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teaviant13's review
3.0
girl, I had to take a few breaks from this one. Heartbreaking and really thought provoking. It is magical realism in a way that I haven't seen it before. Magical realism involving a queer man mourning his lover dead of AIDS and his own deteriorating mental health.
It was one of those books that had such poignant magical lyricism and a lot of filler. Parts of the book practically broke me open and then some of it, I couldn't care less. I would have liked it to be more consistent but I am certainly glad that I read it.
It was one of those books that had such poignant magical lyricism and a lot of filler. Parts of the book practically broke me open and then some of it, I couldn't care less. I would have liked it to be more consistent but I am certainly glad that I read it.
aguaa's review
5.0
beautiful! painful! critical! satan is so funny + the saints' descriptions!!! iconic
"when the day came for me to leave, i carried a small potted plant in a paper bag, a sage for my tummy aches, its green leaves with goose bumps peeking above the top of the bag, an old arab tradition, travel with earth, with home mud, stay rooted to your land. palestinian refugees kept keys to their houses for generations, hidden in boxes, in kerchiefs, their adult children's children not knowing what the houses looked like or where they were, yet they cherished the keys, and in a poem bertolt brecht compared himself to a man who carried a brick to show how beautiful his house once was, and the nice lebanese stewardess who watched over me took the sage away when i boarded and forgot to return it when she delivered me to my father."
"not only do we drink from the black river, we drop bodies into it as well, objects we once loved, tools we once used, rusted treasure litters the bottom of lethe."
"when the day came for me to leave, i carried a small potted plant in a paper bag, a sage for my tummy aches, its green leaves with goose bumps peeking above the top of the bag, an old arab tradition, travel with earth, with home mud, stay rooted to your land. palestinian refugees kept keys to their houses for generations, hidden in boxes, in kerchiefs, their adult children's children not knowing what the houses looked like or where they were, yet they cherished the keys, and in a poem bertolt brecht compared himself to a man who carried a brick to show how beautiful his house once was, and the nice lebanese stewardess who watched over me took the sage away when i boarded and forgot to return it when she delivered me to my father."
"not only do we drink from the black river, we drop bodies into it as well, objects we once loved, tools we once used, rusted treasure litters the bottom of lethe."
noahbw's review
4.0
This book is weird, but it grew on me. Irregular narrative construction, bizarre and beautiful (and sometimes disturbing) cast of characters, contemplation of memory and grief.
chaptersbydani's review
It’s so bizarre. I can’t figure out what it’s about. I do like the personified Death and Satan. I hate how vulgar they are at. I have no idea what the plot is supposed to be and, at 30%, I should have something.
nuhafariha's review
4.0
This is more like a series of stories than any of Almeddine's other books, so it lacks a sense of cohesion. But the stories themselves are powerful and surreal contemplations on current day issues, LGBTQ movement, America, the Middle East and religion. Dense reading but fun.
kellycavolo's review against another edition
dark
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? Yes
4.0
sparksinthevoid's review
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0