Reviews

The Map of Love by Ahdaf Soueif

stitchingirl908's review against another edition

4.0

I did like this book. There were times I was a bit confused because it goes back and forth between two time periods (perhaps I was less focused than I should have been) It got easier as the book went on and I think I would like to read it again at some point. Also, there is a little dictionary in the back of words and phrases. I didn't realize this until several chapters into the book.

bookworm_with_a_brew's review against another edition

adventurous emotional informative medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? N/A
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

3.5

sincerely_pilar's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful informative sad tense slow-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? No

5.0

ronjalex's review against another edition

adventurous emotional relaxing 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

3.5

annreadsabook's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

alisonjfields's review against another edition

2.0

It's midnight at the Oasis. The air is dry and warm, scented of Jasmine and a beautiful, spunky blonde Englishwoman in drag bewitches the sensitive, progressive Egyptian man in the shadow of the great ruins in one of several highly cinematic encounters written several decades too late for Omar Sharif and Julie Christie to play the protagonists.

I didn't hate this book (though it takes several strange, unadvised turns--at least once into a bizarre and unresolved issue of incest), but the framework (family saga+sex+politics)is pretty trite. If Isabel Allende married a Muslim, moved to Cairo and tried mimic E.M. Forster, this is probably what you'd get.

There is always at least one gem in the Booker shortlists . . . this was not one of them.

krobart's review against another edition

4.0

See my review here:

http://whatmeread.wordpress.com/tag/the-map-of-love/

rachelll2020's review against another edition

adventurous emotional sad slow-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

3.0

margyly's review against another edition

4.0

Two parallel love stories set in Cairo. Lovely.

susanbrooks's review against another edition

3.0

A love story between an English woman and an Egyptian man in the early 1900's was interesting. Competing story lines and political history not so much.