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A review by steveatwaywords
Literature from the 'Axis of Evil by Words Without Borders
challenging
emotional
informative
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Western/English readers should not search this book looking to satisfy their desire for "great reads" or works which imitate or emulate what we have grown accustomed to. As reviewers on Goodreads have (unfortunately) stated, some of the readings here come across as "dull" or "unfinished." And while I don't want to accuse them of some Eurocentric expectations, such an approach to these readings is exactly what the Words Without Borders editors sought to transform a bit.
So my five stars are both for the project itself--which cannot be overstated in its importance, though there has been precious little to find of a similar nature since its publication--but for the writers themselves who, whether resident or cast about in some political diaspora, chose to write despite, chose to write because of, chose to write in defiance of, chose to write to process their experiences, their understanding of the worlds which too often have abandoned them from a broader global readership just as our world has abandoned them culturally and materially. The blurring of memories (as Libyan cities are shelled and occupied by plumes of differing nations), the longing for stability (even as a soldier seeking a single cup of tea), the quaffing of imagination (from an Iranian teacher or a North Korean writers collective) are all on vivid display here.
Read this to engage those experiences, to discover viewpoints and styles which emerge from circumstances often unimaginable to the readers who will discover this collection. And yes, read it for its literary power, as well, from writers most of us have never before heard. I have only one criticism of this work as an initial project which must be continued: it is not nearly enough.
So my five stars are both for the project itself--which cannot be overstated in its importance, though there has been precious little to find of a similar nature since its publication--but for the writers themselves who, whether resident or cast about in some political diaspora, chose to write despite, chose to write because of, chose to write in defiance of, chose to write to process their experiences, their understanding of the worlds which too often have abandoned them from a broader global readership just as our world has abandoned them culturally and materially. The blurring of memories (as Libyan cities are shelled and occupied by plumes of differing nations), the longing for stability (even as a soldier seeking a single cup of tea), the quaffing of imagination (from an Iranian teacher or a North Korean writers collective) are all on vivid display here.
Read this to engage those experiences, to discover viewpoints and styles which emerge from circumstances often unimaginable to the readers who will discover this collection. And yes, read it for its literary power, as well, from writers most of us have never before heard. I have only one criticism of this work as an initial project which must be continued: it is not nearly enough.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence, Abandonment, and Xenophobia