Author: Ameen Rihani
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| via Amazon |
Khalid and his faithful friend Shakib emigrate to the United States, then return to Lebanon. Their story provides perspective on the New York immigrant experience as well as the rapidly changing Arab world of the era. With the repressive Ottoman Empire in long, slow decline and the dilemmas presented by Western influence, Khalid's world reflects centuries' old cultural conflicts still alive and well a hundred years later: East/West, New/Old, Science/Spirit, Muslim/Christian, Heart/Soul. Rihani's language is genuinely stunning. If all one wants is to lie back and marvel at its beauty, there's plenty to enjoy.
But it's not what I want. I wish to be so caught up in a book that I forget I'm reading. I long to be transported, rather than dazzled. I willingly concede The Book of Khalid's great literary merit. But I'm glad to be able to move onto something else.
It sounds interesting, to me. He must have been a contemporary of Kahlil Gibran
ReplyDeleteActually, Gibran did chapter heading illustrations for the book.
DeleteI don't know much about him but I do like poetry on occasion. My real love is science fiction though, so it would be a hard book for me to get through too.
ReplyDeleteI really wanted to like this one...
DeleteThat sounds like how I felt about Casual Vacancy by Rowling. Really well written but hard to read.
ReplyDeleteThat's about right. It just never quite hooked me.
DeleteSometimes we can appreciate the words and the beauty of the writing, but we aren't swept into the story, This has happened to me and when I am doing too much thinking I am sometimes not falling into the book. Hope your next read takes you away. :)
ReplyDelete~Jess
I hope so, too.
DeleteI will have to get this book! I studied two years of Arabic in school and try keeping up with it. Arabic poetry is just so beautiful!
ReplyDeleteMy wife studied Arabic, too, which is why we have such books in the house.
DeleteIt's such a beautiful language! Once I get a full time job, I want to ask my former professor if she can tutor me. I'm thinking I might eventually get certified in the language and maybe combine it with my English degree. It's been on my mind lately.
DeleteDo you have a family connection? That was the draw for my wife. She wanted to be able to speak it with her Lebanese grandfather, only to discover he spoke a different dialect from the one she was learning. She loved studying it anyway.
DeleteIt sounds so beautiful but one has to be captivated by it. Glad you appreciate the book even if it wasn't your cup of tea
ReplyDeleteA lot of it truly is beautiful. Just not what I seek.
Delete"Long, slow decline" is a perfect description of the empire's downward path.
ReplyDeleteDon't you hate it when you aren't excited by a book but you can't put it down unfinished? ARGHHH! It's the literary equivalent of the "plate cleaner" who eat everything on the plate, even if they aren't hungry.
It wasn't so bad that I couldn't finish it. I do, on occasion, come across a book that isn't worth the time but this wasn't it.
DeleteLooks intriguing. I just downloaded the Kindle edition.
ReplyDeleteI would be very interested to know what you think.
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