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No 104 in my quest to read a book taking place in each country of the World - Lebanon; Beirut specifically
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What a WONDERFUL book. I enjoyed and appreciated it for many reasons.
Aaliya Sohbi is the protaganist and in my experience quite unconventional. She is a reader extraoridinaire and I warmed to this aspect of her personality immediately.
This book has minimal plot. I feel it is more a stream of consciousness rather than being plot-driven. It is undoubtedly the first book that I have read tha ...more
***
What a WONDERFUL book. I enjoyed and appreciated it for many reasons.
Aaliya Sohbi is the protaganist and in my experience quite unconventional. She is a reader extraoridinaire and I warmed to this aspect of her personality immediately.
This book has minimal plot. I feel it is more a stream of consciousness rather than being plot-driven. It is undoubtedly the first book that I have read tha ...more
A 3.5, really, only because I struggled to invest in this one. In this novel, Aaliya--a divorced, atheist, childless woman living in Beirut--reflects on her life and work as a translator (well, as someone who translates, using her own methodology, 1 work per year). As a lover of literature and music, Aaliya tells her story in part by telling the stories of others, particularly creative outcasts. Sometimes, this worked, like when it was little quotes pulled out of tense scenes (you could imagine
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Four plus stars shining over Beirut,Lebanon in the late 20th century. OK, I did relate to the narrator----wondering where the years/decades have gone, why are the neighbors so irritating ,etc.!! This is a quiet,reflective memoir of a life devoted to literature/working in a bookstore/becoming a self-taught translator of books and having a few close friends. Set amidst violence and civil war in Lebanon and taking a few digs at Israeli foreign policy (and their ally/benefactor the USA). Also, three
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Jan 02, 2014
Phyllis
marked it as to-read
Mar 08, 2015
Allison boozy bookworm
marked it as to-read
Jul 08, 2015
Judy
marked it as to-read
Jan 01, 2017
GailW
marked it as to-read-nook
Feb 16, 2017
Igrowastreesgrow
marked it as to-read
Jan 02, 2019
NancyJ
marked it as to-read
Jun 29, 2021
Jenni
marked it as to-read
Feb 05, 2024
Shahar
marked it as to-read
Sep 20, 2024
1234getonthedancefloor
marked it as to-read
