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livvi29's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
This is my first experience reading a book originally written in Arabic, and I was pleasantly surprised by it. I felt the translation flowed naturally and avoided the awkwardness that sometimes plagues translated works.
The novel wasn't quite what I expected, but I still found it enjoyable. Rather than focusing solely on the monster, the story delves into the lives of diverse characters in Baghdad. From reporters and opportunists, to those fleeing the city and everyday citizens, the book paints a vivid picture of a society in turmoil.
I felt this was a unique take on the Frankenstein story (even though I haven't read the original). I liked how the monster transitions from being an avenger for 'good' to a creature that kills to sustain itself, there's this complex morality to its existence.
One downside for me was the sheer number of characters. I struggled to keep track of everyone and had to refer to a character list multiple times. Additionally, I wished the narrative didn't jump between characters as much. I would have liked to spend more time with the monster.
Overall, I thought this book offered a fresh perspective on a classic tale, and if you're interested in a different look at Iraq during the American invasion then it's worth the read.
serving_goffman's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
silenceofthreenicks's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
jellyfishes's review against another edition
3.0
It was.....fine? I think the idea is way more interesting than the execution itself. Sometimes very cliche and expectable. The most compelling parts of it/features of the premise weren't really deliberated on or thematized, which was disappointing. It also felt either kind of poorly written or poorly translated sometimes. Probably more like 2.75 honestly.
rouge_red's review against another edition
dark
tense
medium-paced
3.5
I think this tableaux of characters feels realistic in this setting-from the people taking advantage of disaster for their own monetary gain, reporters on the streets trying to get a scoop, people fleeing the country altogether, people roaming around, to the normal people just doing their regular everyday things. I really like the evolution of Whatitsname-firstly looking to seek revenge for dying so young, and the subsequent revenge missions as he replenishes his body with random parts. He reminded me of No Face from Spirited Away in the way that as he consumed more and more people from the bathhouse, he became increasingly corrupted. And then there's also the Tracking and Pursuit Department trying to divine methods of control. They'd almost be a comical part of the story except for the very real car bombing near the end of the novel. Surprisingly there are a fair amount of pretty happy endings considering the random acts of violence, in particular Elishva, but I think we see that she realizes the truth about Daniel. A blend of the realistic and not so much reality of living under such violent forces.
moncoinlecture's review against another edition
3.0
Interprétation intéressante de Frankenstein, qui nous fait plonger dans le Bagdad des années 2000 et qui traite du bien, du mal et de son ambivalence. J'ai aimé la réflexion qu'il oblige mais je connais trop mal l'histoire de l'Irak pour en comprendre toutes les subtilités. Intéressant, mais j'ai mis deux semaines à le lire!
sacmersault's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
lunaseline's review against another edition
2.0
En Frankenstein byggd av bombade kroppsdelar i Baghdad.
Innovativt, absolut. Men också äckligt, vilket ju inte riktigt funkar för mig. Dessutom går det här med "delar" igen i Saadawis skrivande, på ett sätt som inte heller riktigt funkar för mig.
Att olika berättarröster får bidra gillar jag oftast, men här blir det dels lite för rörigt (vid varje nytt stycke måste jag försöka påminna mig om vem personen är) och dels för opersonligt (jag lär aldrig känna någon av personerna på riktigt).
Det KAN handla om att jag inte har rätt kunskaper varken om miljön (krigkaotiskt och korrumperat Irak) eller berättandestilen (mellanöster:ig). Men också om att romanen är mer ihopsatta återberättelser än gestaltande historier; dialog är mer undantag än regel och merparten av textmassan är långa "sen gjorde han det efter ha gjort det och var här efter att ha varit där".
Historien är som sagt innovativ fiktion, men stilen påminner mer om redovisande reportage. Jag blir aldrig engagerad - och det är synd. Jag vill läsa mer annorlunda berättelser i annorlunda (läs: icke-västvärldiga) miljöer.
