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rieviolet's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
informative
reflective
medium-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
4.0
I actually enjoyed the book much more than I had expected going into it. I really liked the first section set in Algeria and I got to experience a place and time that I'm not at all familiar with.
I found the second and third sections less compelling (maybe because they veer towards a more "literary ficton-y" style that is not entirely my cup of tea) but I still appreciated a lot the nuanced reflections on the immigrant experience and the connected themes of assimilation, integration, and self-identity.
Overall I liked the writing style, but at times it was a bit too much convoluted and there were some more experimental bits that I did not particularly care for.
In the first section, there are some episodes that are already quite gruesome as it is, where I felt like the very specific details were added a bit unnecessarily, sort of like throwaway specifications just for shock value. I could also have done without a very explicit circumcision scene.
I found the second and third sections less compelling (maybe because they veer towards a more "literary ficton-y" style that is not entirely my cup of tea) but I still appreciated a lot the nuanced reflections on the immigrant experience and the connected themes of assimilation, integration, and self-identity.
Overall I liked the writing style, but at times it was a bit too much convoluted and there were some more experimental bits that I did not particularly care for.
In the first section, there are some episodes that are already quite gruesome as it is, where I felt like the very specific details were added a bit unnecessarily, sort of like throwaway specifications just for shock value. I could also have done without a very explicit circumcision scene.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Islamophobia, Police brutality, Racial slurs, Sexism, War, Gore, Murder, Racism, Grief, Violence, Blood, Colonisation, Death, Injury/Injury detail, and Torture
Moderate: Confinement, Child death, Gun violence, Mass/school shootings, Adult/minor relationship, Fire/Fire injury, Infidelity, Animal death, and Sexual content
Minor: Drug use, Antisemitism, Cancer, Death of parent, Excrement, Pregnancy, Terminal illness, Alcoholism, Infertility, Kidnapping, Medical trauma, Religious bigotry, and Suicide attempt
serendipitysbooks's review
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
I first heard about The Art of Losing when it was named on the shortlist for the Dublin Literary Award so I’m especially glad it was shortlisted. It’s got so many elements that appeal to me as a reader I would have hated to have missed it. It’s a multi-generational family story and focusses on themes like colonisation, immigration, racism, knowing and understanding your roots, and of course family. I always appreciate a little novelty in my reading, when a book exposes me to things I didn’t previously know. In this novel that came because these issues were explored in the context of the Algerian-French relationship. It was interesting to note the commonalities as well as the differences when compared to similar stories from America or the United Kingdom. The treatment of harkis (Algerian Muslims who remained loyal to France during Algeria’s fight for independence) particularly caught my attention. The writing and translation were both strong - nothing felt flat or struck me as clunky as I read. The personal family story and the wider political background were well balanced. As a reader I felt I was given enough information to understand the political situation but never felt overburdened by large info dumps. All up an interesting, well-told story - just what I want in my reading life.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence and Racism
Moderate: Death
the_literarylinguist's review against another edition
challenging
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Sexual content, Racial slurs, Racism, Islamophobia, Gun violence, and Death
Moderate: Child death, Cursing, Confinement, and Infidelity
Minor: Kidnapping, Panic attacks/disorders, and Mass/school shootings
astridrv's review against another edition
emotional
informative
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
An in-depth exploration of one family's story of loss, grief and growth in relation to the war in Algeria. I was really excited about reading this book. It reads easily, it is very informative, and struck a chord at some pages. I am glad to have spent time with these characters, but in the end, I was not overly impressed with the writing or the structure. I would have made different choices in terms of narration - although I get that the occasional presence of a first person narrator may be useful to avoid the obvious parallel between the author and one character, I feel like it would have been more organic to just let it be and the additional voice felt like an interference. The way different time frames were woven into each other also did not feel very strong to me. As for the writing, it is accessible (which is good!) but a bit too simple and direct for me (nothing hidden, no surprises, all the character's layers were right on the surface). I am still grateful for what I learned.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child death, Death, and Violence
Minor: Animal death and Panic attacks/disorders
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