Syria: In Praise of Hatred by Khaled Khalifa
Synopsis: (from amazon) In 1980s Syria, a young Muslim girl lives a secluded life behind the veil in the vast and perfumed house of her grandparents. Her three aunts—the pious Maryam, the liberal Safaa, and the free-spirited Marwa—raise her with the aid of their ever-devoted blind servant.
Soon the high walls of the family home are no longer able to protect the girl from the social and political chaos outside. Witnessing the ruling dictatorship’s bloody campaign against the Muslim Brotherhood, she is filled with hatred for the regime and becomes increasingly radical. In the footsteps of her beloved uncle, Bakr, she launches herself into a battle for her religion, her country, and ultimately, for her own future.
Thoughts: This is a book that seems more interesting in the abstract. It seems more interesting now that I’ve finished reading it than I did while reading it. I really felt tugged apart while reading it: I could describe this book as both fascinating and tedious. I don’t know whether it just doesn’t translate well or whether the style and content are simply at odds with the structure and layout of standard Western novels. It struck me at times as similar to an old-fashioned novel with an omniscient narrator, even though this is a story in the first-person singular.
There is a lot of talk about dreams (my most hated thing in books ever, but I know that in certain sects of Islam, dreams are given tremendous importance). There is a lot of waiting around. The internal voice of the narrator never gives much of a reason or justification for her radicalization; it seems to just happen one day almost beyond her control. The narrator’s character isn’t given much depth or agency. Of course, the lack of agency makes sense, being raising in a fundamental, religious household. But there is something lacking (in the novel or in the translation) to make this lack of agency compelling.
But I think I’ll still think about this book for a long time. So I guess in that sense, it succeeded.
Rating: 2.5/5
Previous Readings Around the World.