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A review by norma_cenva
The Sabres of Paradise: Conquest and Vengeance in the Caucasus by Lesley Blanch
5.0
This one is a difficult one. As a "Dune" fan it was interesting to see where Frank Herbert got the inspiration for the Fremen culture. I was not expecting the amount of direct (!) quotes from the book in the novel!
Then, as an Ossetian it is great to see Caucasian Culture represented in literature but the portrait is.... dissapointing? A lot of exoticism as well as miss-representation for a sensational effect I guess, which is if I can be honest painful. It is not easy to see an amazing culture being almost fetishised.
The portrait of Islam here is also very surface level IMHO, The Quaran is miss-quoted which is again dissapointing.
So this book has good things (cultural exposure for Western audiences ect.) but also LOTS of problematic things in it too.
Then, as an Ossetian it is great to see Caucasian Culture represented in literature but the portrait is.... dissapointing? A lot of exoticism as well as miss-representation for a sensational effect I guess, which is if I can be honest painful. It is not easy to see an amazing culture being almost fetishised.
The portrait of Islam here is also very surface level IMHO, The Quaran is miss-quoted which is again dissapointing.
So this book has good things (cultural exposure for Western audiences ect.) but also LOTS of problematic things in it too.