Playful, brainy and full of zest, an unnecessary woman is an antidote to literary blandness. The mind belongs to the protagonist, and it is filled with intelligence, sharpness and strange memories and regrets. Every year, she translates a new favorite book into arabic, then stows it away. It is the hourbyhour study of a woman who is struggling for dignity with every breath. A finalist for the national book critics circle award and the national book award, an unnecessary woman is a fun, and often funny. But, as in the work of calvino and borges, the mind is also that of the writer, the archcreator. An unnecessary woman is the latest novel from lebaneseamerican writer rabih alameddine.
Oct 14, 2014 an unnecessary woman is a book lovers book. An unnecessary woman by rabih alameddine the boston globe. An unnecessary woman one of the middle easts most celebrated voices, rabih alameddine follows his international bestseller, the hakawati, with an enchanting story of a book loving, obsessive, seventytwoyearold unnecessary woman. Its a portrait of an isolated woman with a dazzling mind as she comes to grips with getting old. Find books like an unnecessary woman from the worlds largest community of readers. An unnecessary woman lebaneseamerican author rabih alameddine fits an entire, richly lived life into one day finding room for war, tragedy, ak47s, and lots of literature. A novel arrested my interest from the very beginning and held it right to the end. Goodreads members who liked an unnecessary woman also liked.
After all, we have a woman who has read books and has filled her house with books since she learned to read. If there are flaws to this beautiful and absorbing novel, they are not readily apparent. An unnecessary woman by rabih alameddine booksamillion. An unnecessary woman by rabih alameddine reading guidebook. An unnecessary woman paperback the rediscovered bookshop. I found the author to be very pretentious with his name dropping and the main character was truly unnecessary. The novel follows the experiences of an isolated 72yearold woman, aaliya saleh, who is a shutin in beirut, exploring how she deals with her changing life. An unnecessary woman is a kind of commonplace book, stuffed with citations from aaliyas favorite novels and poems. An unnecessary woman is a meditation on, among other things, aging, politics, literature, loneliness, grief, and resilience. The flaw on page 195 completely shifted my zenspaceofenjoyablereadingexperience. Irresistible the author offers winningly unrestricted access to the thoughts of his affectionate, urbane. Rabih alameddines unnecessary woman ablaze with wonder. An unnecessary woman is an exciting novel that has been nominated for many awards and has won some.
Text publishing an unnecessary woman, book by rabih alameddine. Alameddines presence in an unnecessary woman is transparently and unashamedly paired with the voice of aaliyah, a metafictional note. Aaliya saleh lives alone in her beirut apartment, surrounded by stockpiles of books. Reading an unnecessary woman is about listening to a voice aaliyas not cantering through a plot, although powerful events do occur, both in the present and in memorya fun, and often funny, book rich in quirky metaphors an unnecessary woman is not a game, though. One of beiruts most celebrated voices, rabih alameddine follows his international bestseller, the hakawati. An unnecessary woman is a meditation on, among other things, aging, politics, literature, loneliness, grief and resilience. If youve ever felt not at home in the worldor in your own skinor preferred the company of a good book to that of an actual person, this book will welcome you with open arms and tell you that youre not alone. An unnecessary woman dramatizes a wonderful mind at play. Rabih alameddines new novel, an unnecessary woman, is a love letter to literature and the female spirit. Does a life that no one sees, no one cares about, matter.
An unnecessary woman by rabih alameddine, paperback. It seems to me more like a compendium of literary criticisms of various french, german, english, arabic writers. Aaliya is a formidable character an unnecessary woman is a book lovers book. Read free book excerpt from an unnecessary woman by rabih alameddine, page 1 of 2. The thirtyseven books that aaliya has translated over her lifetime have never. In lesser hands, the farranging dissertations might have seemed like authorial preening, but with alameddine, in part because of aaliyahs rich voice and in part because of the sheer brilliance of her words, the reader is charmed into complete acceptance. An unnecessary woman book las vegasclark county library. Mar 20, 2014 an unnecessary woman, a piercing study of detachment and devotion. An unnecessary woman rabih alameddine elif the reader. An enchanting story of a bookloving, obsessive, seventytwoyearold unnecessary woman with a past shaped by the lebanese civil war. An unnecessary woman by rabih alameddine and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. An unnecessary woman by rabih alameddine goodreads.
Here are all the books mentioned in rabih alameddines an unnecessary woman. At some points i even start wondering if its a textbook that im reading. An unnecessary woman, a piercing study of detachment and. An unnecessary woman is a 2014 novel by lebanese american writer rabih alameddine that was nominated for the national book award for fiction. An unnecessary woman is an allegory about how notions of beauty and civilization can endure in a world that periodically descends into barbarism and how women can persevere in. In this snapshot of the introverted but well read woman living in beirut, the capitol city of lebanon, aaliya shares with her reader her love for her home city as well as her fear of growing older. Aaliya, the unnecessary woman of the title, narrates her story in the winter of her 72nd year, as she contemplates which book she should. One of beiruts most celebrated voices, rabih alameddine fo. Rabih alameddine follows his bestseller, the hakawati, with a heartrending novel that celebrates the singular life of an obsessive introvert, revealing beiruts beauties and horrors along the way. An unnecessary woman book the seattle public library. Editions of an unnecessary woman by rabih alameddine. One of the middle easts most celebrated voices, rabih alameddine follows his international bestseller, the hakawati, with an enchanting story of a book loving, obsessive, seventytwoyearold unnecessary woman. Its a portrait of an isolated woman with a dazzling. This book tells the story of aaliya saleh, who lives alone in beirut.
