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A review by lorayne
The Book Censor's Library by Bothayna Al-Essa
dark
funny
inspiring
mysterious
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This book is so good! I love it as a companion read to 1984 by George Orwell and to V for Vendetta (while I haven't read the graphic novel, I'm a big fan of the movie).
Bothayna Al-Essa's writing is so beautiful--or as far as I can tell from the translation. I wish I could read it in the original language because I can only imagine how much more beautiful it is. The allusions to so many other books and stories warmed my heart while also making me feel sad for the dystopian world of the book censor and his familly. I also appreciated the distance Al-Essa created between the reader and the characters. It felt necessary in order to understand the shallowness of the day-to-day lives the characters had to live and were "happy" to live per their conditioning. It reminds me of the constant conditioning and propaganda we all suffer.
This was a fast read, and the ending did not disappoint.
Bothayna Al-Essa's writing is so beautiful--or as far as I can tell from the translation. I wish I could read it in the original language because I can only imagine how much more beautiful it is. The allusions to so many other books and stories warmed my heart while also making me feel sad for the dystopian world of the book censor and his familly. I also appreciated the distance Al-Essa created between the reader and the characters. It felt necessary in order to understand the shallowness of the day-to-day lives the characters had to live and were "happy" to live per their conditioning. It reminds me of the constant conditioning and propaganda we all suffer.
This was a fast read, and the ending did not disappoint.