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A review by zouinthewild
Take What You Can Carry by Gian Sardar
4.0
3.5/5
I have to preface this by saying I lived and worked in Kurdistan for many years. I felt like I could connect to this story more easily because of my own personal experiences.
The Good
The second half of this book was really excellent. Once the couple got to Kurdistan, the story became much more enjoyable (as did the MC).
The events in Kurdistan and the use of Kurdish language made this book a good reflection on past politics in Kurdistan, and (possibly unwittingly) some present politics as well. Many, many things are different in Kurdistan now than in the late 70s/early 80s, but still strikingly similar in many ways to the current situation.
The capture of Kurdish culture and traditions was well done and well written for an audience probably mostly ignorant of the Kurds and their plight.
The Not So Good
The writing in the first half of the book wasn’t great. It was slow and overwrought. The descriptions were endless, and the internal monologues made me feel second-hand embarrassment for the MC. Ugh. Also, lots of the dialogue on various “deep” subjects was preachy and boring. I skipped most.
The MC was every cliche of a western woman who is in a relationship with a Middle Easterner. It was sad to see it written that way here. The MC was also selfish and simple, which made it difficult (even by the end) for me to connect with her.
The story was not at all what I had anticipated. I did not realize this was a romance (not a very good one), but rather I thought it was going to be more of an action/mystery novel or… I don’t know. Something else (which would have been better). The portion of the book that took place in Kurdistan was the best.
As other reviewers have mentioned, the editing was poorly done and there were gaps in the story that forced me to reread.
Overall
This book was alright. My own memories of people, stories, and my time in Kurdistan made me connect to this story in ways I probably wouldn’t have if I hadn’t had those experiences. This is not a bad way to pass the time and I think it’s an excellent way to get a basic idea of the Kurdish struggle.
I have to preface this by saying I lived and worked in Kurdistan for many years. I felt like I could connect to this story more easily because of my own personal experiences.
The Good
The second half of this book was really excellent. Once the couple got to Kurdistan, the story became much more enjoyable (as did the MC).
The events in Kurdistan and the use of Kurdish language made this book a good reflection on past politics in Kurdistan, and (possibly unwittingly) some present politics as well. Many, many things are different in Kurdistan now than in the late 70s/early 80s, but still strikingly similar in many ways to the current situation.
The capture of Kurdish culture and traditions was well done and well written for an audience probably mostly ignorant of the Kurds and their plight.
The Not So Good
The writing in the first half of the book wasn’t great. It was slow and overwrought. The descriptions were endless, and the internal monologues made me feel second-hand embarrassment for the MC. Ugh. Also, lots of the dialogue on various “deep” subjects was preachy and boring. I skipped most.
The MC was every cliche of a western woman who is in a relationship with a Middle Easterner. It was sad to see it written that way here. The MC was also selfish and simple, which made it difficult (even by the end) for me to connect with her.
The story was not at all what I had anticipated. I did not realize this was a romance (not a very good one), but rather I thought it was going to be more of an action/mystery novel or… I don’t know. Something else (which would have been better). The portion of the book that took place in Kurdistan was the best.
As other reviewers have mentioned, the editing was poorly done and there were gaps in the story that forced me to reread.
Overall
This book was alright. My own memories of people, stories, and my time in Kurdistan made me connect to this story in ways I probably wouldn’t have if I hadn’t had those experiences. This is not a bad way to pass the time and I think it’s an excellent way to get a basic idea of the Kurdish struggle.