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Arslan
Arslan is a young Asian general who has conquered the USA and then the world, with a small town in Illinois as the capital of his new empire. Praised by the likes of Orson Scott Card and Samuel R. Delany, ARSLAN is a thoughtful but uncompromising work, one which still retains the power to shock.
303 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1976
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1355 people want to read
About the author
M.J. Engh
13 books18 followersM. J. Engh is a science fiction author and independent Roman scholar. In 2009, Engh was named Author emerita by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America. She is best known for her 1976 novel Arslan, about an invasion of the United States.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 96 reviews
September 19, 2017
It took me ages to track a copy of Arslan down, having seen the book described in various places as an Important Science Fiction Novel.
After forcing myself through a few chapters my disappointment was weapons-grade. I read a lot of older SF, and with a few exceptions can generally see why a book was popular in it's era, even if it no longer really holds up against modern works. M.J Engh's Arslan is one of those few exceptions.
Basically, a murderous young warlord from central Asia (the titular Arslan) takes over the US in a war that is as well described as it is plausible- which is not at all. Still, I can handle a flimsy premise if the story teetering on it is strong, interesting and believable, but Arslan is none of these. The titular warlord rapes kids, ships everyone's daughters off into sexual bondage, executes folks and generally behaves like an awful war criminal. While this is hard going (and it really is awful at times) it's no American Psycho (in either stylistic panache or ultra-violence), and Arslan's sadism isn't completely implausible.
What is completely implausible is the behavior of the oppressed Americans he comes to rule. They near-immediately fold and give up completely in the face of threats from their new overlords, and stay mostly passive, or at least they do for as much of the book as I could stomach.
Considering the availability of firearms in the US and the deep reverence for the War of Independence, the Constitution, the right to bear arms etc. in American culture the idea that pretty much everyone would bow their heads to foreign tyranny is beyond science fiction- it is pure fantasy. The militias and the die-hard gun nuts would salivate at the opportunity to fight an occupying power, regardless of the consequences, and revel in the justification such an invasion would give to their whackjob paranoid fantasies.
I made it through a few more chapters of oppressed Americans tugging the forelock and meekly accepting progressively worse treatment from their new rulers before bailing out.
Things may improve in the second half the book, but I didn't stick around to find out- the story had long shattered my suspension of disbelief and I'd tired of the seemingly pointless descriptions of the nasty treatment Arslan and his henchmen were meting out.
(Warning- extended analogy ahead!)
Some older works of SF age like scotch whiskey, their flavor deepening and becoming richer with time, leaving us with books that can still be savored decades later. Even less timeless works, cheaper vintages if you like, can usually be put into their chronological context and appreciated for what they offered in their own era.
I didn't enjoy Arslan at all, and I cannot fathom how it would have been any better a read upon its original publication. This book has gone sour in the barrel, if it was ever palatable in the first place, and I recommend you look elsewhere for your hit of vintage SF.
After forcing myself through a few chapters my disappointment was weapons-grade. I read a lot of older SF, and with a few exceptions can generally see why a book was popular in it's era, even if it no longer really holds up against modern works. M.J Engh's Arslan is one of those few exceptions.
Basically, a murderous young warlord from central Asia (the titular Arslan) takes over the US in a war that is as well described as it is plausible- which is not at all. Still, I can handle a flimsy premise if the story teetering on it is strong, interesting and believable, but Arslan is none of these. The titular warlord rapes kids, ships everyone's daughters off into sexual bondage, executes folks and generally behaves like an awful war criminal. While this is hard going (and it really is awful at times) it's no American Psycho (in either stylistic panache or ultra-violence), and Arslan's sadism isn't completely implausible.
What is completely implausible is the behavior of the oppressed Americans he comes to rule. They near-immediately fold and give up completely in the face of threats from their new overlords, and stay mostly passive, or at least they do for as much of the book as I could stomach.
Considering the availability of firearms in the US and the deep reverence for the War of Independence, the Constitution, the right to bear arms etc. in American culture the idea that pretty much everyone would bow their heads to foreign tyranny is beyond science fiction- it is pure fantasy. The militias and the die-hard gun nuts would salivate at the opportunity to fight an occupying power, regardless of the consequences, and revel in the justification such an invasion would give to their whackjob paranoid fantasies.
I made it through a few more chapters of oppressed Americans tugging the forelock and meekly accepting progressively worse treatment from their new rulers before bailing out.
Things may improve in the second half the book, but I didn't stick around to find out- the story had long shattered my suspension of disbelief and I'd tired of the seemingly pointless descriptions of the nasty treatment Arslan and his henchmen were meting out.
(Warning- extended analogy ahead!)
Some older works of SF age like scotch whiskey, their flavor deepening and becoming richer with time, leaving us with books that can still be savored decades later. Even less timeless works, cheaper vintages if you like, can usually be put into their chronological context and appreciated for what they offered in their own era.
I didn't enjoy Arslan at all, and I cannot fathom how it would have been any better a read upon its original publication. This book has gone sour in the barrel, if it was ever palatable in the first place, and I recommend you look elsewhere for your hit of vintage SF.
July 30, 2014
This is possibly one of the most brilliant and odd books I've ever read. Engh does a superb job of dropping the reader into a very strange and inconceivable situation, with zero infodumping yet with total clarity. The creepiness of what is happening is clearly captured along with the helplessness of the populace to prevent it. It does take a rather long time to clarify exactly how everyone got here, however, and that was a niggling thought for quite awhile as I was reading. This, in fact, is the weakest part of the story, as it does not quite ring plausible to me; however, the events happening in the here and now are so vivid and so possible that the rest becomes of less importance and one is left with the overall impression that you just read a Really Great Book.
The evolution of characters, the slow transformation of bad to good and back again is fascinating. Engh ensures that no one is as black or white as they seem. Arslan the character is the type of guy you want to choke on sight, but...but there is always this calm, sane side to him and this underlying trace of humanity that keeps him forever out of the Evil Overlord or cliched psychopath category. Excellent writing, indeed.