Standing before a smudged bathroom mirror, aaliyah saleh, the 72yearold narrator of an unnecessary woman, warns. The story, written as a first person address, is set in presentday beirut, spanning the space between christmas. An unnecessary woman quotes showing of 171 no loss is felt more keenly than the loss of what might have been. If you didnt have a chance to join us in person or on twitter, wed love to hear your thoughts on the discussion questions below. Aaliya sohbi lives alone in her beirut apartment, surrounded by stockpiles of books. Its a portrait of an isolated woman with a dazzling mind as. Grief, hope and humor all combine in this story told by 72yearold aaliya saleh in the novel an unnecessary woman by rabih alameddine. Summary one of the middle easts most celebrated voices, rabih alameddine offfers an enchanting story of a bookloving, obsessive, seventytwoyearold unnecessary woman. Alameddine has a predilection for highly literary conceits in his novels. Her passion for translation is the prime source of the novels claim on its readers sympathies.
An unnecessary woman by rabih alameddine in doc, epub, rtf download e book. Scaling back from the epic scope of the hakawati, his 2008 feast of storytelling. Enter your mobile number or email address below and well send you a link to download the free kindle app. Godless, fatherless, childless, and divorced, aaliya is her familys unnecessary appendage. Aaliyas insightful musings on literature, philosophy, and art are invaded by memories of the lebanese civil war. An unnecessary woman winner of the california book award finalist for the national book critics circle award finalist for the national book award beautiful and absorbing. I, the divine 2001 is constructed out of the discarded first chapters of its heroines memoir, while his 2008 breakthrough, the hakawati, nests stories within stories lush with arab lore. When an unnecessary woman offers her what she regards as the corniest of conceitsa redemption arcits a delight to see her take it. Set in beirut, lebanon, it painted a historical canvas of its turbulent years as seen through the eyes of an unlikely heroine, aaliya sohbi, a 72yearold. An unnecessary woman not much happens in an unnecessary woman, lebaneseamerican author rabih alameddines novel about an elderly recluse who spends her time reading and translating. Rabih alameddine, an unnecessary woman beirut is the elizabeth taylor of cities.
Books mentioned in an unnecessary woman here are all the books mentioned in rabih alameddines an unnecessary woman. Finalist for the national book award beautiful and absorbing. One of beiruts most celebrated voices, rabih alameddine follows his international bestseller, the hakawati, with a heartrending novel that celebrates the. One of beiruts most celebrated voices, rabih alameddine follows his international bestseller, the hakawati, with a heartrending novel that celebrates the singular life of an obsessive introvert, revealing beiruts beauties and horrors along the way. Does work matter if it is not shared or does not last. This was not something i noticed while reading an unnecessary woman and so, although i appreciate the points creswell makes, they have not damaged the book s achievement in my eyes. The book the title is a reference to polish artist and writer bruno schulz, who was kept alive in the. If youve ever felt not at home in the worldor in your own skinor preferred the company of a good book to that of an actual person. Aaliya, the unnecessary woman of the title, narrates her story in the winter of her 72nd year, as she contemplates which book she should translate next. Oct 19, 2015 an unnecessary woman by rabih alameddine in doc, epub, rtf download e book. Home an unnecessary woman discussion guide libguides. Rabih alameddine is a highly respected writer and so is his an unnecessary woman. Aaliya is a beautiful character that i immediately liked.
Godless, fatherless, divorced, and childless, aaliya is her familys unnecessary appendage. An unnecessary woman dramatises a wonderful mind at playfilled with intelligence, sharpness and strange memories and regretsand over all this fiercely original act of creation is the sky of beirut throwing down a light which is both comic and tragic, alert to its own history and to its mythology, guarding over human frailty and the idea of the written word with love and wit and. Ten reasons an unnecessary woman is necessary reading a. Rabih alameddines latest novel is narrated by aaliya, one of fictions most introverted, socially awkward, bookish characters. An unnecessary woman is a painful reminder that life is too short to read all the fascinating literary works from around the world. Everything that happens to her provokes a literary reminiscence. It is a tale of blue hair and the war of attrition that comes with age, of loneliness and grief, most of all of resilience, of the courage it. Home an unnecessary woman discussion guide libguides at. Download for offline reading, highlight, bookmark or take notes while you read an unnecessary woman. A novel and millions of other books are available for instant access. I like this book because i usually appreciate books that introduce me to other books. Winner of the california book award finalist for the national book critics circle award finalist for the national book award beautiful and absorbing. All content included on our site, such as text, images, digital downloads and other, is the property of its content suppliers and protected by us and international laws.
Rabih alameddines novel, both clever and pretentious, is set in a maddeningly americanised sitcom version of the middle east. Alameddines erudite narrator, aaliya saleh, enfolds her personal story within the 20thcentury history of her. The list includes all the books mentioned by name only and therefore not the books from which character names or quotes are from, nor the countless other literary references throughout the novel. We had such a blast talking about this months saxbys book club book, an unnecessary woman by rabih alameddine. Yet, in its way, an unnecessary woman is just as epic as its predecessor. A novel and over one million other books are available for amazon kindle. The book can be categorized as a work of metanovel.
So begins rabih alameddines novel an unnecessary woman. The thirtyseven books that aaliya has translated over her lifetime have never been. Then you can start reading kindle books on your smartphone, tablet, or computer no kindle device required. No nostalgia hurts as much as nostalgia for things that never existed. An unnecessary woman by kottmeyer see profile 042914. An unnecessary woman is a story of innumerable things. Shell also marry any infatuated suitor who promises to make her life more comfortable, no matter how inappropriate.