Scan barcode
A review by kimschouwenaar
Medusa of the Roses by Navid Sinaki
challenging
dark
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a free copy in exchange for an honest review.
Let me start by saying that I really wanted to love this. And I tried. The synopsis intrigued me to no end, and I was so excited to start reading it, but the story fell flat before I was halfway through.
Medusa of the Roses follows Anjir, a gay man living in a very homophobic Iran, where becoming - yes, becoming - transgender and living as a woman is accepted but being gay is not. In fact, the government prefers men surgically transitioning to women over a man being gay. Anjir spends most of the novel looking for his boyfriend, who disappeared right before the beginning and who flickers in and out of Anjir's life throughout. Being gay in a country such as Iran is unimaginably tough, and this review is in no way intended to undermine that experience.
Sinaki's prose is cinematic and poetic, containing lots of allusions to different mythologies and classic literature. And while I enjoyed his style, it also felt as if he was determined to put as many memorable quotes into the novel as he could within 240 pages. The writing style is extremely somber and melancholic, which, after a while, becomes dense and more difficult to read.
The plot itself was heartbreaking, which fit the style of narration perfectly, but even for someone who often reads sorrowful novels with unhappy endings, this was a bit much. There is not a ray of sunshine in Anjir's life, even at the moments he reunites with Zal - his lover. However, the plot itself was not the element I had an issue with. In fact, together with the imagery of Iran and allusions, it saved the novel from a two-star rating. That, and the very unexpected plottwist. The main problem I had with this novel is the over-sexualisation. Anjir found an internal sexual relation to almost every character and object apart from his family and because of this, his character fell a little flat. His only characterisation is that he is a very sexually active gay man, and I wanted more than that.
Perhaps I went in with too many expectations or this novel just wasn't meant for me, but I expected more. I will say, however, that Sinaki is a very talented artist.
Let me start by saying that I really wanted to love this. And I tried. The synopsis intrigued me to no end, and I was so excited to start reading it, but the story fell flat before I was halfway through.
Medusa of the Roses follows Anjir, a gay man living in a very homophobic Iran, where becoming - yes, becoming - transgender and living as a woman is accepted but being gay is not. In fact, the government prefers men surgically transitioning to women over a man being gay. Anjir spends most of the novel looking for his boyfriend, who disappeared right before the beginning and who flickers in and out of Anjir's life throughout. Being gay in a country such as Iran is unimaginably tough, and this review is in no way intended to undermine that experience.
Sinaki's prose is cinematic and poetic, containing lots of allusions to different mythologies and classic literature. And while I enjoyed his style, it also felt as if he was determined to put as many memorable quotes into the novel as he could within 240 pages. The writing style is extremely somber and melancholic, which, after a while, becomes dense and more difficult to read.
The plot itself was heartbreaking, which fit the style of narration perfectly, but even for someone who often reads sorrowful novels with unhappy endings, this was a bit much. There is not a ray of sunshine in Anjir's life, even at the moments he reunites with Zal - his lover. However, the plot itself was not the element I had an issue with. In fact, together with the imagery of Iran and allusions, it saved the novel from a two-star rating. That, and the very unexpected plottwist. The main problem I had with this novel is the over-sexualisation. Anjir found an internal sexual relation to almost every character and object apart from his family and because of this, his character fell a little flat. His only characterisation is that he is a very sexually active gay man, and I wanted more than that.
Perhaps I went in with too many expectations or this novel just wasn't meant for me, but I expected more. I will say, however, that Sinaki is a very talented artist.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Death, Murder, Sexual content, and Homophobia
Moderate: Car accident, Suicide, and Violence