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A review by shelleyanderson4127
By the Sea by Abdulrazak Gurnah
challenging
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
"I know that you never stop wishing to live, or wishing for companionship and purpose." Saleh Omar has lost much. After years of unjust imprisonment, he returns home to find his wife and daughter dead, and all his property confiscated. Omar flees his seaside birth place in a Zanzibar lurching from colonialism to independence, to become a refugee in England. He has even lost his name, as he assumes the name, and passport, of a old enemy when he flees.
Years before the younger son of his enemy has also found asylum in England. They meet in a dreary seaside town in England, wary and lonely, and slowly discover a story of mutual betrayal and love.
I understand why Abdulrazak Gurnah won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 2021. This story was so gripping, and so well written. It deals with the petty jealousies, the disappointments and the modest triumphs of ordinary lives with such a deep understanding of the human heart. The story flows effortlessly and explores the poisonous effects of colonialism without ever becoming polemical, or losing sight of the protagonists wants and fears. I am in awe of Gurnah's vision and now want to read everything he has ever written.
Years before the younger son of his enemy has also found asylum in England. They meet in a dreary seaside town in England, wary and lonely, and slowly discover a story of mutual betrayal and love.
I understand why Abdulrazak Gurnah won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 2021. This story was so gripping, and so well written. It deals with the petty jealousies, the disappointments and the modest triumphs of ordinary lives with such a deep understanding of the human heart. The story flows effortlessly and explores the poisonous effects of colonialism without ever becoming polemical, or losing sight of the protagonists wants and fears. I am in awe of Gurnah's vision and now want to read everything he has ever written.