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paeandbooks's review
5.0
Phew. took me a few times to re-read so here we are.
Googling Manas would bring you different meanings, but centred around the same theme: the mind, the thinking, intelligence…and in Manaschi, we’re took thru folklore tales, only to be infused with Shamanic power.
The story follows Bekesh, a radio presenter, dream on Baisal, his foster-father standing with his pet eagle on his hand, holding a milk. When he drank the milk, a hoard of horsemen charges in, and explosion ensues. and then, Bekesh woke up. few moments later, he received the news that Baisal passed away.
Baisal was a manaschi, the one with knowledge on Kyrgyz national epic, much like Hikayat Hang Tuah for Malaysian. Soon Bekesh forges the connection with the pet eagle and people used to be around him, like Da-pan, and telling Manas, with some influence on modern twist.
Took me a while to understand the concept of Manas because whew, it’s HEAVY. However once I get the hang of it, Manaschi was a smooth flow. A little folklore, full of twist on Kyrgyz and Tajiks culture, some sentiments of Chinese and a whole lots of..imagination. Not an easy read, but enjoyable much..so I guess it worth the ride.
Googling Manas would bring you different meanings, but centred around the same theme: the mind, the thinking, intelligence…and in Manaschi, we’re took thru folklore tales, only to be infused with Shamanic power.
The story follows Bekesh, a radio presenter, dream on Baisal, his foster-father standing with his pet eagle on his hand, holding a milk. When he drank the milk, a hoard of horsemen charges in, and explosion ensues. and then, Bekesh woke up. few moments later, he received the news that Baisal passed away.
Baisal was a manaschi, the one with knowledge on Kyrgyz national epic, much like Hikayat Hang Tuah for Malaysian. Soon Bekesh forges the connection with the pet eagle and people used to be around him, like Da-pan, and telling Manas, with some influence on modern twist.
Took me a while to understand the concept of Manas because whew, it’s HEAVY. However once I get the hang of it, Manaschi was a smooth flow. A little folklore, full of twist on Kyrgyz and Tajiks culture, some sentiments of Chinese and a whole lots of..imagination. Not an easy read, but enjoyable much..so I guess it worth the ride.
nadesreads's review
Wasn't in the right mood for it. I haven't picked it up in months. I'll give it another shot once the weather gets cooler.
carolinethereader's review
3.0
Manaschi is a really solid book by Hamid Ismailov, translated from Uzbek by Donald Rayfield and released in 2021 by Tilted Axis Press.
Set in a mountain village between Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, it explores the impact of storytelling and gives some insight into the clash between cultures. We see the differences between Kyrgyz and Tajiks, the importance of religion and the epic Manas poem. We see traditional views clash with more traditional. A lot of this is conveyed through proverbs and excerpts from the Manas.
I enjoyed this book but felt it was a little slow until past the halfway point when things got juicy. I think at times, I was struggling because there is a lot of history between the nations that I was not fully getting. The writing could also be hard to understand at times though I am not sure if this was a translation issue (or a my brain issue) or just the way the original was written.
Set in a mountain village between Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, it explores the impact of storytelling and gives some insight into the clash between cultures. We see the differences between Kyrgyz and Tajiks, the importance of religion and the epic Manas poem. We see traditional views clash with more traditional. A lot of this is conveyed through proverbs and excerpts from the Manas.
I enjoyed this book but felt it was a little slow until past the halfway point when things got juicy. I think at times, I was struggling because there is a lot of history between the nations that I was not fully getting. The writing could also be hard to understand at times though I am not sure if this was a translation issue (or a my brain issue) or just the way the original was written.
bjork5ever's review
4.0
wild! I loved reading this, I love anyone badass enough to centre their story around an epic like the Manas. I thoroughly enjoyed the experience of being stumped by confuddling phrases and idioms that were rightfully not translated. The first half of the novel was so spectacular, setting up this thrilling tension- with the Kyrgyz/Tajik conflict, the mullah and his influence on Dapan, the Chinese construction crew, and especially Bekesh (the lead protagonist), who is troubled by his own inadequacies and fearing fate and his own burden as a potential Manas reciter... all these fascinating interconnected characters and cultural relationships provided so much to work with but I feel the story fell flat in after the second act. Shame. Pacing was a bit odd as well...slowing down to digest strange details but speeding past important plot moments.
All that said, this book fucking rocked. I enjoyed the experience and the writing was amazing. 4 stars!
All that said, this book fucking rocked. I enjoyed the experience and the writing was amazing. 4 stars!
tiagoalves's review
adventurous
challenging
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
sasuke's review
4.0
This is a hard book to follow if you, like me, go in completely ignorant of the cultural and social context of Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, and all the various ethnic and religious groups for whom that border is a contentious place and between whom there are historical tensions underlying complex relationships in modern times. Even so it was an interesting read to get a sense of the above, even without a deep understanding, and to interrogate the power of narrative, oral history and storytelling, parables, and idioms.
emmaahel's review
My least favourite part of a story is always the dreams. Hate it, don’t know why. This book is nothing but dreams. Obviously not for me.
davidc_'s review
4.0
Manaschi explores how storytelling shapes who we are, both individually and as a people. Set in the mountains of southern Kyrgyzstan along the Tajikistan border, where the modern world coexists uneasily with tradition, Manaschi follows a young man who returns to his remote village after the death of his uncle. The story navigates between various modalities: tradition and modernity, shamanism and Islam, Turkish and Farsi. Through parables and quixotic proverbs, Ismailov shows how narrative shapes our identity, how culture is created or destroyed, and how boundaries can be reinforced or transcended.
pepperthephoenix's review
emotional
reflective
sad
fast-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
5.0
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