Men det här är inte boken som får mig (personligen) att uppskatta dem som de borde uppskattas.
Innovativt, absolut. Men också äckligt, vilket ju inte riktigt funkar för mig. Dessutom går det här med "delar" igen i Saadawis skrivande, på ett sätt som inte heller riktigt funkar för mig.
Att olika berättarröster får bidra gillar jag oftast, men här blir det dels lite för rörigt (vid varje nytt stycke måste jag försöka påminna mig om vem personen är) och dels för opersonligt (jag lär aldrig känna någon av personerna på riktigt).
Det KAN handla om att jag inte har rätt kunskaper varken om miljön (krigkaotiskt och korrumperat Irak) eller berättandestilen (mellanöster:ig). Men också om att romanen är mer ihopsatta återberättelser än gestaltande historier; dialog är mer undantag än regel och merparten av textmassan är långa "sen gjorde han det efter ha gjort det och var här efter att ha varit där".
Historien är som sagt innovativ fiktion, men stilen påminner mer om redovisande reportage. Jag blir aldrig engagerad - och det är synd. Jag vill läsa mer annorlunda berättelser i annorlunda (läs: icke-västvärldiga) miljöer.
Men det här är inte boken som får mig (personligen) att uppskatta dem som de borde uppskattas.
tagoreketabkhane31's review against another edition
4.0
Frankenstein in Baghdad is a unique book, partially because it is a book written by an Iraqi and from the Middle East. Saadawi weaves a tale right in the middle of the American Operation "Iraqi Freedom", but what makes it even more interesting and fitting is that the Americans themselves are not characters in the book. Indeed, their presence is off screen, for the reader to formulate from the coverage of the Iraqi War in the larger War on Terror led by the United States of America. The book has a cast of Iraqi characters from different sectarian and social classes, which serves to paint a richer picture of this Iraq, and more closely, certain neighborhoods in the capital of Baghdad.
As the title states, the story follows the creation of Frankenstein, and the monsters exploits throughout the city amidst the aftermath of the overthrow of Saddam Hussein and the Ba'ath Party. The chapters and the shifting narrators add a holistic picture of the changes that the monster is wrecking on the city, and I appreciated that Saadawi was able to use Frankenstein as the foil for the atrocities and horrors that Baghdad faced from the American invasion.
Often times while reading the differing views in the chapters, I would find myself wishing that the narrative would not jump between so many characters at once. I also felt that we should have gotten more from Whatsitsname - the Frankenstein of the novel. While there is one chapter where we get to hear him in his own words, I would've liked a bit more insight.
I highly recommend this book, especially if you are interested in a good read, stories from the Middle East, and an intriguing story to serve as a commentary on some pivotal issues from our time.
As the title states, the story follows the creation of Frankenstein, and the monsters exploits throughout the city amidst the aftermath of the overthrow of Saddam Hussein and the Ba'ath Party. The chapters and the shifting narrators add a holistic picture of the changes that the monster is wrecking on the city, and I appreciated that Saadawi was able to use Frankenstein as the foil for the atrocities and horrors that Baghdad faced from the American invasion.
Often times while reading the differing views in the chapters, I would find myself wishing that the narrative would not jump between so many characters at once. I also felt that we should have gotten more from Whatsitsname - the Frankenstein of the novel. While there is one chapter where we get to hear him in his own words, I would've liked a bit more insight.
I highly recommend this book, especially if you are interested in a good read, stories from the Middle East, and an intriguing story to serve as a commentary on some pivotal issues from our time.
judith_aline's review against another edition
this was a very difficult read, for 2 reasons
1. it dealt with very intense topics
2. it was written quite densely (i loved all the storylines we got, it really made the story, but it also made it quite hard to get trough)
1. it dealt with very intense topics
2. it was written quite densely (i loved all the storylines we got, it really made the story, but it also made it quite hard to get trough)