I have met and had a couple of long and delightful chats with M.J. Engh which included a discussion of this character and how she used to dream about him when she was writing the book, a creepy experience in itself. When she signed the book for me she wrote "Don't like it!" To which I must regretfully reply, "Too late. I did."
The evolution of characters, the slow transformation of bad to good and back again is fascinating. Engh ensures that no one is as black or white as they seem. Arslan the character is the type of guy you want to choke on sight, but...but there is always this calm, sane side to him and this underlying trace of humanity that keeps him forever out of the Evil Overlord or cliched psychopath category. Excellent writing, indeed.
I have met and had a couple of long and delightful chats with M.J. Engh which included a discussion of this character and how she used to dream about him when she was writing the book, a creepy experience in itself. When she signed the book for me she wrote "Don't like it!" To which I must regretfully reply, "Too late. I did."
November 3, 2018
I wish I could give this one star, because reading it upset me and even made me feel physically ill. But it is actually well written; the author is a competent writer and storyteller. I simply hated the content, which is packed with rape, especially the rape of children, and features a young man growing up to love his rapist. The protagonist's (Arslan's) motto is "first the rape, then the seduction", which adequately describes the arc of the story too. This book is summed up as "a small American town comes to accept, and possibly feel sorry for, its rapist and murderer". Except there are no apologies, no justice for the victims, no admittance of wrongdoing, nothing changed by the end.
It was nauseating. I also found the premise of the book implausible. No way would good ol' boys steeped in American gun culture just roll over and let a foreign invader stomp all over them, rape their children, send off their daughters to sexual slavery in brothels, and take away all their rights and property without putting up more of a fight. This book failed as an enjoyable read because of the rape, and the blase attitudes towards rape and victim blaming (of children!!). It also failed as a thought experiment or "what if?" story.
It was nauseating. I also found the premise of the book implausible. No way would good ol' boys steeped in American gun culture just roll over and let a foreign invader stomp all over them, rape their children, send off their daughters to sexual slavery in brothels, and take away all their rights and property without putting up more of a fight. This book failed as an enjoyable read because of the rape, and the blase attitudes towards rape and victim blaming (of children!!). It also failed as a thought experiment or "what if?" story.
February 21, 2016
The first thing you usually hear about this book is that it attempts to make a rapist of children likable. Then you learn that this monster is a 20-something general from Turkmenistan who manages (implausibly) to militarily conquer the US, and indeed, most of the world. Much of the potential audience has been lost by this point, and more's the pity. Even though the novel's setup may feel contrived, the main characters are realistically and feelingly portrayed. And throughout there's an exploration of how a society could be organized from the bottom up and what it would look like. I also think a major theme is how the lust for judgement and justice is ultimately self-destructive and futile, but that might just be me. Overall, this is a subtle book that defies simple interpretation. The stilted lamguage of one of the narrators can be infuriating, but it's surely hypocritical for me to complain about that! :)
July 19, 2007
What can I say? It opens with the brutal rape of two children, and ends with the probable extinction of the human race, and somewhere along the way you forget to hate the man responsible for these and many other crimes. At once a skillful riff on Marlowe's Tamerlane and a meditation on human cruelty and grace, Mary Jane Engh reminds us that those two attributes can be contained in the same human. A dark, ugly, beautiful book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 27, 2015
I read Arslan the first time when I was reasonably young. I was shocked and disturbed and enthralled. The implausible back story aside, the book is about the strange charisma of a brutal and fanatic tyrant and his effect on a small American town.
I found the book less effective this time through. The beginning was just as powerful, even knowing what was coming. But the latter half of the novel was weaker than I remembered. The story is told (in two alternations) from the viewpoints of Franklin Bond, the school principal, and Hunt Morgan, a boy severely affected by the arrival of Arslan and his soldiers. On this re-read, I found that while Bond's sections are still effective, Morgan's portion is not.
Engh tries to get into Hunt's head, and to show his turbulent ambivalence, but it's not as convincing as when I first read it. She gets at Hunt more effectively from Bond's limited viewpoint than she does from within Hunt's head. In part, that's because she never really gets very far into his head. Bond is far more introspective about his, Hunt's, and the town's situations than Hunt is about his own. It's a shame, because I think Hunt is a credible character. Engh never really gives us a chance to see him as he sees himself. Instead, we're given mostly the top level of his thoughts, and not the deeper dive that seems called for.
The book also weakens toward its end. While I thought the plot itself was reasonable, the eventual resolution was less than I had hoped for. In large part, this is because of the role of Arslan's son. He's like a character actor offered a starring role, but only going through the motions. In the end, his role, while offering some nice literary balance, simply doesn't carry the weight that it needs to, leaving the book to trail off into a vague cloud of metaphor. It could be a nice counterpoint to the book's sharp beginning, but in fact it's just a disappointment.
Despite all that, I still think this is a great book. It's surprising and unusual, and it does make you think, which is always good. I downgraded it to a strong 4 stars, but in some ways I still think of it as a star book for its initial and memorable impact.
I found the book less effective this time through. The beginning was just as powerful, even knowing what was coming. But the latter half of the novel was weaker than I remembered. The story is told (in two alternations) from the viewpoints of Franklin Bond, the school principal, and Hunt Morgan, a boy severely affected by the arrival of Arslan and his soldiers. On this re-read, I found that while Bond's sections are still effective, Morgan's portion is not.
Engh tries to get into Hunt's head, and to show his turbulent ambivalence, but it's not as convincing as when I first read it. She gets at Hunt more effectively from Bond's limited viewpoint than she does from within Hunt's head. In part, that's because she never really gets very far into his head. Bond is far more introspective about his, Hunt's, and the town's situations than Hunt is about his own. It's a shame, because I think Hunt is a credible character. Engh never really gives us a chance to see him as he sees himself. Instead, we're given mostly the top level of his thoughts, and not the deeper dive that seems called for.
