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A review by versmonesprit
All Men Want to Know by Nina Bouraoui
emotional
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.0
In this autofiction, Bouraoui traces her childhood, her sexuality, and her family history alongside each other, in a non-linear fashion, juxtaposing the Algerian nature with her coming to terms with her own.
The writing is precise and straight-to-the-point, without sacrificing a moving lyricism. Bouraoui makes you long for the same Algeria that she herself lost to men’s violence.
By the end, her love for the beauty of nature finally translates to love for her own nature, but I found the journey there a bit too constrained and surface-level, maybe a bit timid in sharing the core of her struggles with her sexuality.
Either way, Bouraoui manages to retain an element of the unknown while revealing as much about herself and her family … hitting you right in that nature of mankind, that nature that makes you want to know boundlessly.
Too many things got in my way of reading this book, but it’s certainly one you could easily devour in one sitting, which might offer an even better reading experience than spreading it out and thin.
The writing is precise and straight-to-the-point, without sacrificing a moving lyricism. Bouraoui makes you long for the same Algeria that she herself lost to men’s violence.
By the end, her love for the beauty of nature finally translates to love for her own nature, but I found the journey there a bit too constrained and surface-level, maybe a bit timid in sharing the core of her struggles with her sexuality.
Either way, Bouraoui manages to retain an element of the unknown while revealing as much about herself and her family … hitting you right in that nature of mankind, that nature that makes you want to know boundlessly.
Too many things got in my way of reading this book, but it’s certainly one you could easily devour in one sitting, which might offer an even better reading experience than spreading it out and thin.