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A review by pangnaolin
Frankenstein in Baghdad by Ahmed Saadawi
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Having not read the original Frankenstein, I was excited & intrigued to, yet slightly unsure about taking this book on, but it definitely turned out interesting and worth it. I loved the way Saadawi developed the Whatsitsname [or Frankenstein] throughout the novel-- first just a creation, and then something looking for revenge, and then just questioning itself and trying to stay alive, acting more like a human than a monster as it felt itself being taken advantage of more and more.
I felt like he took an interesting route, focusing not just on the 'monster,' but also on the lives of different people surrounding the monster and his creator, and although those stories were definitely worth hearing in one way or another, it also got really confusing to try and follow everyone-- especially while listening to an audiobook version. I almost wonder if he should've written another book about Iraq during the American invasion without the magical realist element as well and put those stories in there, because-- again-- they were good, just made the 'Frankenstein' story suffer. I just wanted more of the monster and his creator, and less of everyone else.
I also sort of wanted it to be darker and grittier than it really turned out, but I felt like that possibility got a little dampened as Saadawi just sort of... told us everything that was happening in plain words at all times. I wish more had been left for the reader to piece together, and that it had leaned a little more into the weirdness and confusion of it all. I'm not sure.
I definitely loved this, and I think it gave an incredibly interesting point of view on the invasion, while also tackling the idea of good/bad binaries and how they really play out, especially in things like war, but I also just felt like it was lacking in a lot of places, and found myself bored in between sprinkled really interesting moments.
I felt like he took an interesting route, focusing not just on the 'monster,' but also on the lives of different people surrounding the monster and his creator, and although those stories were definitely worth hearing in one way or another, it also got really confusing to try and follow everyone-- especially while listening to an audiobook version. I almost wonder if he should've written another book about Iraq during the American invasion without the magical realist element as well and put those stories in there, because-- again-- they were good, just made the 'Frankenstein' story suffer. I just wanted more of the monster and his creator, and less of everyone else.
I also sort of wanted it to be darker and grittier than it really turned out, but I felt like that possibility got a little dampened as Saadawi just sort of... told us everything that was happening in plain words at all times. I wish more had been left for the reader to piece together, and that it had leaned a little more into the weirdness and confusion of it all. I'm not sure.
I definitely loved this, and I think it gave an incredibly interesting point of view on the invasion, while also tackling the idea of good/bad binaries and how they really play out, especially in things like war, but I also just felt like it was lacking in a lot of places, and found myself bored in between sprinkled really interesting moments.