The book also weakens toward its end. While I thought the plot itself was reasonable, the eventual resolution was less than I had hoped for. In large part, this is because of the role of Arslan's son. He's like a character actor offered a starring role, but only going through the motions. In the end, his role, while offering some nice literary balance, simply doesn't carry the weight that it needs to, leaving the book to trail off into a vague cloud of metaphor. It could be a nice counterpoint to the book's sharp beginning, but in fact it's just a disappointment.
Despite all that, I still think this is a great book. It's surprising and unusual, and it does make you think, which is always good. I downgraded it to a strong 4 stars, but in some ways I still think of it as a star book for its initial and memorable impact.
April 14, 2023
Lord knows when I last read this-- 1989?? -- but I think I've read it at least twice [looks at old booklog]. In 1989 I wrote: "A strange & powerful book. "A/A-", writing excellent, plausibility problems."
I might reread it. Pretty sure I kept a copy.
Here's a good review online, via Wikipedia: https://web.archive.org/web/200912252...
" A science-fiction novel that hasn't dated in 25 years is one that deserves an automatic recommendation. But, even without that, there is much to admire in this masterful work in an otherwise barren genre of military/political SF.
There is a distinct philosophy that pervades this book. While it is difficult to articulate (that's why it needs a novel) it seems to me to be at times overwhelmingly nihilistic while at others it is profoundly humanistic. Whatever you might think of these contradictory philosophical attitudes, the viewpoints are so unique and presented with such command over the prose itself that it is a treat to ponder the motivations behind the actions of the men in this book (despite being written by a woman, there are no major characters in this novel who are women). "
I might reread it. Pretty sure I kept a copy.
Here's a good review online, via Wikipedia: https://web.archive.org/web/200912252...
" A science-fiction novel that hasn't dated in 25 years is one that deserves an automatic recommendation. But, even without that, there is much to admire in this masterful work in an otherwise barren genre of military/political SF.
There is a distinct philosophy that pervades this book. While it is difficult to articulate (that's why it needs a novel) it seems to me to be at times overwhelmingly nihilistic while at others it is profoundly humanistic. Whatever you might think of these contradictory philosophical attitudes, the viewpoints are so unique and presented with such command over the prose itself that it is a treat to ponder the motivations behind the actions of the men in this book (despite being written by a woman, there are no major characters in this novel who are women). "
June 23, 2024
This is a hard book to rate and review for me because I honestly couldn't tell you if I liked it or not.
From a technical standpoint, it's very well written - probably some of the best sci-fi I've ever read. However, from a plot standpoint, you need to take your brain out and not think about it too hard because otherwise you'll drive yourself mad.
As for the characters... I don't know. I don't think the author did a good enough job in making me understand why
So yeah, well written, but both the plot and the character's actions require you don't think too hard.
From a technical standpoint, it's very well written - probably some of the best sci-fi I've ever read. However, from a plot standpoint, you need to take your brain out and not think about it too hard because otherwise you'll drive yourself mad.
As for the characters... I don't know. I don't think the author did a good enough job in making me understand why
So yeah, well written, but both the plot and the character's actions require you don't think too hard.
February 24, 2016
I bought a book which rated almost all the science fiction books that have been printed. This one was one of the highest rated, so I bought it. I simply don't understand why anyone would rate this as a science fiction book with a rating any higher than one. It's not rubbish, but it is full of unbelievable, characters with whom I could not empathise. The science fiction element is superficial and it is mostly the musings of the "hero" who has a very strange moral compass. I think part of this may be due to the fact it's a book written by a woman about the mental workings of a man in a very stressful situation. Please don't get me wrong I have really enjoyed SF written by women before, but there were so many incongruities in this book. The principal gave sanctuary to a psychopathic monster who had killed lots of his neighbours and shipped all the post-pubescent females off to a brothel in another location. The parents of those girls just let this monster live in their town without exacting revenge. We're meant to sympathise with the monster like someone with Stockholm syndrome. The chapters written from the point of view of the raped male teenager added no value whatsoever. What was really surprising for a book meant to be set in contemporary times was the attitude towards the women in the book who play almost no part in any significant action except to cook, do as they are told and act as sexual possessions. What I'm having trouble understanding is why I am writing this review while feeling quite a lot of hate for the book. It may be because the main antagonist needed to be strung-up at the end and wasn't.
Save your money and make do with the summary - Uneducated 20 year old barbarian blackmails the world into handing him all the power because Russia invented a Reganesque Star-Wars missile defence (half a page on that) followed by 364 pages of nothing very much. I'm donating the book to Oxfam tomorrow because I don't have a wood burning stove.
Save your money and make do with the summary - Uneducated 20 year old barbarian blackmails the world into handing him all the power because Russia invented a Reganesque Star-Wars missile defence (half a page on that) followed by 364 pages of nothing very much. I'm donating the book to Oxfam tomorrow because I don't have a wood burning stove.
December 28, 2019
A modern-day Julius Caesar or Alexander the Great arises from a Middle-Eastern state, to conquer the world in order to save it from itself.
A masterpiece, a very uncomfortable one. The story begins and ends with classical values of the ancient world brought back to life. Rome, Sparta, Athens: none of what we idolize about those places came without unpalatable elements. The book starts with invasion and rape. Rape as a tool of control is a major plot point. You are warned. What is done to the characters twists them. The point of the book appears to be to expose hypocrisy, in particular, the worship of Western civilization for its empire-building roots.
The ending is weird; there's no clear division in tone between the climax and wrapping up loose plot threads, as is common in most modern books. In a tale about a military invasion and surviving under a conquerer, you never get to breathe a sigh of relief that it's over--I suppose that's fair.
Recommended if you like big idea sci-fi. Not recommended if you just want some pew pew pew.
A masterpiece, a very uncomfortable one. The story begins and ends with classical values of the ancient world brought back to life. Rome, Sparta, Athens: none of what we idolize about those places came without unpalatable elements. The book starts with invasion and rape. Rape as a tool of control is a major plot point. You are warned. What is done to the characters twists them. The point of the book appears to be to expose hypocrisy, in particular, the worship of Western civilization for its empire-building roots.
