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A review by kingjason
Arabia: Through the Looking Glass by Jonathan Raban
5.0
I recently read my first ever Jonathan Raban book, Coasting, and thought that was one of the best books I've read, Arabia has just blown that book out of the water.
Arabia is nothing short of a masterpiece, incredible writing, powerful, funny and historically in-depth. Raban decides on travelling around the Arabian countries due to the number of Arabs moving in near where he lives, he tries to communicate with them but struggles to find a way in. Instead he decides to visit their homelands to learn more about their history and culture.
He fully immerses himself to experience all levels of each country, from the rich to the poor. When he decides to try qat for the first time, a narcotic plant you chew and gets you high, the writing becomes a lot like Hunter S. Thompson's Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, the back and forth between his sober self and the him that is going crazy on qat was pure brilliance.
One thing that stands out is his honesty, by the time he reaches the last country on his tour he is feeling homesick and isn't afraid to say that he has had enough, the noise and madness, the bizarre censorship rules and the lack of art all start to get to him.
He gets to travel around countries at a time when they are just starting to evolve into the modern world, to see these changes happen must have been an incredible experience. If you don't read this book then you will be missing out on something truly special.
Blog post is here> https://felcherman.wordpress.com/2018/08/13/arabia-through-the-looking-glass-by-jonathan-raban/
Arabia is nothing short of a masterpiece, incredible writing, powerful, funny and historically in-depth. Raban decides on travelling around the Arabian countries due to the number of Arabs moving in near where he lives, he tries to communicate with them but struggles to find a way in. Instead he decides to visit their homelands to learn more about their history and culture.
He fully immerses himself to experience all levels of each country, from the rich to the poor. When he decides to try qat for the first time, a narcotic plant you chew and gets you high, the writing becomes a lot like Hunter S. Thompson's Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, the back and forth between his sober self and the him that is going crazy on qat was pure brilliance.
One thing that stands out is his honesty, by the time he reaches the last country on his tour he is feeling homesick and isn't afraid to say that he has had enough, the noise and madness, the bizarre censorship rules and the lack of art all start to get to him.
He gets to travel around countries at a time when they are just starting to evolve into the modern world, to see these changes happen must have been an incredible experience. If you don't read this book then you will be missing out on something truly special.
Blog post is here> https://felcherman.wordpress.com/2018/08/13/arabia-through-the-looking-glass-by-jonathan-raban/