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A review by carolinethereader
Manaschi by Hamid Ismailov
3.0
Manaschi is a really solid book by Hamid Ismailov, translated from Uzbek by Donald Rayfield and released in 2021 by Tilted Axis Press.
Set in a mountain village between Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, it explores the impact of storytelling and gives some insight into the clash between cultures. We see the differences between Kyrgyz and Tajiks, the importance of religion and the epic Manas poem. We see traditional views clash with more traditional. A lot of this is conveyed through proverbs and excerpts from the Manas.
I enjoyed this book but felt it was a little slow until past the halfway point when things got juicy. I think at times, I was struggling because there is a lot of history between the nations that I was not fully getting. The writing could also be hard to understand at times though I am not sure if this was a translation issue (or a my brain issue) or just the way the original was written.
Set in a mountain village between Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, it explores the impact of storytelling and gives some insight into the clash between cultures. We see the differences between Kyrgyz and Tajiks, the importance of religion and the epic Manas poem. We see traditional views clash with more traditional. A lot of this is conveyed through proverbs and excerpts from the Manas.
I enjoyed this book but felt it was a little slow until past the halfway point when things got juicy. I think at times, I was struggling because there is a lot of history between the nations that I was not fully getting. The writing could also be hard to understand at times though I am not sure if this was a translation issue (or a my brain issue) or just the way the original was written.