The ending is weird; there's no clear division in tone between the climax and wrapping up loose plot threads, as is common in most modern books. In a tale about a military invasion and surviving under a conquerer, you never get to breathe a sigh of relief that it's over--I suppose that's fair.
Recommended if you like big idea sci-fi. Not recommended if you just want some pew pew pew.
October 12, 2013
...I guess whether or not you will like this novel depends on how well you think the author succeeds in making a very unlikely plot sound plausible. For me this pretty much failed on all fronts. I appreciate the efforts of the author to make the reader go back and froth between seeing Arslan as Lucifer himself and a caring man for those around him but in the end his character feels forced. Too extreme in many areas to be believable. The same goes for Hunt really. Franklin is more realistic. People keeping their heads low and muddling through would be very common in such a situation. He can't carry the story though, and so Arslan turned into a skillfully written but ultimately unsatisfying read for me.
Full Random Comments review
Full Random Comments review
February 12, 2011
Sweet Mary Mother of God - It's been over twenty years since I read this!
But I was reminded of it last night after reading this review. And, yes, the rapes from the first chapter are still a vivid image in my mind.
It's an extraordinary book but not one I could comfortably recommend.
But I was reminded of it last night after reading this review. And, yes, the rapes from the first chapter are still a vivid image in my mind.
It's an extraordinary book but not one I could comfortably recommend.
May 29, 2017
I seem to be incapable of grasping this book's alleged great depth. I'll read and attempt to appreciate almost anything, but in my opinion, the crime of the book is it's pointlessness. I can handle narratives that contain sexual violence and other vile deeds if there's a point, but if there is a point, I'm missing it. Orson Scott Card is out of his mind for recommending this.
June 13, 2015
This is tumblr level slash fiction. Utter garbage.
April 17, 2023
I've seen a lot of reviews discuss If this is a plausible scenario, and if it isn't, If that means the book failed, but for me that's completely beside the point. The novel isn't about if a dictatorship like this could come to pass, in fact, one of the protagonists questions that himself in the very beginning, but about what it would do to the people living under such a regime. It's about coping, manipulation, sharing guilt, the line between victim and collaborator and other such fascinating themes. In fact, I found it really scary, especially with how carefree and charasmatic Arslan comes across, even while admitting to his attrocities. It's an uncomfortable read, it basically starts with the rape of children, so decide for yourself If you feel up for that. Once you look past the horror, this is a very complex and heartbreaking book. How Franklin's and Hunt's lives and relationships to Arslan develope is far from simple, far from either good or evil, and I came to feel for them so much. Engh plays beautifully with the reader's perception of Arslan, too, who, despite me never forgetting who he is, felt almost like an old acquaintance at some point.I also like how quiet and character-driven this is. There is hardly any plot, just an emotional journey.
I think this is a masterpiece, but how could I ever recommend this book to someone?
I think this is a masterpiece, but how could I ever recommend this book to someone?
September 14, 2016
Voici un roman très étrange, et glaçant. Paru pour la première fois en 1976, il ressort en France 40 ans après.
Arslan relate la conquête du monde par un général Ouzbek du même nom. Quand je dis relate la conquête, ce n'est pas pleinement exact. Pour être honnête, le roman commence précisément le jour où Arslan décide de fêter sa victoire et la conquête du monde.
Il va fêter cet évènement crucial dans la petite ville de Kraftsville (Illinois), où il décide aussitôt d'installer son QG. Le roman va alors s'attarder sur les suites de la conquête et sur ce qu'Arslan va faire du monde. C'est par l'entremise de deux personnages que nous aurons la possibilité de voir agir et penser ce conquérant improbable, d'abord par le biais du proviseur du collège local qui devient rapidement l'unique interlocuteur d'Arslan à Kraftsville, puis par celui d'un des élèves du collège qu'Arslan a violé le jour de la victoire et désigné comme son amant occasionnel.
Comme le laisse aisément entrevoir la dernière phrase, Arslan est un personnage fort peu recommandable. Arrogant, provocateur, libidineux parfois, il emploie des méthodes clairement brutales. Et cependant, le personnage fascine. Par sa grande intelligence d'une part, mais aussi par son côté mystérieux. Comment un obscur dictateur Ouzbek a-t-il pu s'emparer ainsi du monde ? Qu'est-ce qui a pu pousser des puissances comme L'URSS (on est en 1976) et les USA (sans parler de la Chine !) à renoncer au combat ? Et surtout, que va-t-il faire de ce monde si facilement conquis ?
Car comme tout dictateur qui se respecte, Arslan a de grands projets pour sa nouvelle conquête, mais eux aussi restent assez obscurs pendant une bonne partie du récit. Il s'agit évidemment d'œuvrer pour le plus grand bien (c'est un air connu en politique), mais ses méthodes et son comportement laisse assez peu d'espoirs quant à ses réelles intentions.
Je n'en dirait évidemment pas plus sur les manigances d'Arslan et ses motivations puisque leurs découvertes font parties du sel de ce roman.
Le récit s'étale sur plusieurs années, les plans et projets d'Arslan apparaissant petit à petit et ses rapports avec les deux narrateurs évoluent avec le temps. C'est d'ailleurs essentiellement autour des rapports que ces trois personnages vont développer que le récit s'articule.
Le jeune collégien entretient une relation d'amour / haine vivace avec Arslan, qui ne se démentira pas tout au long du récit. Le proviseur, sans arriver à apprécier Arslan finit tout de même par développer une forme de respect pour lui, respect qui semble mutuel.
Le roman baigne dans une atmosphère sombre, un peu glauque et est plutôt désespéré sur le fond. La lecture n'en est pas pour autant rébarbative, les trois personnages principaux étant assez bien campés pour tenir le lecteur en haleine.
Un roman dur (à tout point de vue), mais qui vaut le coup d'œil.
Arslan relate la conquête du monde par un général Ouzbek du même nom. Quand je dis relate la conquête, ce n'est pas pleinement exact. Pour être honnête, le roman commence précisément le jour où Arslan décide de fêter sa victoire et la conquête du monde.
