zijn er wel wat te veel personages en kleine situaties die het hoofdthema - Kahn en zijn ontwerp - op de achtergrond plaatsen. Een beetje langdradig misschien - maar toch spannend en zeer goeie politieke thriller.
9/11: Ground Zero...
Een architectuurwedstrijd wordt uitgeschreven voor het ontwerpen van een monument ter nagedachtenis van de slachtoffers. Na lang beraad kiest de jury voor "De Tuin": een poëtisch natuurmonument dat schril afsteekt tegen de andere - geweigerde - inzending (staal en beton). Als de auteur van de bekroonde inzending bekend wordt gemaakt, begint dit onwaarschijnlijke verhaal te lopen: de winnaar blijkt een "Mohammed Kahn" te heten... Een moslim? Er is veel discussie en ophef in deze roman. Kahn blijkt eigenlijk een natuurlijke Amerikaan te zijn die met de Islam niet veel te maken heeft. Ironisch gezien ziet men op den duur in zijn monument een symbool voor het "paradijs" voor moslims... Journalisten, radicale moslim-haters, verenigingen van slachtoffers en zelfs islamitische groeperingen zwermen rond het hoofd van de arme architect. Er moet een dode vallen om uiteindelijk Kahn te doen zwichten: hij trekt zich terug in India, wordt een bekend architect op wereldniveau en... vindt toenadering tot het geloof... Het einde is onthullend: verzoening? Wraak? Een zeer clever geschreven roman met veel durf voor uitdagende vragen...Hoe onze visies op iets gekleurd en ongenuanceerd zijn, hoe iemand zijn naam alleen problemen voor hem kan opleveren, hoe de journalistiek ons in de war brengt... Soms zijn er wel wat te veel personages en kleine situaties die het hoofdthema - Kahn en zijn ontwerp - op de achtergrond plaatsen. Een beetje langdradig misschien - maar toch spannend en zeer goeie politieke thriller.
THis was such an interesting premise that was surprisingly well constructed. The characters were thoughtful and interesting, and the prose was actually quite beautiful and evocative. I hadn't expected this from a first time novelist and former journalist. Anyway, many sides of the situation to look at which causes the reader to examine his or her own prejudices. Just how deep does your openness and understanding go? I found myself changing my mind about these characters often, and the book did not end exactly as I thought it would, but it made perfect sense to me.
This book was a little disturbing for me-probably because it is so well-written. The premise is that 2 years after 9/11, a memorial committee has chosen an architect to build a memorial at the sight. The twist is that the architect, who remained anonymous until the design was chosen, is an Arab American. This twist creates the conflict that pits character against character and character against self. Some characters simply choose sides--we must not condemn all Arabs for the acts of these few vs. we must see that the acts of these few prove that Arabs cannot be trusted. For other characters, the sides are not so clear. Does choosing this architect strike a blow for them or for us? Does denying him his win mean they win--or would it be allowing him to build his Garden Paradise that allows them to win? Should we build a memorial that is a lightening rod for so much controversy and stress? Waldman does not really ever answer the question--and I was never really able to answer the question for myself--but, even though I was disturbed by some of the ugliness portrayed in the book, I was also immersed in it and feel richer for having read it.
A jury of artists, historians, architects, and a family member of a victim judge the anonymous submissions of designs for a 9/11 memorial at the site of the WTC. They unknowingly select the design submitted by a Muslim American. And all hell breaks loose.
This book had a very New York-y rhythm and vibe that hooked me immediately (I guess it's like riding a bike...). Like Bonfire of the Vanities and the wannabe Visits from the Goon Squad, a large and disparate group of people react and interact around the main plot point, and like any large and disparate group of people, some characters were admirable, others sleazy, others thoroughly unlikable, others break-your-heart courageous, etc. Waldman's writing style was deceptively simple - she straightforwardly tells her story and sits back and lets the reader take the emotional and intellectual journey on their own. That was the perfect choice for this challenging and thought-provoking tale. It felt good to search my soul and engage my brain. I began and ended the book with the same set of opinions on this "controversial" topic, but I still needed to exercise my muscles a bit to defend my views.
This book had a very New York-y rhythm and vibe that hooked me immediately (I guess it's like riding a bike...). Like Bonfire of the Vanities and the wannabe Visits from the Goon Squad, a large and disparate group of people react and interact around the main plot point, and like any large and disparate group of people, some characters were admirable, others sleazy, others thoroughly unlikable, others break-your-heart courageous, etc. Waldman's writing style was deceptively simple - she straightforwardly tells her story and sits back and lets the reader take the emotional and intellectual journey on their own. That was the perfect choice for this challenging and thought-provoking tale. It felt good to search my soul and engage my brain. I began and ended the book with the same set of opinions on this "controversial" topic, but I still needed to exercise my muscles a bit to defend my views.