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A review by jstilts
Carnival: A Novel by Rawi Hage
challenging
dark
funny
reflective
relaxing
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Absolutely crazy book, a stream-of-consciousness that is actually captivating rather than aimless and annoying.
"Fly" is a circus-born taxi driver who's grip on reality is extremely tenuous, his loquacious off-kilter views prone to leading him on rambling flights of fancy as he drives people around the city, stalks his neighbours, descends into literary-enfused erotic battlegrounds of the imagination and tries to eek out an existence on the fringes of the law.
The plot is only as thin as Fly's varying grip on reality, we split most of our time between Fly's day-to-day observances of life in the city gripped by the Carnival and exploring his probably-genuine circus roots and his early years in the city amongst revolutionaries.
The real meat of the book is Fly's personal and professional relationships, and how Fly reacts as those closest to him disappear from his life.
The only issue I have is with the final act of the book where SPOILERS I GUESS a serial killer starts murdering taxi drivers, taking Fly's last and most tenuous personal connections away from him. The book is very shy about revealing who the killer is, and there is no real compelling reason for it to be Fly - and yet these chapters are the only part of the book not seen from Fly's perspective, which very strongly suggests a clumsy attempt by the author to hide that it IS Fly. A small niggle that will bother me less on re-reading I imagine.
Highly recommended!
"Fly" is a circus-born taxi driver who's grip on reality is extremely tenuous, his loquacious off-kilter views prone to leading him on rambling flights of fancy as he drives people around the city, stalks his neighbours, descends into literary-enfused erotic battlegrounds of the imagination and tries to eek out an existence on the fringes of the law.
The plot is only as thin as Fly's varying grip on reality, we split most of our time between Fly's day-to-day observances of life in the city gripped by the Carnival and exploring his probably-genuine circus roots and his early years in the city amongst revolutionaries.
The real meat of the book is Fly's personal and professional relationships, and how Fly reacts as those closest to him disappear from his life.
The only issue I have is with the final act of the book where SPOILERS I GUESS a serial killer starts murdering taxi drivers, taking Fly's last and most tenuous personal connections away from him. The book is very shy about revealing who the killer is, and there is no real compelling reason for it to be Fly - and yet these chapters are the only part of the book not seen from Fly's perspective, which very strongly suggests a clumsy attempt by the author to hide that it IS Fly. A small niggle that will bother me less on re-reading I imagine.
Highly recommended!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness
Moderate: Death, Sexual content, Death of parent, and Murder
Minor: Confinement, Drug use, Gun violence, Alcohol, and Sexual harassment