Il va fêter cet évènement crucial dans la petite ville de Kraftsville (Illinois), où il décide aussitôt d'installer son QG. Le roman va alors s'attarder sur les suites de la conquête et sur ce qu'Arslan va faire du monde. C'est par l'entremise de deux personnages que nous aurons la possibilité de voir agir et penser ce conquérant improbable, d'abord par le biais du proviseur du collège local qui devient rapidement l'unique interlocuteur d'Arslan à Kraftsville, puis par celui d'un des élèves du collège qu'Arslan a violé le jour de la victoire et désigné comme son amant occasionnel.
Comme le laisse aisément entrevoir la dernière phrase, Arslan est un personnage fort peu recommandable. Arrogant, provocateur, libidineux parfois, il emploie des méthodes clairement brutales. Et cependant, le personnage fascine. Par sa grande intelligence d'une part, mais aussi par son côté mystérieux. Comment un obscur dictateur Ouzbek a-t-il pu s'emparer ainsi du monde ? Qu'est-ce qui a pu pousser des puissances comme L'URSS (on est en 1976) et les USA (sans parler de la Chine !) à renoncer au combat ? Et surtout, que va-t-il faire de ce monde si facilement conquis ?
Car comme tout dictateur qui se respecte, Arslan a de grands projets pour sa nouvelle conquête, mais eux aussi restent assez obscurs pendant une bonne partie du récit. Il s'agit évidemment d'œuvrer pour le plus grand bien (c'est un air connu en politique), mais ses méthodes et son comportement laisse assez peu d'espoirs quant à ses réelles intentions.
Je n'en dirait évidemment pas plus sur les manigances d'Arslan et ses motivations puisque leurs découvertes font parties du sel de ce roman.
Le récit s'étale sur plusieurs années, les plans et projets d'Arslan apparaissant petit à petit et ses rapports avec les deux narrateurs évoluent avec le temps. C'est d'ailleurs essentiellement autour des rapports que ces trois personnages vont développer que le récit s'articule.
Le jeune collégien entretient une relation d'amour / haine vivace avec Arslan, qui ne se démentira pas tout au long du récit. Le proviseur, sans arriver à apprécier Arslan finit tout de même par développer une forme de respect pour lui, respect qui semble mutuel.
Le roman baigne dans une atmosphère sombre, un peu glauque et est plutôt désespéré sur le fond. La lecture n'en est pas pour autant rébarbative, les trois personnages principaux étant assez bien campés pour tenir le lecteur en haleine.
Un roman dur (à tout point de vue), mais qui vaut le coup d'œil.
December 23, 2014
To start with let me just say that, if you don't like spoilers, skip the introduction by Adam Roberts who proceeds to talk about the major plot points of the story as if you're already familiar with them (or have no intention of reading it).
That said, by the time I got to the end, the plot doesn't seem to matter any more as it surely isn't the focus of the author's intention. The focus is Arslan himself.
Arslan is a Middle-eastern despot who somehow utilises tensions in the cold war and one side developing a missile shied take over the world (don't worry; it doesn't get any more plausible when you examine the detail) and now he can execute his grand plans for saving the human race. The focus of this story is Kraftsville, a small town in middle America where Arslan chooses to set up his global headquarters. He then proceeds to shock and beguile the reader in quick succession. The author shocks us with Arslan's despotic plans of mad idealism and senseless cruelty and then attempts to beguile us with Arslan's charisma and charm. Eventually, we're to see him as more of a loveable rascal, an enigmatic but ultimately driven hero who does what needs to be done. Perhaps we're also supposed to fall under his spell and fall in love with him as much as so many people do in the story.
For me though, it's all just not quite convincing enough. Everything ends up being subservient to the portrayal of the character of Arslan. The premise, the story, the rationale even all the other characters. But it can't just be about that. It's got to be more and, in the end, it wasn't.
My interest was sustained throughout most of the narrative but I felt it ended with a whimper and I didn't quite see what it was supposed to be doing. Disappointing.
That said, by the time I got to the end, the plot doesn't seem to matter any more as it surely isn't the focus of the author's intention. The focus is Arslan himself.
Arslan is a Middle-eastern despot who somehow utilises tensions in the cold war and one side developing a missile shied take over the world (don't worry; it doesn't get any more plausible when you examine the detail) and now he can execute his grand plans for saving the human race. The focus of this story is Kraftsville, a small town in middle America where Arslan chooses to set up his global headquarters. He then proceeds to shock and beguile the reader in quick succession. The author shocks us with Arslan's despotic plans of mad idealism and senseless cruelty and then attempts to beguile us with Arslan's charisma and charm. Eventually, we're to see him as more of a loveable rascal, an enigmatic but ultimately driven hero who does what needs to be done. Perhaps we're also supposed to fall under his spell and fall in love with him as much as so many people do in the story.
For me though, it's all just not quite convincing enough. Everything ends up being subservient to the portrayal of the character of Arslan. The premise, the story, the rationale even all the other characters. But it can't just be about that. It's got to be more and, in the end, it wasn't.
My interest was sustained throughout most of the narrative but I felt it ended with a whimper and I didn't quite see what it was supposed to be doing. Disappointing.
November 7, 2017
I generally try not to give up on books. Generally, even if a book is not to my liking, I can at least see how it might appeal to other people. I threw in the towel at just shy of two thirds of the way through Arslan.
Arslan is the story of the titular warlord after he conquers the Earth. As far as I can tell, he accomplishes this through magic, because Engh's adolescent-at-best portrayal of global politics and military matters certainly doesn't explain it. We see Arlsan first through the lens of a schoolteacher-cum-gauleiter whose small town is taken for Arslan's HQ and secondly through that of his catamite. Both spend a great deal of time thinking about Arslan and talking to him, and repulsive as he may be Arslan's monologues and ramblings at least make more sense than anything else in this book.
I really cannot understand why anyone would like this book. If you want to be shocked, try a horror novel. If you want something on the psychology of fascism or collaboration, there are plenty of books on those subjects. If you want a book about child abuse, there are similarly more than enough books, both fiction and non-fiction, that will approach the subject in one way or another. Post-apocalypse SF is of course also readily available.
