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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
colin_cox's review
4.0
In "Theses on the Philosophy of History," Frankfurt School critic Walter Benjamin, while assessing the philosophical significance of Paul Klee's "Angelus Novas," explains that history is: "an angel looking as though he is about to move away from something he is fixedly contemplating. His eyes are staring, his mouth is open, his wings are spread. This is how one pictures the angel of history. His face is turned toward the past. Where we perceive a chain of events, he sees one single catastrophe which keeps piling wreckage upon wreckage and hurls it in front of his feet. The angel would like to stay, awaken the dead, and make whole what has been smashed. But a storm is blowing from Paradise; it has got caught in his wings with such violence that the angel can no longer close them. The storm irresistibly propels him into the future to which his back is turned, while the pile of debris before him grows skyward. This storm is what we call progress" (249). Benjamin's attention to "wreckage" as a defining characteristic or result of "progress," reconfigures our collective understanding of what we have and have not accomplished. The sense that we have unwittingly gone awry defines a modern condition that is, as Benjamin's angel realizes, nearly impossible to correct or as Benjamin describes, "awaken."
Borrowing from Benjamin, Rabih Alameddine's novel, The Angel of History, dramatizes the psychological turmoil of a man in crisis. Throughout the book, Jacob, an Arabian-born poet, remembers with horrific detail the ways in which the AIDS epidemic decimated the gay community in the 1980s and laments the world's inability to see this crisis for what it was. Knowing Benjamin and his thoughts on history and progress make Alameddine's allusions far easier to understand and by extension, extremely rewarding. The Angel of History is a serious and at times whimsical piece of literature that uses language and narrative form in smart, inventive, and thought-provoking ways.
Borrowing from Benjamin, Rabih Alameddine's novel, The Angel of History, dramatizes the psychological turmoil of a man in crisis. Throughout the book, Jacob, an Arabian-born poet, remembers with horrific detail the ways in which the AIDS epidemic decimated the gay community in the 1980s and laments the world's inability to see this crisis for what it was. Knowing Benjamin and his thoughts on history and progress make Alameddine's allusions far easier to understand and by extension, extremely rewarding. The Angel of History is a serious and at times whimsical piece of literature that uses language and narrative form in smart, inventive, and thought-provoking ways.
vivacissimx's review against another edition
3.0
Reflections:
1. Warning for mildly liberal and self-effacing use of the n-word by a non-Black Arab. I understand that was more normal in a specific era, so it is what it is, but definitely jarring if you're not expecting it.
2. Reading this book is the first and only time in my life that suffering through Paradise Lost at 13 has paid off.
3. Did you ever read Allen Ginsberg and think, good start, but not enough gay self-hatred? Well!
4. "I was left alive so I could be lonely," isn't that just the way of it.
1. Warning for mildly liberal and self-effacing use of the n-word by a non-Black Arab. I understand that was more normal in a specific era, so it is what it is, but definitely jarring if you're not expecting it.
2. Reading this book is the first and only time in my life that suffering through Paradise Lost at 13 has paid off.
3. Did you ever read Allen Ginsberg and think, good start, but not enough gay self-hatred? Well!
4. "I was left alive so I could be lonely," isn't that just the way of it.
eunicek82's review against another edition
challenging
dark
reflective
slow-paced
4.0
I’m so impressed with his writing but some of it was a bit too opaque for me to fully enjoy it. Even still, the pain of the AIDS crisis was evident on the page and getting it through the perspective of a Yemeni immigrant was a unique perspective. The writing is raw and his imagination is wild. One of the short stories that is written by the main character had my jaw on the floor. Read this when you are in the mood for fiction that pushes against the boundaries.
moerenavillasenor's review
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
barkylee15's review
You know how sometimes you just take a break from a book for reasons that don't have to do with the book (need to read something else or just don't have the time) and then when it's time to come back you realize, you just don't want to? That's what happened to me with this novel. It wasn't bad, it just wasn't all that interesting to me - not a ton of plot and too literary for my taste. So sadly, it's a DNF for me.
mbondlamberty's review
4.0
I really enjoyed this book as I do most of Alameddine's work. Why not 5 stars, well it is a hard topic, suffused with sadness and even on vacation (or is it especially on vacation?) one does not feel like rushing back to read something sad.
The opening captivated me immediately but (spoiler alert!) reading about betrayal/infidelity and a plague's impact is not easy.
I know it is the sign of a good writer to make you think they are writing from experience, but it was a little disappointing at the end to learn of all the research that Alameddine had to do on this book, but that obviously does not distract from the story.
