Play Book Tag discussion

In general this book did exactly what it said on the tin: it is an updated Frankenstein story set in Baghdad during the U.S. occupation, allowing the author to illuminate the effects of war on Iraq and explore ideas of guilt and vengeance. It made me a little squeamish in places – I could have done without the descriptions of putrefying flesh or the mechanics of corpse-assembly and maintenance! – but this was more than made up for by the thoughtful writing and the occasional flashes of razor-sharp dark humour. The book opens with a brief “Final Report” (written in impressively impenetrable bureaucratic language), which refers to the discovery of “the text of a story” that “should not be published under any circumstances”. This reminded me of the notes at the end of The Handmaid’s Tale, or the introduction to The Name of the Rose. I felt that this could have set me up for disappointment – I loved both of those, and it’s not every book that could stand up well to being read with them in mind! – but I’m happy to say that this one did rise to the challenge.

I picked this up as part of a challenge to read books from other cultures – so did this book teach me anything about Iraq? Yes, if that means catching a glimpse of the atmosphere in Baghdad in 2005. There is a sense of constant background violence, tension, and instability, as characters narrowly miss being caught in explosions, attempt to avoid assassinations and violent interrogations, or profit from the upheavals (like the realtor gradually amassing a property empire by ‘acquiring’ abandoned homes under the protection of high-placed relatives). The sense of people trying to make sense of changing realities in the face of uncertainty is brought home by the multiple layers of unreliable narrators (“he’s stolen his story from a Robert De Niro film”!) and the way that author consciously plays with the different narratives constructed by people trying to make sense of the Whatsitsname. Most eye-opening perhaps for me was the way that the man who sees the Whatsitsname as “the first true Iraqi citizen” (due to the diverse backgrounds of his body parts) is portrayed as a murderous madman who is no better than those who welcome it as the beast that’s going to bring about the apocalypse. There were also hints of ‘genuine’ Iraqi culture here and there – little things like the way characters took on names based on their family roles (e.g. “Umm Daniel”, meaning Daniel’s mother), people gathering to hear stories in a coffee shop, eating clotted cream for breakfast, and (my personal favourite), the casual mention of making up a bed in the courtyard for a guest so that he could “lie down on a low cotton mattress and look at the square patch of sky, counting the stars till he fell asleep”. It also felt significant that several characters had shifting, layered, or overlapping religious or tribal identities – there was an image that stuck in my mind of an Islamic text being used to cover up an icon of the Virgin Mary, behind which was hidden a Hebrew engraving.

Like the situation it describes, this book didn’t end with a tidy or clean resolution, and left many questions open, but it was still a satisfying and valuable read. I’m giving it 4 stars rather than 5, mainly because there was a little too much supernatural content for my personal taste, but I did think that it was extremely well written.

Great review. I've had this one on my radar for some time now. I may need to read it now, if only I didn't have so many others I need to read.

I read Frankenstein in high school many years ago and loved it when I did.

I started this one in both audio and print and at 35% I just could not get into it. I’m glad you enjoyed your experience more than I did. It seems like it was a perfect book for the cultural challenge for you.

Great review!

Informative review, thank you!
I was intrigued by this book because I love Frankenstein and am always game for a good adaptation or reimagining.

I am not sure this one is for me though.