Any other book you could read on any of Arslan's themes or subjects would be a better use of your time.
Arslan is the story of the titular warlord after he conquers the Earth. As far as I can tell, he accomplishes this through magic, because Engh's adolescent-at-best portrayal of global politics and military matters certainly doesn't explain it. We see Arlsan first through the lens of a schoolteacher-cum-gauleiter whose small town is taken for Arslan's HQ and secondly through that of his catamite. Both spend a great deal of time thinking about Arslan and talking to him, and repulsive as he may be Arslan's monologues and ramblings at least make more sense than anything else in this book.
I really cannot understand why anyone would like this book. If you want to be shocked, try a horror novel. If you want something on the psychology of fascism or collaboration, there are plenty of books on those subjects. If you want a book about child abuse, there are similarly more than enough books, both fiction and non-fiction, that will approach the subject in one way or another. Post-apocalypse SF is of course also readily available.
Any other book you could read on any of Arslan's themes or subjects would be a better use of your time.
February 27, 2015
Preposterous idea but gripping writing at times. I wanted to like it, but in the end I simply couldn't suspend my disbelief for either plot or character. A new Tamerlaine gains world domination through a ridiculous nuclear bluff and invades the USA to set up headquarters in Kraftsville, IL. The docile Illinoisans (along with the rest of the world) then come to respect and even love their captor who has raped women and children and committed mass genocide? Wh-at?
The only things I appreciated were the imposition of an ancient mentality (conquest, rulership) and set of ancient values (violence, slavery, torture) on present day America, for which the author seems to have held a deep contempt and hatred. She is a Roman scholar as well as SF author. I'm not sure this is the way to make whatever point the novel was looking to make, America is decadent Rome and should be destroyed by a conqueror from the old world? The human race is spent and needs a thorough cleanse?
P.S. I felt a little bit scooped by Ms. Engh on one score only. I was going to suggest the USA declare war on some advanced Scandinavian country like Denmark, then surrender the next day, let them occupy us and reorganize our country for us.
The only things I appreciated were the imposition of an ancient mentality (conquest, rulership) and set of ancient values (violence, slavery, torture) on present day America, for which the author seems to have held a deep contempt and hatred. She is a Roman scholar as well as SF author. I'm not sure this is the way to make whatever point the novel was looking to make, America is decadent Rome and should be destroyed by a conqueror from the old world? The human race is spent and needs a thorough cleanse?
P.S. I felt a little bit scooped by Ms. Engh on one score only. I was going to suggest the USA declare war on some advanced Scandinavian country like Denmark, then surrender the next day, let them occupy us and reorganize our country for us.
December 22, 2014
This book is about human behavior at its very worst, and not just by the villains.
It is set in a universe much like ours, although the land of origin of the protagonist involves some reorganization of the central Asian republics of the former USSR, and the leaders of USSR are portrayed as total wimps, and I found Arslan's ascent to power quite implausible.
I can understand why some find this a powerful novel, but unlike pure horror fantasy, it does not present itself as fantasy. It could have used a good editor, too.
Engh was given an Author Emirita award by the SFWA for lifetime achievement by an overlooked and inactive writer. Given that Arslan is considered her major work, I think this award was totally inappropriate, unless her (few) other works were really good.
I picked up and read this book on the basis of a favorable blurb by Orson Scott Card. I will not fall for his praise again.
It is set in a universe much like ours, although the land of origin of the protagonist involves some reorganization of the central Asian republics of the former USSR, and the leaders of USSR are portrayed as total wimps, and I found Arslan's ascent to power quite implausible.
I can understand why some find this a powerful novel, but unlike pure horror fantasy, it does not present itself as fantasy. It could have used a good editor, too.
Engh was given an Author Emirita award by the SFWA for lifetime achievement by an overlooked and inactive writer. Given that Arslan is considered her major work, I think this award was totally inappropriate, unless her (few) other works were really good.
I picked up and read this book on the basis of a favorable blurb by Orson Scott Card. I will not fall for his praise again.
October 7, 2020
When Kraftsville’s school principal Franklin Bond watches the invading army of the young, conquering Turkmenistani General Arslan, he is not prepared for the frightening power of Arslan’s vision for the world. From the moment he rapes a young girl and a young boy at the school his mesmerising control is paramount. By turns ruthless and uncaring Arslan is a mystical Tamerlane - a Pol Pot Year Zero devotee - whose Plan A is to comminize each county of a subjugated USA (we are never really sure how this occurred and any reasons hinted at in the novel are really absurd - but ultimately irrelevant as the premise unfolds itself in a fascinating kind of believability). M. J. Engh shows us every foul facet of occupying armies since time immemorial - “first the rape, then the seduction” - the casual brutality of comfort girls to an almost institutionalized Roman-style pederasty. This book is not a comfortable read…but it is a very important one as it attempts to explicate the reasons behind a global subjugation and even rationalize a kind of maniacal Gaea-like concern for human-Earth relations. The scariest part of Arslan’s hideous Plan B is that it is almost plausible. RECOMMENDED.
November 11, 2024
An exercise in speculative Stockholm Syndrome conjecture, as developed through the queerest mashup of tone and genre and event you’ll read this side of a Rainbow Family Gathering, albeit one delivered with an assurance of voice and consistency of message (harder than you’d think, considering the difficulty of pinning much down ideologically here) that is demonstrated most through the clearly delineated sections of the book: one, an appropriately meat-and-potatoes, forward-moving first-person account of the principal’s increasingly ambivalent response to Arslan’s anti-civilizational enforced primitivism; and the other, a florid, inwardly directed narrative killer, penned by the traumatized and equally ambivalent young victim of Arslan, cowed into personal dependence, if little actual interest in the plan.
Read
October 21, 2007http://nhw.livejournal.com/309981.html[return][return]More of a political fantasy than an sf novel this. Set in 1976 (when it was written). Central Asian dictator through sheer force of personality takes over the world, setting up his capital in a small town in Illinois. He then sets out to bring about the end of the world as we know it, and finishes off by cultivating his garden. His rather nasty sexual tastes were probably more acceptable fare for a novel in the 1970s than they would be now. Still, it gave me something to read on the plane.
