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A review by fatamo
The Map of Love by Ahdaf Soueif
3.0
I was disappointed with the writer, because this book clearly had so much potential. In fact, it was fulfilled in almost every way a book can be successful, except for one: the writing.
Soueif clearly knows HOW to write a story. The breaking up of the narrative across different characters, using different media, even across different times, was executed perfectly. I never felt confused about the moving back and forth from the 19th to the 20th century. This probably is in no small part due to masterful editing, I can see that.
Soueif ran the risk of becoming overly symbolic, but she didn't. I think that often happens with Arab writers, but I don't think that was the case here. The plot was thrilling, it was exciting to know what would happen to Anna, seen through the eyes of her descendants, as she discovered a new culture. Her learning the Arabic language was a great way to shed some light on Arabic culture.
So what didn't I like?
The writing.
It's odd. My eyes were reading the words in English, but my brain was hearing them in Arabic. That was the only way it made sense to me. But this makes me angry, because the book is meant to be read by English speakers, and English speakers will not understand why the hell she is being so florid and delicate with the language.
It really felt like a translated text, and not a good one. I understand that Soueif had a conundrum here. She could either write in a way that was more fitting to the English language, but that would take away some of the spirit of the writing, and compromise her likely wish to convey Arab culture in its entirety, this including the language. Or she could write in a way that, if translated into Arabic, would make total sense, and therefore bring the English speaking reader as close as possible to speaking Arabic without actually doing so. She clearly opted for the latter.
I don't think that was a good choice though. Or at least it was one which was not well executed. There was too much going on about love and deep desire, the expressions that each person used throughout were so baroque in their detail. When these phrases are used in Arabic, it doesn't seem over the top. It seems beautiful and natural, and I really think its one of the most lovely and poetic languages. But when its translated so literally into English, it looks forced and just not nice.
I'm disappointed! This had the potential to be a fantastic book. I'm sure it's done a lot towards enhancing cultural understanding. It hit all the major themes that are prevalent in Arab life, especially in Egyptian life. Politics, colonialism, dealing with Arab identity with strong influence from another force, the struggle for independence on many levels, womens issues, what it means to be Egyptian. And of course love. Love freakin' everywhere.
I loved when she wrote about politics. The bits where she was discussing, through her characters, the political issues that were being faced in the story, I felt as though it were being written by another person. The dialogue came alive like it couldn't anywhere else in the book, the content was fascinating, the energy with which it was expressed was contagious. I would become at turns enraged and saddened, then hopeful, and enraged again. This only happens to me when I hear Arabs (who know what theyre talking about) discuss politics. She's very good at this, and I feel like she has a much clearer idea of this then of love.
I hope Soueif moves more towards political stories or non-fiction, because I feel like that is where her strengths lies. I think Soueif loves her characters too much to let anything too terrible happen to them too. That's probably what made me end up hating everyone in it a little bit. Seriously, I did not care much for anyone in that book.
So:
1 star for the plot and the whole political aspect which I found thrilling.
1 star for the narrative which was well planned and nicely broken up not to appear boring or confusing (I think so).
1 star for the amazing editing work that must have gone into this.
Which leaves me with the verdict of 3 stars. I wish I could just give it a littttttle bit more, but everytime I think of that writing, I get frustrated all over again.
Soueif clearly knows HOW to write a story. The breaking up of the narrative across different characters, using different media, even across different times, was executed perfectly. I never felt confused about the moving back and forth from the 19th to the 20th century. This probably is in no small part due to masterful editing, I can see that.
Soueif ran the risk of becoming overly symbolic, but she didn't. I think that often happens with Arab writers, but I don't think that was the case here. The plot was thrilling, it was exciting to know what would happen to Anna, seen through the eyes of her descendants, as she discovered a new culture. Her learning the Arabic language was a great way to shed some light on Arabic culture.
So what didn't I like?
The writing.
It's odd. My eyes were reading the words in English, but my brain was hearing them in Arabic. That was the only way it made sense to me. But this makes me angry, because the book is meant to be read by English speakers, and English speakers will not understand why the hell she is being so florid and delicate with the language.
It really felt like a translated text, and not a good one. I understand that Soueif had a conundrum here. She could either write in a way that was more fitting to the English language, but that would take away some of the spirit of the writing, and compromise her likely wish to convey Arab culture in its entirety, this including the language. Or she could write in a way that, if translated into Arabic, would make total sense, and therefore bring the English speaking reader as close as possible to speaking Arabic without actually doing so. She clearly opted for the latter.
I don't think that was a good choice though. Or at least it was one which was not well executed. There was too much going on about love and deep desire, the expressions that each person used throughout were so baroque in their detail. When these phrases are used in Arabic, it doesn't seem over the top. It seems beautiful and natural, and I really think its one of the most lovely and poetic languages. But when its translated so literally into English, it looks forced and just not nice.
I'm disappointed! This had the potential to be a fantastic book. I'm sure it's done a lot towards enhancing cultural understanding. It hit all the major themes that are prevalent in Arab life, especially in Egyptian life. Politics, colonialism, dealing with Arab identity with strong influence from another force, the struggle for independence on many levels, womens issues, what it means to be Egyptian. And of course love. Love freakin' everywhere.
I loved when she wrote about politics. The bits where she was discussing, through her characters, the political issues that were being faced in the story, I felt as though it were being written by another person. The dialogue came alive like it couldn't anywhere else in the book, the content was fascinating, the energy with which it was expressed was contagious. I would become at turns enraged and saddened, then hopeful, and enraged again. This only happens to me when I hear Arabs (who know what theyre talking about) discuss politics. She's very good at this, and I feel like she has a much clearer idea of this then of love.
I hope Soueif moves more towards political stories or non-fiction, because I feel like that is where her strengths lies. I think Soueif loves her characters too much to let anything too terrible happen to them too. That's probably what made me end up hating everyone in it a little bit. Seriously, I did not care much for anyone in that book.
So:
1 star for the plot and the whole political aspect which I found thrilling.
1 star for the narrative which was well planned and nicely broken up not to appear boring or confusing (I think so).
1 star for the amazing editing work that must have gone into this.
Which leaves me with the verdict of 3 stars. I wish I could just give it a littttttle bit more, but everytime I think of that writing, I get frustrated all over again.