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A review by abbie_
The Ardent Swarm by Yamen Manai
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
Review copy gifted by the publisher in exchange for a review!
The Ardent Swarm by Tunisian author Yamen Manai, translated from the French by Lara Vergnaud, is an interesting, allegorical little fable-like read. I read it super quickly, the short chapters and quite lighthearted tone (despite the serious subject matter) mean it moves along at quite the trot. In the author section, it mentions Manai was trying to honour Tunisian oral storytelling culture, and I think that definitely shines through.
Although not explicitly named or dated, the novel is likely centred on Tunisia after the Arab Spring, as the country was moving towards democracy. But as the book highlights, just because a democracy is seemingly in place, that doesn’t eliminate corruption and fundamentalism remains a threat. As the country undergoes political changes, our main character Sidi is experiencing similar turmoil in his beehives, which are threatened by murder hornets. It did feel very fable like, a little on the nose, but overall I enjoyed the double stories playing out here, mirroring one another.
I really liked how Manai highlighted the dissonance between the merciful, loving God of the people and the God corrupt, greedy politicians and fundamentalists proclaim to be working for - often cruel, hateful and divisive. But because the government is what the wider world sees of a country or it’s what gains the most attention in international news, this twisted perception of Islam slips into the mainstream. There are quite a few astute observations like this throughout this slim novel.
An interesting little read for sure!
The Ardent Swarm by Tunisian author Yamen Manai, translated from the French by Lara Vergnaud, is an interesting, allegorical little fable-like read. I read it super quickly, the short chapters and quite lighthearted tone (despite the serious subject matter) mean it moves along at quite the trot. In the author section, it mentions Manai was trying to honour Tunisian oral storytelling culture, and I think that definitely shines through.
Although not explicitly named or dated, the novel is likely centred on Tunisia after the Arab Spring, as the country was moving towards democracy. But as the book highlights, just because a democracy is seemingly in place, that doesn’t eliminate corruption and fundamentalism remains a threat. As the country undergoes political changes, our main character Sidi is experiencing similar turmoil in his beehives, which are threatened by murder hornets. It did feel very fable like, a little on the nose, but overall I enjoyed the double stories playing out here, mirroring one another.
I really liked how Manai highlighted the dissonance between the merciful, loving God of the people and the God corrupt, greedy politicians and fundamentalists proclaim to be working for - often cruel, hateful and divisive. But because the government is what the wider world sees of a country or it’s what gains the most attention in international news, this twisted perception of Islam slips into the mainstream. There are quite a few astute observations like this throughout this slim novel.
An interesting little read for sure!