June 5, 2023
(the bottom half of this review has spoilers, the top half doesn't)
If it were written any earlier, it would be called a classic.
Mary Jane Engh’s Arslan is a masterpiece of characterization which revolves around the (in this case) twin struggles of understanding and complicity. Engh’s prose is expert (albeit somewhat dense and on occasion difficult to digest), and her every sentence is carefully considered to construct the titular character through the perspectives of those closest associated to him. Her true talent in writing prose is shown in her flexibility between perspectives. The first viewpoint character is pragmatic and literal, and so his chapters read like a novel, whereas those of the second read with dexterous verbosity and casual intelligence, as befitting each. Time’s flow and rate of passage is fluid, of secondary importance to the sweeping description that make up the vast majority of the work, and amid Engh’s multitudinous references to classic literature - including, but by no means whatsoever limited to, Shakespeare, Milton, Hesse, the Bible, and even the epics of the Greeks and Romans - the literal and the metaphorical blend, becoming nigh indistinguishable. It is overall an amazing work, and in the words of Orson Scott Card: “By the end of this novel, we understand something about one of the great mysteries of modern life: why people loved and followed Hitler, Stalin, Mao, and others whose cruelty seemed boundless.”
***SPOILERS BELOW***
General Arslan is by any measure and any system of ethics one of the most despicable characters to ever be created: committing genocide, ethnic cleansing, the relocation of millions, and all with the dangerous yet absolute devotion to the destruction of the human species. He uses the tactics of a sex predator (“first the rape, then the seduction”, as is often repeated throughout the work) to enthrall and command the allegiance of everyone around him, represented most clearly in a young boy, Hunt Morgan. Arslan systematically strips down everything Hunt relies upon until Arslan himself is all which is left. He is a terrible human being, and all it takes to drive this home is to imagine the horrors taking place occurring in Kraft County, Illinois, occurring in your own county, at your own school. Yet despite his horrors, by the book’s end a combined chord of reluctant sympathy, sadness, affection, and admiration for Arslan can be found within the reader, and they will find themselves conflicted in wondering why this has occurred when - logically - there is no reason for it. After the book is closed, the reader is left with the terrifying realization that - had they themselves been in the position to follow Hitler, Stalin, or Mao - they might, in fact, have done so.
If it were written any earlier, it would be called a classic.
Mary Jane Engh’s Arslan is a masterpiece of characterization which revolves around the (in this case) twin struggles of understanding and complicity. Engh’s prose is expert (albeit somewhat dense and on occasion difficult to digest), and her every sentence is carefully considered to construct the titular character through the perspectives of those closest associated to him. Her true talent in writing prose is shown in her flexibility between perspectives. The first viewpoint character is pragmatic and literal, and so his chapters read like a novel, whereas those of the second read with dexterous verbosity and casual intelligence, as befitting each. Time’s flow and rate of passage is fluid, of secondary importance to the sweeping description that make up the vast majority of the work, and amid Engh’s multitudinous references to classic literature - including, but by no means whatsoever limited to, Shakespeare, Milton, Hesse, the Bible, and even the epics of the Greeks and Romans - the literal and the metaphorical blend, becoming nigh indistinguishable. It is overall an amazing work, and in the words of Orson Scott Card: “By the end of this novel, we understand something about one of the great mysteries of modern life: why people loved and followed Hitler, Stalin, Mao, and others whose cruelty seemed boundless.”
***SPOILERS BELOW***
General Arslan is by any measure and any system of ethics one of the most despicable characters to ever be created: committing genocide, ethnic cleansing, the relocation of millions, and all with the dangerous yet absolute devotion to the destruction of the human species. He uses the tactics of a sex predator (“first the rape, then the seduction”, as is often repeated throughout the work) to enthrall and command the allegiance of everyone around him, represented most clearly in a young boy, Hunt Morgan. Arslan systematically strips down everything Hunt relies upon until Arslan himself is all which is left. He is a terrible human being, and all it takes to drive this home is to imagine the horrors taking place occurring in Kraft County, Illinois, occurring in your own county, at your own school. Yet despite his horrors, by the book’s end a combined chord of reluctant sympathy, sadness, affection, and admiration for Arslan can be found within the reader, and they will find themselves conflicted in wondering why this has occurred when - logically - there is no reason for it. After the book is closed, the reader is left with the terrifying realization that - had they themselves been in the position to follow Hitler, Stalin, or Mao - they might, in fact, have done so.
April 13, 2025
This novel was not at all what I expected; though I did expect it to be good, and it was, just not for the reasons I thought. On the surface Arslan is a novel about a central Asian warlord who conquers the world, as seen from the point of view of one small town in Illinois. And that is the set-up for the story, But it’s not a story about warfare, or conquering, or politics by other means. It’s a story about complex personal relationships between men - particularly the three men at the center: Arslan, the Turkic warlord, Franklin Bond, the school principal, and Hunt Morgan, a boy caught between them. It’s a story about fatherhood, brotherhood, right and wrong, abusers and abused, love and sex, and power and resistance, resilience and reconciliation.
Arslan is a sort of Alexander-meets-Pol-Pot character, but instead of a westerner going to Persia, he’s a central Asian in America. Hunt and Bond are very loosely like Bagoas and Hephaistion. But none of this plays out like the plot of The Persian Boy, so don’t use that novel to set your expectations of what is to come as you read. I draw the comparison only to illustrate that this is not a tale of military conquest, but of personal conquest.
I found it beautifully written, complex in characterization, unexpected in terms or plot, and thoroughly enjoyable. It's book of surprising depth, and one that I think will one day award a re-read. It’s also brutal and often ambiguous, so it’s not without its challenges, but I really enjoyed it.
The Warner Paperback first edition I read features quite possibly my favourite Vincent DiFate cover. There's also a non-descript Arborhouse hardcover and a Gollancz SF Masterworks edition.
