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3.63 AVERAGE
3.63 AVERAGE
Very thought-provoking book. I really enjoyed it. The character of Mo was complicated and deep. I really liked how the story didn't fall into the cliche, typical stereotypes on either side of the fence.
So much more could have been done with the content and the characters were very 2 dimensional. An okay read for one time.
One of the worst movies I've ever seen is Crash. In the same vein (and by the same writers) of Traffic, it's a movie that takes a certain idea or concept, maps it out in ridiculously black and white terms, and then takes a two hour cluebat to your psyche. In Crash, everyone's a little bit racist (except for those who are not, and are thus nothing more than pure victims), in Traffic, drugs may be bad but the drug war is worse. It's a knowing nod to those who are considered informed by the creators - as long as you agree with what the creators are peddling.
The Submission is effectively the literary version of this artistic illustration of such confirmation bias. In The Submission, we land in the story right when a design for a 11 September memorial is about to be chosen. The committee has done so via a blind selection process, and it turns out that the winning design is created by a Muslim man. The story follows the main people involved in the process, including the designer.
Whether you're sympathetic or hostile to the ideas pushed forward in the book is of little consequence to the end result, which is a straightforward narrative where anyone who is not on the correct side of the issue is a caricature of actual human beings, and ends up reading more like an NPR junkie's idea of what certain groups act like. It's a book begging to be handsold in an independent bookstore, in which like-minded people can nod at each other because, like in the films spoken above, they get it and everyone else does not. While it's (obviously) insulting to those that it's supposed to insult, it's also insulting to thinking people who may be otherwise sympathetic to a lot of what is described in the book, as I am. One can make a narrative with a message without condescending upon those it seeks to lampoon. It's not satire, but it might have worked better with its tongue firmly in cheek.
There's good writing here, for sure, but it's weighed down by the message-sending and attitude. It's unfortunate.
The Submission is effectively the literary version of this artistic illustration of such confirmation bias. In The Submission, we land in the story right when a design for a 11 September memorial is about to be chosen. The committee has done so via a blind selection process, and it turns out that the winning design is created by a Muslim man. The story follows the main people involved in the process, including the designer.
Whether you're sympathetic or hostile to the ideas pushed forward in the book is of little consequence to the end result, which is a straightforward narrative where anyone who is not on the correct side of the issue is a caricature of actual human beings, and ends up reading more like an NPR junkie's idea of what certain groups act like. It's a book begging to be handsold in an independent bookstore, in which like-minded people can nod at each other because, like in the films spoken above, they get it and everyone else does not. While it's (obviously) insulting to those that it's supposed to insult, it's also insulting to thinking people who may be otherwise sympathetic to a lot of what is described in the book, as I am. One can make a narrative with a message without condescending upon those it seeks to lampoon. It's not satire, but it might have worked better with its tongue firmly in cheek.
There's good writing here, for sure, but it's weighed down by the message-sending and attitude. It's unfortunate.
This book was not a quick read for me. It was hard to get through because of how probable the story is. Well worth it.
Really absorbing! The writing, characterization and plotting are fairly straight-forward and middle-of-the-road - though there are some read-out-loud bits (I particularly liked the line about a disappointing middle-aged son pushing unrealized potential before him like a baby carriage). I wonder if it will age well, given its timeliness and the final chapter which takes place 20 years in the future (and which could read badly thirty years hence, depending), but it's a good read for right now.
This stellar book displayed the raw grief after 9/11 and paranoia towards Muslims ten years on in an ingenious way. Highly recommend.
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A jury gathers in Manhatten to choose the perfect memorial design. Except the anonymous winner is Mohammad Khan - a Muslim. What follows is a battle for power as his only jury defender, widow Claire, is pressured to denounce him. When news of his win leaks to the press, outraged family members, hungry journalists, roused activists and Mo himself join the debate on how best to understand a national tragedy.
~
How relevant is Mo's observation that "Someone among them understood the manipulation of space" today?
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A jury gathers in Manhatten to choose the perfect memorial design. Except the anonymous winner is Mohammad Khan - a Muslim. What follows is a battle for power as his only jury defender, widow Claire, is pressured to denounce him. When news of his win leaks to the press, outraged family members, hungry journalists, roused activists and Mo himself join the debate on how best to understand a national tragedy.
~
How relevant is Mo's observation that "Someone among them understood the manipulation of space" today?
This is a hard book! Hard in that the realism of the characters can be almost frustrating. While reading it I was constantly angry even with characters I agreed with for the way they went about things. I feel this is a very good book for people to read to better understand many different aspects of how they present themselves, but I also feel like it is not the sort of book that would be capable of changing a mind.
challenging
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
This was an excellent book that probes levels of trust and racism after 9/11
One of the best pieces of fiction that I have read in quite some time. My sympathies kept changing as the book moved & I'm unsettled by the ending & I think that's the point. Read it!