Reviews

Aaliyah has been translating great literature into Arabic for 50 years - a book a year. She then seals it in a box and stores it in her spare room. We learn about her quiet, lonely life in Beirut as we also learn about life and literature. There was much in this book that quotes authors I'm not familiar with, but it didn't take away from the rich reading experience and made me more determined to keep trying to "read the world". This book met the 2017 Reading challenge prompt: A book purchased at a used book sale.

truffe's review against another edition

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emotional reflective sad slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

girlbosslindsey's review against another edition

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dark reflective slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

at first i was like ughhh but then i kind of got into it. very meandering. just about the MCs life, in the past and present. love her neighbors

martha_imani's review against another edition

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reflective slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character

4.0

Cerebral

lauralauralaura's review against another edition

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4.0

Show, don't tell, how much pain and loneliness can be beneath just getting on with it and general judgment. Also, what difference just a bit of connection and kindness can make. Set in Beirut, which adds several layers of traumatic experience; also wonderfully human.

filiparferreira's review against another edition

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5.0

Que maravilha de livro. Uma mulher desnecessária, velha, solitária, isolada do resto da sociedade, dedicada a uma paixão também desnecessária pela literatura, que lhe traz sentido.

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