Arslan is a sort of Alexander-meets-Pol-Pot character, but instead of a westerner going to Persia, he’s a central Asian in America. Hunt and Bond are very loosely like Bagoas and Hephaistion. But none of this plays out like the plot of The Persian Boy, so don’t use that novel to set your expectations of what is to come as you read. I draw the comparison only to illustrate that this is not a tale of military conquest, but of personal conquest.
I found it beautifully written, complex in characterization, unexpected in terms or plot, and thoroughly enjoyable. It's book of surprising depth, and one that I think will one day award a re-read. It’s also brutal and often ambiguous, so it’s not without its challenges, but I really enjoyed it.
The Warner Paperback first edition I read features quite possibly my favourite Vincent DiFate cover. There's also a non-descript Arborhouse hardcover and a Gollancz SF Masterworks edition.
November 28, 2021
Wavered between really good and slightly boring. An autocratic dictator from Turkmenistan lands in middle America and takes over a small county and thereafter the world. The sections of the book written from the view of Franklin Bond were really well done and fun to read. While the sections written from the perspective of Hunt were tough to get through. So about 60% of the book was borderline great and 40% was hard to wade through. But overall a pretty good read.
May 18, 2025
I thought this was a really interesting book, although given some of the content it definitely won't be for everyone. I dont think I can say much without spoilers, but for me parts 1 and 3 worked better than 2 and 4, giving 4 stars overall.
July 30, 2020
I'd like to give it a higher rating but somehow I can't justify it. I get its premise and how the layout of the story reflects Arslan motto, but I felt that several of the characters were wooden and marking a spot rather than advancing the story. Interesting and different but strangely unfulfilling.
April 6, 2013
"Arslan" one of my top 10 favorite books of all time, is a taut, extremely polished novel by an author with a very short list of published works. I have tried a couple of other books by M.J. Engh, but, (with the exception of an excellent but very hard-to-find story by the name of "The Oracle"), have found her other works unremarkable and at times unreadable. Which makes "Arslan" a bit of an enigma, in my eyes. It's written in the first person and narrated by 2 of the main protagonists, skipping back and forth between two viewpoints.
Arslan, a ruthless and charismatic world conqueror at the height of his power, is at the center of the story. Suddenly and without advance notice the town of Kraftsville Illinois finds itself overrun by Arslan and his troops. They immediately take possession of the local high school. The night they arrive, Arslan, in a public ceremony with his soldiers cheering him on, forcefully rapes a young man, a high school student named Hunt. With an unerring eye for recognizing capability, he assigns to Franklin Bond, the High School principal, the job of administering his orders to the town. Arslan quickly and efficiently strips them of all modern conveniences, forcefully cordons them off, cutting their contact with anyone outside the town's perimeter's, and plunges them back in time to a pre-industrial, agrarian lifestyle. We gradually learn, through Arslan's interactions with the two narrators, that Arslan and his armies have conquered the world.
The first portion of the book is written in the voice of Franklin Bond, and centers on post-Arslan life in one small American town. The second portion takes us seamlessly and elegantly into the mind of Hunt. Forced to accompany Arslan as he journeys between Turkey and America, Hunt provides us with a vastly different viewpoint, and deeper insight into the motivation and behavior of Arslan.
My synopsis sounds farfetched, but in truth the story is extremely well-though out, brilliantly executed, and, as written by Engh, utterly believable. I've read the book several times and find myself completely lost in it each time.
This is a story about individuals and the way they think and behave towards others. What to call it? Social Fiction, perhaps? I wouldn't call it future-fiction; technology is described at times, (as skillfully as all of the elements of the story), but is peripheral to the characters. Their behavior is by turns brutal, heartrending, and compassionate, and always utterly believable. If asked to sum up Engh's talent I would say that it lies in her ability to create some of the most fully developed and three-dimensional characters I have ever encountered in print. I can't think of anyone else to compare her to; "Arslan" is, in my opinion, unique. Read it, and if you like it, find and read her other outstanding novella, "The Oracle"; I believe it was included in an SF anthology titled "Edges". I'm hoping for new works by MJ; "Arslan" is brilliant.
Arslan, a ruthless and charismatic world conqueror at the height of his power, is at the center of the story. Suddenly and without advance notice the town of Kraftsville Illinois finds itself overrun by Arslan and his troops. They immediately take possession of the local high school. The night they arrive, Arslan, in a public ceremony with his soldiers cheering him on, forcefully rapes a young man, a high school student named Hunt. With an unerring eye for recognizing capability, he assigns to Franklin Bond, the High School principal, the job of administering his orders to the town. Arslan quickly and efficiently strips them of all modern conveniences, forcefully cordons them off, cutting their contact with anyone outside the town's perimeter's, and plunges them back in time to a pre-industrial, agrarian lifestyle. We gradually learn, through Arslan's interactions with the two narrators, that Arslan and his armies have conquered the world.
The first portion of the book is written in the voice of Franklin Bond, and centers on post-Arslan life in one small American town. The second portion takes us seamlessly and elegantly into the mind of Hunt. Forced to accompany Arslan as he journeys between Turkey and America, Hunt provides us with a vastly different viewpoint, and deeper insight into the motivation and behavior of Arslan.
My synopsis sounds farfetched, but in truth the story is extremely well-though out, brilliantly executed, and, as written by Engh, utterly believable. I've read the book several times and find myself completely lost in it each time.
This is a story about individuals and the way they think and behave towards others. What to call it? Social Fiction, perhaps? I wouldn't call it future-fiction; technology is described at times, (as skillfully as all of the elements of the story), but is peripheral to the characters. Their behavior is by turns brutal, heartrending, and compassionate, and always utterly believable. If asked to sum up Engh's talent I would say that it lies in her ability to create some of the most fully developed and three-dimensional characters I have ever encountered in print. I can't think of anyone else to compare her to; "Arslan" is, in my opinion, unique. Read it, and if you like it, find and read her other outstanding novella, "The Oracle"; I believe it was included in an SF anthology titled "Edges". I'm hoping for new works by MJ; "Arslan" is brilliant.
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