Scan barcode
flyingfox02's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
4.5
A very poignant memoir of Hisham Matar's return to Libya in search of answers regarding his father, a prominent and respected activist who was kidnapped in 1990 by Libyan dictatorship. It is beautifully written; lyrical prose and philosophical observations interlace with the hard factual overview of historical events. Much of the history I was ignorant to. I am in awe of the resilience, patience, strength, perseverance that Matar and his family have shown all of their lives (multiple other members of the family were also activists and kidnapped). I've never (and God willing will never) experienced anything close to the kind of horror and desperation described in this memoir, but I think in Matar's reflections about grief and hope there's a little something that everyone can understand and relate to.
toniclark's review against another edition
5.0
This is Hisham Matar’s memoir of his journey home to his native Libya, after 30 years in exile, to search for information about his father’s disappearance, incarceration, and probable death at the hands of Qaddafi. Brilliant and extremely moving. Gorgeous audio by the author.
willfstringer's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
slow-paced
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Police brutality, Grief, Death, Torture, Gun violence, War, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Death of parent, and Murder
essjay1's review against another edition
4.0
I was interested to hear about this from the authors perspective, some have criticised the time line and the emotive tone but I liked it. Matar writes about how his fathers abduction and probable murder at the hands of Gaddafis regime in Libya impacted his life, consuming him and his family for many years.
tsentas's review
4.0
A deeply personal story which at its core details the abduction and search for the author's father. The Return is both a moving meditation on loss bookended by the agonizing conflict between quixotic hope and grief-bound acceptance, and a historical snapshot of Libya from liberation to revolution. Well written and affecting throughout.