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A review by anusha_reads
My Friends by Hisham Matar
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
5.0
BOOK# 2 MY FRIENDS, HISHAM MATAR, LONGLISTED FOR #BOOKERPRIZE2024
Hisham Matar discusses his life in The Return, where he details his father’s abduction by the Gaddafi regime. The Return is a nonfiction book that I read a few years ago. My Friends is a political fiction and a bildungsroman. The book contains 108 short chapters. The author skillfully weaves together books, authors, dreams, letters, and paintings, seamlessly blending them into the storyline.
It’s wonderful to read about three Libyan friends who share similar viewpoints and a deep love for books. They debate obscure literary facts, argue about various topics, and exchange bookish quotes or quips as messages. Khaled, Mustafa, and Hosam form a strong bond over their shared passion. Their love for books is so intense that they visit homes in London associated with Virginia Woolf, D.H. Lawrence, T.S. Eliot, R.L. Stevenson, Joseph Conrad, Ezra Pound, and others. They even sit on a pavement they believe might have been where Dambudzo Marechera made his temporary home. This part, where they discuss books and authors, captivated me entirely. It’s exhilarating to have friends who enjoy the same books.
They all share a love and longing for their homeland, from which they were exiled during the Gaddafi regime. A sense of restlessness and helplessness permeates their conversations about their nation.
The beginning is the end. After finishing the book, I returned to Chapter 1 to better understand the ending. The story, now focusing on the characters in middle age, explores their twenty-year friendship.
This is a book that gradually grows on you, encouraging contemplation. The writing is simple, making it an easy read.
Could this be the one!?
Hisham Matar discusses his life in The Return, where he details his father’s abduction by the Gaddafi regime. The Return is a nonfiction book that I read a few years ago. My Friends is a political fiction and a bildungsroman. The book contains 108 short chapters. The author skillfully weaves together books, authors, dreams, letters, and paintings, seamlessly blending them into the storyline.
It’s wonderful to read about three Libyan friends who share similar viewpoints and a deep love for books. They debate obscure literary facts, argue about various topics, and exchange bookish quotes or quips as messages. Khaled, Mustafa, and Hosam form a strong bond over their shared passion. Their love for books is so intense that they visit homes in London associated with Virginia Woolf, D.H. Lawrence, T.S. Eliot, R.L. Stevenson, Joseph Conrad, Ezra Pound, and others. They even sit on a pavement they believe might have been where Dambudzo Marechera made his temporary home. This part, where they discuss books and authors, captivated me entirely. It’s exhilarating to have friends who enjoy the same books.
They all share a love and longing for their homeland, from which they were exiled during the Gaddafi regime. A sense of restlessness and helplessness permeates their conversations about their nation.
The beginning is the end. After finishing the book, I returned to Chapter 1 to better understand the ending. The story, now focusing on the characters in middle age, explores their twenty-year friendship.
This is a book that gradually grows on you, encouraging contemplation. The writing is simple, making it an easy read.
Could this be the one!?