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"Wonder and awe have gone out of your religions. You are prepared to accept the irrational, but not the transcendent."
Alif the Unseen is not just one kind of novel. It starts out as cyber-thriller Neal Stephenson kind of novel and turns into a Neil Gaiman styled fantasia involving the world of djinn. But that's just the plot. It's multi-layered, with treatises on religion and politics. In fact, I would say the novel is as much a political allegory--a kind of magical version of the "Arab Spring" ...more
Alif the Unseen is not just one kind of novel. It starts out as cyber-thriller Neal Stephenson kind of novel and turns into a Neil Gaiman styled fantasia involving the world of djinn. But that's just the plot. It's multi-layered, with treatises on religion and politics. In fact, I would say the novel is as much a political allegory--a kind of magical version of the "Arab Spring" ...more
Magic, technology, Arabian mythology, and Orientalist fantasy converge in this charming story set in a fictional Middle Eastern Emirate, where the jinn not only walk among us, but also have wifi.
Such a good question, what do I think? And I'm still sitting here contemplating. Overall this was a very strange book, but I only say strange because it's something I wouldn't typically read. Computers. Mystical creatures called jinns. Corruption. All this makes for a great story and Wilson definitely puts it all together. Not sure I will be re-reading this in the future though.
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Loved it. Quick, entertaining read.
Mar 13, 2012
Erin
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Jess
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Greg
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Jessica
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Jess
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Miss M
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Apr 01, 2014
Megan Reichelt
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Kristen
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David Quick
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martha
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Daniel
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Sarah
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