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3.9 AVERAGE
3.9 AVERAGE
Beautiful, elegiac. A play on the concept of Arabian Nights/One Thousand and One Nights, Hakawati takes the role of Scheherazade; many years past (close to the reader’s present) he was a Syrian refugee, a gay man who first experienced violence due to his identity and later due to the brutality of war. But he escaped and made a life in Vancouver with his partner, they learned how to live in a place of peace and find happiness, until this future point where his partner is dying. The king that Hakawati is forestalling with stories is Death, manifested in full reaper fashion. Each night Hakawati tells stories of his childhood, relieving the painful memories, as if suffering by itself can be a means of survival. Inevitably it’s a bit of a disjointed book, but the experiences documented are crucial. Link to booklog
this book is so sad, and it just made me really grateful for my home and city, and the freedom that i have to walk around without fear. in conclusion, fuck all homophobes.
השנה היא אי שם בעתיד (משהו כמו שנת 2,064) וזוג הומואים בני כשמונים חיים בוונקובר. אחד מהם גוסס והשני אל-חכוואתי (מספר הסיפורים) מספר לו סיפורים, כמו שחרזדה, כדי שלא ילך ממנו. הסיפורים חלקם זכרונות וחלקם זכרונות מעובדים, מתארים את חייהם בסוריה בזמן המרד של 2011 (ואת פליטותם במצריים ובלבנון עד הגעתם לקנדה), את תולדות משפחתם, את תולדותיהם כהומואים ולסביות בחברה שמרנית תחת מלחמה, אהבותיהם ואת המוות שמסביבם ובתוכם.
זהו לכאורה סיפור חיים ובעצם סיפור על מוות שנמצא בתוכנו וכאן בספר הזה המוות הוא ממש בן משפחה, כמעט חבר.
הסיפורים פיוטיים ויפים, כמה מהתיאורים בספר ריגשו אותי מאוד (בעיקר הקטע בו איך המוות הגיע לחייו אחרי פטירת אביו); המהלך של מבט לאחור לעבר שהוא בעצם ההווה שלנו והתיאורים על חייהם שם, עוצמתי מאוד וממחיש בלי להטיף את מצבם של הומואים ולסביות במדינות ערב כמעט היום.
ובעיקר מעל הכל, זהו ספר יפהפה על זוגיות ארוכת שנים, על אהבה למרות הכל.
זהו לכאורה סיפור חיים ובעצם סיפור על מוות שנמצא בתוכנו וכאן בספר הזה המוות הוא ממש בן משפחה, כמעט חבר.
הסיפורים פיוטיים ויפים, כמה מהתיאורים בספר ריגשו אותי מאוד (בעיקר הקטע בו איך המוות הגיע לחייו אחרי פטירת אביו); המהלך של מבט לאחור לעבר שהוא בעצם ההווה שלנו והתיאורים על חייהם שם, עוצמתי מאוד וממחיש בלי להטיף את מצבם של הומואים ולסביות במדינות ערב כמעט היום.
ובעיקר מעל הכל, זהו ספר יפהפה על זוגיות ארוכת שנים, על אהבה למרות הכל.
dark
emotional
informative
inspiring
sad
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:
Complicated
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
Nom nom nom I ate these prose right up, they were delectable. My first observation of this book was my god this font is small but it did not deter me whatsoever as I lapped up this book in the 27 degree heat in Ireland.
The prose reflecting on past life was expertly crafted and the introduction of a character for impending death was very interestingly done. The passage pertaining to his mother and the clothesline swing when she was still of sane mind and our main character was reminiscing on those easy times where he was living with family, preparing meals for iftar during Ramadan and being dragged to mosque for prayers but not wanting to go, finding value only in getting sweets en route home particularly stood out to me. The community he built and how his house back in Syria became the hub for his friends (queer people). The memories of this mother when the illness took over were particularly heart wrenching and the more we learned of his father the less I liked him but the bond between him and his partner was extraordinary and what I yearn for.
I recently read the seven moons of maali almedia and so many passages and bits of this reminded me of that book in so many ways which I thought was very interesting. The experience in countries riddled with conflict and war can be very similar as people seek out community to ignore the hardships.
The prose reflecting on past life was expertly crafted and the introduction of a character for impending death was very interestingly done. The passage pertaining to his mother and the clothesline swing when she was still of sane mind and our main character was reminiscing on those easy times where he was living with family, preparing meals for iftar during Ramadan and being dragged to mosque for prayers but not wanting to go, finding value only in getting sweets en route home particularly stood out to me. The community he built and how his house back in Syria became the hub for his friends (queer people). The memories of this mother when the illness took over were particularly heart wrenching and the more we learned of his father the less I liked him but the bond between him and his partner was extraordinary and what I yearn for.
I recently read the seven moons of maali almedia and so many passages and bits of this reminded me of that book in so many ways which I thought was very interesting. The experience in countries riddled with conflict and war can be very similar as people seek out community to ignore the hardships.
emotional
relaxing
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
a beautiful mosaic of stories, told through grief over the nearing end of the storyteller's lover
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gun violence, Hate crime, Homophobia, Rape, Violence, Antisemitism, War, Injury/Injury detail
adventurous
challenging
informative
reflective
sad
tense
fast-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:
Complicated
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
challenging
emotional
reflective
slow-paced