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zach_l's review against another edition
No rating. I really struggle to assess this book. It is a tale of politics, corruption, poetry, and gardens with a heavy dose of magical realism. The story is really unlike any I have read before and that, combined with the rarity of Kurdish literature in English, makes it notable to begin with. But the book is also a challenging read: it has 500+ pages and I spent the first 1/3 of the book struggling to follow the plot and keep the characters straight (there are at least four different narrators). By halfway through the novel, I was following much more clearly.
The real shame of this book is that clearly much of the magic is lost in translation (especially the poetry and imaginary gardens which are main themes). I can only imagine how gorgeous the writing is in the original, but the English translation does not do it justice.
In short, I Stared at the Night of the City is a remarkable book that I am glad I read, but inherently resists a summary rating.
The real shame of this book is that clearly much of the magic is lost in translation (especially the poetry and imaginary gardens which are main themes). I can only imagine how gorgeous the writing is in the original, but the English translation does not do it justice.
In short, I Stared at the Night of the City is a remarkable book that I am glad I read, but inherently resists a summary rating.
alexsiddall's review against another edition
4.0
Repetitive and longwinded dialogue, but a fascinating and highly imaginative look at reality and fantasy, truth and imagination. Some laugh-out-loud moments; some memorable phrases; some extraordinary concepts and ideas.
garseta's review against another edition
Like no other book I've read. Makes a wonderful case for the importance of art and imagination in our lives.
hannah_sakura's review
adventurous
challenging
inspiring
mysterious
slow-paced
- 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
5.0
mbeaty91's review
5.0
The plot was engrossing, the characters were enchanting, and the settings were inspiring. I read this book because I read a Slate article about the first (known) translation of a Kurdish novel to English. It was worth the impulse buy.
Focusing on imagination--the use, obsession, and cultivation of it--this story brought me into a world completely foreign. It took place in Kurdistan as well as the mind of the narrators.
Though the plot was fairly straight forward, as it was a murder mystery, the way the story is woven (much like one of the characters carpets) makes it worth the read.
It wasn't an easy read, as the names were Kudish, and the story skipped years and narrators. But it was worth it.
Focusing on imagination--the use, obsession, and cultivation of it--this story brought me into a world completely foreign. It took place in Kurdistan as well as the mind of the narrators.
Though the plot was fairly straight forward, as it was a murder mystery, the way the story is woven (much like one of the characters carpets) makes it worth the read.
It wasn't an easy read, as the names were Kudish, and the story skipped years and narrators. But it was worth it.
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