Also wish the fate of the mother had been fully revealed but that I suppose is the author's prerogative too.
So good read with a perspective of events not always discussed in history books.
The opening captivated me immediately but (spoiler alert!) reading about betrayal/infidelity and a plague's impact is not easy.
I know it is the sign of a good writer to make you think they are writing from experience, but it was a little disappointing at the end to learn of all the research that Alameddine had to do on this book, but that obviously does not distract from the story.
Also wish the fate of the mother had been fully revealed but that I suppose is the author's prerogative too.
So good read with a perspective of events not always discussed in history books.
hanahighway's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
tense
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
3.5
theskyboi's review
challenging
dark
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Honestly, I had expected so much from this book. A man is battling with the devil, and he wonders whether he should be hospitalized for a psychotic episode. On the surface, the story seemed to be delivering a powerful, meaningful message, but I cannot help but wonder if I was the ideal audience member for this spectacle.
What I will commend the author for is the quality of the short stories interspersed within the novel; these are not at all directly related to the story, but they were so much richer and more well developed than any of the scenes starring the protagonist, Jacob. It seemed that there were too many storylines competing for my attention in order for me to truly enjoy this work.
Another portion of this book that did seem redeemable to me were the tales of Jacob's childhood, where he was raised by the women of the brothel that his mother worked at. Sad and tortured though it was, this story carried with it hope for a better future and the candid vulnerability of life seen through a child's innocence. Were the novel entirely based upon this, I feel it would have faired better.
Adding to the mix of fictional stories penned by Jacob, his life's retrospective, and his conversations with the devil are the memories of his lost family. First, he details how he lost connection with his mother, and later as an adult, he grapples with the devastating loss of his partner and his closest friends during the AIDS crisis. As powerful as this message should have been, it suffered the same fate as other portions of this busy book.
Least effective of all were the tales of Jacob's masochistic sexual exploits, which bordered on abuse, and the inclusion of various whimsical and somewhat queer interpretations of Christian saints for the devil to volley back and forth with as he determined what to do with Jacob's soul. I feel that these two gruesome and boring segments, respectively, were the final nail in the coffin, killing any chance of artistic impact.
To someone else, this novel might have served as some abstract experimentation of the written word, but to me, it was an unfinished draft that left me questioning whether the author had too many simultaneous ambitions for his own good. While I still had a good time with some of the aforementioned sections, I still wish I had not been dealt a string of unfinished books that were poorly stitched together.
What I will commend the author for is the quality of the short stories interspersed within the novel; these are not at all directly related to the story, but they were so much richer and more well developed than any of the scenes starring the protagonist, Jacob. It seemed that there were too many storylines competing for my attention in order for me to truly enjoy this work.
Another portion of this book that did seem redeemable to me were the tales of Jacob's childhood, where he was raised by the women of the brothel that his mother worked at. Sad and tortured though it was, this story carried with it hope for a better future and the candid vulnerability of life seen through a child's innocence. Were the novel entirely based upon this, I feel it would have faired better.
Adding to the mix of fictional stories penned by Jacob, his life's retrospective, and his conversations with the devil are the memories of his lost family. First, he details how he lost connection with his mother, and later as an adult, he grapples with the devastating loss of his partner and his closest friends during the AIDS crisis. As powerful as this message should have been, it suffered the same fate as other portions of this busy book.
Least effective of all were the tales of Jacob's masochistic sexual exploits, which bordered on abuse, and the inclusion of various whimsical and somewhat queer interpretations of Christian saints for the devil to volley back and forth with as he determined what to do with Jacob's soul. I feel that these two gruesome and boring segments, respectively, were the final nail in the coffin, killing any chance of artistic impact.
To someone else, this novel might have served as some abstract experimentation of the written word, but to me, it was an unfinished draft that left me questioning whether the author had too many simultaneous ambitions for his own good. While I still had a good time with some of the aforementioned sections, I still wish I had not been dealt a string of unfinished books that were poorly stitched together.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Sexual violence, War, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Violence, Confinement, Suicidal thoughts, Alcohol, Chronic illness, Cursing, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Islamophobia, Medical content, Medical trauma, Physical abuse, Rape, Religious bigotry, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Slavery, and Xenophobia
zadel's review
4.0
"You had friends, Satan said, you loved and were loved, you must not forget that, at least not that. But did I allow anyone in, I asked Satan, and he said, Did you, does anyone?"
Page 246
Page 246