Middle East/North African Lit discussion

I hereby open the discussion thread for Always Coca-Cola by Alexandra Chreiteh, with English translation by Michelle Hartman (Interlink Books, 2012). This slim volume is easy to fit in a shoulder bag - it doesn't even have chapters! I've started it, and so far I find it very true to the perspective of a young woman college student. It's set in Beirut, and the English translation includes an afterword about the translation and the relationship between the author and the translator. I look forward to everyone's thoughts!

Who's planning to join in? Marcia Lynx Qualey and I are co-moderating this discussion (March-April). Until later!

Whoop! For folks who have read both the Arabic and English I would also love to discuss the translation...

I've read it in English in the past, will look on my shelf for my copy to reread.

I ordered it a month ago. With ILLs I never know how long it will take. I hope to join in!

Excellent job of describing in easy to understand language the issues women face when it comes to work, sex, love, work and having children. I’m going to share this book with friends.

Finished the book today. Unfortunately I didn't enjoy it, especially since I was the one to pick it for my book club to read!
The story was longwinded and didn't seem to get anywhere, in fact, it took the author 84 pages to come up with an event that grasped my attention: it highlighted the vulnerability of women in Lebanese society. After that, she failed to follow up on that, with the exception of the ending. This only slightly made up for all the hours spent reading and left me rewarding the book with 2 stars.

Thanks for saving me the trouble.

To me, the title seemed to be the author struggling to be clever. On top of that, the (only 3) Reviews on Amazon seemed to be vapid as well.

The Amazon reviews I read were all positive. This is a story written in the chick lit style about an issue many young women face world wide. Perhaps it isn’t “great” literature in the tradition of the great male writers of the world. But it does talk about woman and men’s views on sexual relations written by a young woman who may know something about which she writes.
Using the word vapid to describe a book one has never read seems strange to me. Read the book then ask other women if they have experienced anything like what is described or know someone who has had any of these experiences.

The book is about menstruation and globalization, the intensely individual and shameful mirrored by the gigantic corporate identities that mark and shape our lives ... so "Always Coca-Cola" is quite apropos. And menstruation + globalization are certainly Great Lit themes for our age.

The ways in which it was re-shaped by translation are important to thinking through its "enjoyability," because audiences in Lebanon inhaled it, and thought it raucously funny, while the humor didn't always get reproduced in the English. So it's important to remember this is not Alexandra's book we're reading, but Alexandra's book as re-told to us by Michelle Hartman.

Reviews on Amazon are often vapid, c'est la vie.

Nan wrote: "The Amazon reviews I read were all positive. This is a story written in the chick lit style about an issue many young women face world wide. Perhaps it isn’t “great” literature in the tradition of ..."

Thank you Marcia. Especially for letting us know how Lebanonese audiences understand the book. Also this helps me on continuing to think about ways in which translation effects the way I read and understand a book.

Nan Carter, if you took the time to read the few words I wrote, you would see that I said the reviews were ‘vapid’, not the book.

Hi All, I just finished reading the book (in English translation). I agree with Marcia that this is a book about menstruation and globalization. I would add that this is a book about the experience of young women college students, specifically in Beirut, but also around the world. Notably, this is not a book about war in Lebanon (or Israel). I think this book's contribution lies partly in its accessibility and its universality (the personal and private vs. the global).

This novel is short, with simple language and narrative form, but it tackles a very relevant topic: women's bodies are one of the most contested territories on Earth. This book relates the experience of growing up as a woman, especially in terms of bodies and competing claims upon women's bodies.

If readers in this group have any burning questions for the translator, let us know. I think that both Marcia and I are in contact with her. Happy reading!

My copy finally arrived and I will start reading today!

Jalilah wrote: "My copy finally arrived and I will start reading today!"

Look forward to hearing your thoughts!

Marcia wrote: "Jalilah wrote: "My copy finally arrived and I will start reading today!"

Look forward to hearing your thoughts!"

I am really enjoying it thus far! It is a light and fun read that still touches on very deep and important issues!

I just finished now and liked it enough that I would read other other books by Alexandra Chreiteh It seems light like "chick lit" but it's really about women's controlling their bodies ( or in the case of the creepy jerk boss /ex boyfriend of Yana not having control of their bodies. And I agree it's also about globalization.

Jalilah wrote: "I just finished now and liked it enough that I would read other other books by Always Coca-Cola. It seems light like "chick lit" but it's really about women's controlling their bodi..."

Great! Some of the people who liked "Always Coca-Cola" didn't enjoy "Ali and His Russian Mother" ... it's about identity (fragmented identities) and queerness, and how we do (or don't) claim ourselves. I found it rich and interesting, if you read it I'd love to hear your thoughts.

Marcia wrote: "Jalilah wrote: "I just finished now and liked it enough that I would read other other books by Always Coca-Cola. It seems light like "chick lit" but it's really about women's contro..."

Good to know! That happens sometimes when authors change styles.
I made a typo and wrote that I wanted to "read other books by Always Coca Cola, but I think you understood that I meant by Alexandra Chreiteh! Lol! I edited my comment!

Hahah yes I understood. :-)

finished yesterday, my review is here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Robin wrote: "finished yesterday, my review is here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show..."

Marcia wrote: "Hahah yes I understood. :-)"

Thank you Robin for you review.