Take a photo of a barcode or cover
A review by thetbrmonster
The Wrong End of the Telescope by Rabih Alameddine
5.0
I was given an advance copy of this book via Net Galley and the publisher Grove Atlantic (Grove Press):
This is the first novel I’ve read by Rabih Alameddine. Struck by the cover and title, little did I know the beauty I was about to uncover. “The Wrong End of the Telescope” is about an Arab-American trans woman and doctor, Mina Simpson, who heads to the Island of Lesbos to provide medical aid to Syrian refugees. Her friend and fellow trans woman, Emma, is leading the charge at a volunteer site where countless refugees are fleeing to after Syria’s dissolution.
While major social and world issues of our time are all present in the book (the Syrian refugee crisis, the perception and treatment of LGBTQIA+ people, and more), what stuck out most to me in this book was how real all of the characters felt and how it really felt like you were there with them in each of these moments, conversations, situations. Alameddine’s words, by way of Mina’s character, showed so much real emotion and thought and help the reader to visualize what being at a refugee camp feels like, both for Mina and her friends and brother, as well as for the people they’re helping, particularly with a refugee by the name of Sumaiya and her family.
The style of writing almost feels like a compilation of short stories, the way it jumps from present to past to connect all the dots of Mina’s life and what’s led all of the characters to where they’re at now. It’s almost as if you’re reading old letters or diary entries, giving the feeling of being a part of the story itself, as if Mina is speaking directly to you. And yet, somehow and quite brilliantly, the narrative is incredibly cohesive and continues to move forward at a steady pace.
The only point of contention I had with the writing was I never quite understood who the “you” she was talking about is. Was it the Lebanese man she met on the plane on the way over? I was never quite sure. (Other reviewers seem to say that Mina is speaking to the author himself, Alameddine, when she starts speaking in second person to “you,” and if so, that concept was quite lost on me, unfortunately. Perhaps it’s because I didn’t know anything about the author before reading the book.)
Nevertheless, this novel was an absolute win for me. It is deeply moving, beautifully written, and one that could be revisited over and over again.
This is the first novel I’ve read by Rabih Alameddine. Struck by the cover and title, little did I know the beauty I was about to uncover. “The Wrong End of the Telescope” is about an Arab-American trans woman and doctor, Mina Simpson, who heads to the Island of Lesbos to provide medical aid to Syrian refugees. Her friend and fellow trans woman, Emma, is leading the charge at a volunteer site where countless refugees are fleeing to after Syria’s dissolution.
While major social and world issues of our time are all present in the book (the Syrian refugee crisis, the perception and treatment of LGBTQIA+ people, and more), what stuck out most to me in this book was how real all of the characters felt and how it really felt like you were there with them in each of these moments, conversations, situations. Alameddine’s words, by way of Mina’s character, showed so much real emotion and thought and help the reader to visualize what being at a refugee camp feels like, both for Mina and her friends and brother, as well as for the people they’re helping, particularly with a refugee by the name of Sumaiya and her family.
The style of writing almost feels like a compilation of short stories, the way it jumps from present to past to connect all the dots of Mina’s life and what’s led all of the characters to where they’re at now. It’s almost as if you’re reading old letters or diary entries, giving the feeling of being a part of the story itself, as if Mina is speaking directly to you. And yet, somehow and quite brilliantly, the narrative is incredibly cohesive and continues to move forward at a steady pace.
The only point of contention I had with the writing was I never quite understood who the “you” she was talking about is. Was it the Lebanese man she met on the plane on the way over? I was never quite sure. (Other reviewers seem to say that Mina is speaking to the author himself, Alameddine, when she starts speaking in second person to “you,” and if so, that concept was quite lost on me, unfortunately. Perhaps it’s because I didn’t know anything about the author before reading the book.)
Nevertheless, this novel was an absolute win for me. It is deeply moving, beautifully written, and one that could be revisited over and over again.