Middle East/North African Lit discussion

I'm delighted to open the discussion for this unique book! Who's interested in reading this with us?

Jalilah and I already started reading and discussing it...Hopefully she won't mind me quoting her. She found this "interesting novel by a Kenyan author of Yemeni ancestry, The House of Rust. It is an interesting mix or fairy tale, magical realism and coming of age story about a young woman whose fisherman father goes missing. She sets out to sea in a boat made out of bones with a talking cat."

For me, I had mixed feelings about the book. Even just reading the Introduction was enough to get my attention--the writer is talented and has an unusual style. I loved the imagination and was impressed with word choice and attention to details. The language seems carefully crafted, but the plot and characters were not so carefully crafted, at least not for my tastes. The writer has potential, and I look forward to seeing her future work. See what you think!

I agree with what you say Melanie. The author is indeed talented and creative, but for me parts of the book were rough around the edges. I feel like it could have used a good editor.
The first part of the book is like a quest. The lead character goes on a journey out at sea to look for her father who went missing at sea.
She goes on a boat made of bones accompanied by a talking cat. On her way she encounters many magical creatures.
I loved this part.
I also loved the setting in Mombassa. It was new and different for me and was very at atmospheric.
However about 3/4 the way through the plot got confusing for me. It did not seem well thought out.
Despite this I would absolutely read other books by this author!
I encourage everyone to read this!

I will be joining after Ramadan (roughly around the end of this month).

I have heard about the confusing aspects of this book and wanted to ask if you think there's a particular framework that's best to keep in mind before starting? I've found setting a framework/lens to view the novel prior reading helps me. I probably will listen to this via audiobook so I doubt the introduction will be included.

For me, I would just enjoy the creative details and not expect a carefully crafted storyline. If the audio does include the Introduction, I would listen to it. Ramadan Kareem!

Also after Easter and Ramadan

Happy holidays and spring season!

Thank you Melanie!

This interview with Khadija Abdalla Bajaber
https://youtu.be/6bMRE_9y2ps helped me understand and appreciate her book more

I hope to purchase this and dive in soon. I want to read this in part because it won the inaugural Urusula LeGuin prize for fiction. Thanks for posting theh interview Jalilah.

At 15% still

I have finished and enjoyed this novel. I want to read more by this author. I would even read further about Alisha's journey.

A question I had going in was would the book be more a fantasy or magical realism? I'm not sure that it matters, but I wondered. I think it had more fantasy tropes, but magical realism is there too. It doesn't follow a standard fantasy coming of age arc, which I think would have ended with bringing her father home. But when Aisha returns from her voyage, she has to make a choice, and is not sure what to do after she makes it.

I think this different structure of the tale is part of why so many of us readers have struggled with the 2nd part of the book. There are a lot of models for the first half? of the book, but not so many for the rest.

It also made me curious about this world the author has created. I want to know about the lordship that White Breast talks about, and Almassi and how the mythology of this world fits together.

The interview Jalilah shared was helpful for me to understand a little about how the author views the 2nd part of the book. I feel the author has potential (not yet fulfilled in this book).

Ardene wrote: "I have finished and enjoyed this novel. I want to read more by this author. I would even read further about Alisha's journey.

A question I had going in was would the book be more a fantasy or magi..."

For me it would seem more like fantasy rather than magical realism but the lines can be blurry. I recently read an article by the Mexican-Canadian author Silvia Moreno-Garcia, where she laments the fact that every author who has a Spanish surname who writes fantasy is automatically lumped into the category of magical realism. She went on to say that although she loves this style, none of her books are magical realism. When I think of typical magical realism I think of Gabriel Garcia Marquez One Hundred Years of Solitude. It’s basically realistic with just a few elements that seem fantastical. These fantastical elements are never analyzed or questioned. For this reason House of Rust seems more like fantasy

Thanks Jalilah - I agree!

True about Latin American literature. Can’t wait to finish House of Rust but am in two other Bookclubs as well