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rosekk's review
4.0
I admired the concept of a book that went out of its way to expose people to art/culture from nations we usually only see in negative news reports. One book isn't nearly enough to counter-balance what we commonly see of these places, of course, but it's something.
Of the stories and poems themselves, they were a mixed bag. Some of them grabbed me, and I'd be curious to read more by those authors. Others did little for me. Some were interesting just because of the different perspective, and others were odd in that they didn't feel much different from a lot of modern Western literature. The collection would probably have averaged out to 3 stars, except I'd like to see more translated and published from places like these, so feel compelled to bump up my rating out of hope for future volumes.
Of the stories and poems themselves, they were a mixed bag. Some of them grabbed me, and I'd be curious to read more by those authors. Others did little for me. Some were interesting just because of the different perspective, and others were odd in that they didn't feel much different from a lot of modern Western literature. The collection would probably have averaged out to 3 stars, except I'd like to see more translated and published from places like these, so feel compelled to bump up my rating out of hope for future volumes.
steveatwaywords's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
informative
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Western/English readers should not search this book looking to satisfy their desire for "great reads" or works which imitate or emulate what we have grown accustomed to. As reviewers on Goodreads have (unfortunately) stated, some of the readings here come across as "dull" or "unfinished." And while I don't want to accuse them of some Eurocentric expectations, such an approach to these readings is exactly what the Words Without Borders editors sought to transform a bit.
So my five stars are both for the project itself--which cannot be overstated in its importance, though there has been precious little to find of a similar nature since its publication--but for the writers themselves who, whether resident or cast about in some political diaspora, chose to write despite, chose to write because of, chose to write in defiance of, chose to write to process their experiences, their understanding of the worlds which too often have abandoned them from a broader global readership just as our world has abandoned them culturally and materially. The blurring of memories (as Libyan cities are shelled and occupied by plumes of differing nations), the longing for stability (even as a soldier seeking a single cup of tea), the quaffing of imagination (from an Iranian teacher or a North Korean writers collective) are all on vivid display here.
Read this to engage those experiences, to discover viewpoints and styles which emerge from circumstances often unimaginable to the readers who will discover this collection. And yes, read it for its literary power, as well, from writers most of us have never before heard. I have only one criticism of this work as an initial project which must be continued: it is not nearly enough.
So my five stars are both for the project itself--which cannot be overstated in its importance, though there has been precious little to find of a similar nature since its publication--but for the writers themselves who, whether resident or cast about in some political diaspora, chose to write despite, chose to write because of, chose to write in defiance of, chose to write to process their experiences, their understanding of the worlds which too often have abandoned them from a broader global readership just as our world has abandoned them culturally and materially. The blurring of memories (as Libyan cities are shelled and occupied by plumes of differing nations), the longing for stability (even as a soldier seeking a single cup of tea), the quaffing of imagination (from an Iranian teacher or a North Korean writers collective) are all on vivid display here.
Read this to engage those experiences, to discover viewpoints and styles which emerge from circumstances often unimaginable to the readers who will discover this collection. And yes, read it for its literary power, as well, from writers most of us have never before heard. I have only one criticism of this work as an initial project which must be continued: it is not nearly enough.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence, Abandonment, and Xenophobia
bluejayreads's review
challenging
5.0
This book is utterly fascinating. It contains thirty-five works of poetry, short stories, and excerpts from longer fiction from Iran, Iraq, North Korea, Syria, Lybia, Sudan, and Cuba, all nations considered enemies of the United States, where I live. Each country's section starts with a bit about the countries themselves and the cultural context the works were written in, and each work begins with a short biography of each author (excepting North Korea, where biographical information for most authors is not released by the state).
It's hard to talk about these stories without rambling on, and it's easiest just to have the experience yourself. They are windows into life in these countries, stories of real people with real feelings from countries that I had been taught were peopled with faceless Evil Enemies. I found the North Korean works especially interesting (and most especially "A Tale of Music" by Kang Kwi-mi, the longest of the four) - though North Korean fiction is regulated by the government, it gave a fascinating insight into how the government wants people to view living in North Korea, whether or not it reflects the reality of North Korean citizens.
Another thing I found interesting was how many of the Middle Eastern/North African sections were written by writers who had grown up in the countries in question but had either left or were in exile and wrote about their homeland from outside its borders. The context notes point out that most of these countries don't look kindly on dissenting writing or the writers behind it, so it makes sense, it was just surprising.
And I will admit that even with the context notes in each section, sometimes I just didn't have the cultural understanding to grasp the significance in some stories. "The Vice Principal" (Iran), for example, is a story of a boy who wrote an essay for school saying that the town body-washer performed the greatest service to society and nearly got expelled over it. I am still very confused over why this essay would warrant that large a punishment - or any punishment at all, really. The teacher was definitely expecting essays on doctors, teachers, soldiers, and such, but he did say that the students could make their own choices, and body-washers do perform a great service (taking care of corpses so they don't lay around stinking and causing disease, providing proper respect to the deceased, preparing them so the grieving family can bury them properly) and yet are reviled for it. My American sensibilities finds it an unorthodox choice, but the boy's essay (printed in the story) has a well-reasoned argument and the teacher did say the students were free to write their own opinion. My only conclusion is that I must be missing some piece of cultural context that would make this essay unacceptable for some reason.
I highly recommend this book. It voices almost never heard in the United States, insights and context to cultures Americans have been raised to think of as The Enemy, and works to humanize these perspectives that are often invisible to us. (I also think it would be an excellent book to discuss in a literature class.) If you want to broaden your perspectives, Literature from the "Axis of Evil" will do so.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child abuse, Sexual content, Excrement, Death, and Blood
Injury, war
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