A review by emmalong
My Friends: A Novel by Hisham Matar

4.0

my friends was a beautiful story and i can understand its place on the booker longlist. i loved so much about it. i thought the writing was unique, as was the pace. it seemed to halt and accelerate, halt and accelerate, which may not be everyone’s cup of tea but it was interesting. we follow our narrator and the lives of him and his friends as exiles of their country. my biggest gripe with this book was that the friends felt so distant, untouchable, and unknowable. in a story centered around friends, i wanted to know these characters better. i understood that part of the allure to the main character of them was their mystery, but it wasn’t executed well enough for me. it was a heart wrenching and beautiful story and i really recommend it but prepare to feel am arms length away from everyone