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A review by bluestarfish
Otto mesi a Ghazzah Street by Hilary Mantel
4.0
Frances Shore follows her husband Andrew to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia when he gets a contract there. Hemmed in by the culture, heat, expectations, and lethargy fo the situation Frances spends her days mostly indoors with occasional trips out or visiting the women in the block of flats. The culture shock of the place seeps through as do the footsteps from the apartment above. The suspense, frustration, boredom, and clashes build up towards violence and disaster.
"Sorry to Disturb" is a short story in Hilary Mantel's collection of short stories (The Assassination of Margaret Thatcher) which is also set in Saudi of the 80s. I think that's what inspired me to pick this particular book up, as well as obviously being a fan of her writing. Dark comedy does make it into this tale with amazing little details and observations. And the combination of narrative fluidity between third person narrator and the intimacy of Frances' diary and to the general unease. Mantel is great at creating an atmosphere in her books!
"Sorry to Disturb" is a short story in Hilary Mantel's collection of short stories (The Assassination of Margaret Thatcher) which is also set in Saudi of the 80s. I think that's what inspired me to pick this particular book up, as well as obviously being a fan of her writing. Dark comedy does make it into this tale with amazing little details and observations. And the combination of narrative fluidity between third person narrator and the intimacy of Frances' diary and to the general unease. Mantel is great at creating an atmosphere in her books!