In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts (2008)

I downloaded In The Realm of Hungry Ghosts: Close Encounters with Addiction after listening to Dr Rangan Chatterjee's podcast interview with the author, Dr. Gabor Maté, In the podcast they briefly discuss this book and it piqued my interest. 2018 marked the ten-year anniversary of the first publication of this work, after it has already been translated into several languages around the world. My edition is the 2018 kindle edition published by Vermilion London, who are related to the Penguin Publishing House. This is a non-fiction study into addiction patterns. The book is divided into seven parts, with a total of 34 chapters. It is 496 pages long. I will provide a little background on the author, then move on to discuss his approach to this topic and the contents of the book before offering my overall thoughts. 

Dr. Maté is a Hungarian-born, Canadian medical doctor who is now retired. He is a Jewish survivor of the Holocaust and has family members who did not survive it. He has primarily worked with heavily drug-addicted patients in his long career, although he has also worked in palliative care among other fields. It is through his research working with drug-addicted patients and also exploring his own addictive tendencies that he explores the deeper causes and potential ways to heal this social phenomena. He is also known for his studies into Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and generally understands there to be a mind-body connection when it comes to both mental and physical health.

While Dr. Maté consults a range of scientific studies in his exploration of addiction, he does not limit his scope to simply chemical reactions and responses to substances. If anything he elaborates on such research and explores how there are limitations to a chemical-dependent explanation of these disorders. He explores the functions of the human brain in relation to addictive behaviours and also how trauma and/or addictions themselves shape the condition of the brain. This broadens the assumptions of developing addictions as well as notions of how to combat them. 

His research explores patterns at the root of addictions, from as early as when a child is still in the womb, to early childhood and even triggers in adult life. As is expected in his approach, we see him piece together emotional and spiritual health as well as physical health to piece together the puzzle of addictive and compulsive behaviour. While much of the book deals with hard drug addicts, there are many connections made with other types of addictive behaviours, thus broadening the relevance and understanding of such phenomena in the human. 

The book, despite being a form of medical research, is written with a range of explanatory anecdotes of the doctor's patients as well as his own experiences. Not only does this make it easier to read and understand the concepts being described, they also serve to contextualise and humanise the scientific research and a demonised segment of society. In this book Maté critiques modern society for nurturing addicts in the first place and then ignoring or punishing the consequent behaviours and people trapped in negative cycles. Therefore Maté ultimately argues for compassion at a basic level as well as at an institutional level in order to minimise the suffering of an already vulnerable community. 

Overall, I have found myself recommending this book to several people quite simply because it develops a deeper understanding of the hurt experienced by people at a personal and social level. The variety of addictive tendencies we see around us are vast and not unrelated to what Dr. Maté discusses in this piece of work. While not a "how to overcome addiction" book, it opens many doors and puts you on the right track. His approach is holistic and meaningful, in such a way that we can take away lessons on how to better treat ourselves and those around us struggling with internal battles. 

***

Have you read this book? What did you think of it? How did you come across this work? Comment your thoughts below, I'd love to hear what you thought. 

*** 

Follow me on instagram @nafisasiddique for updates on my latest posts. 

Rich People Problems (2017)

Rich People Problems is the final novel in the trilogy by Kevin Kwan, published in 2017 by Doubleday (Penguin). My digital edition was 393 pages (paperback 384 pages) and the novel was divided into four parts with a total of 56 chapters with added prologue and epilogue. I will share my thoughts on the content, form and generally compare it to the two preceding novels. 

Kwan chooses to play with his writing in this novel by keeping some elements the same (chapters headed by locations) but also offering the readers more "first-hand" information from sources like magazine articles, adverts and other literary sources. This, as well as the different focuses Kwan offers in each chapter, provide a range of perspectives for the reader in an intertwined plot. Kwan pulls this off really well and it keeps the novel dynamic and engaging. He competently adapts his writing styles to the literary sources, from diary entries to gossip articles and they help to make the reader feel more involved with the whole intrigue. A few new settings (especially in India) added a new flavour to the range of experiences he described too, and I definitely appreciated those brief "visits". 

As far as the storyline goes, Rich People Problems gave me what I wanted (to develop the story between Nick and his grandmother- and Tyersall Park) and much more. Kwan manages to combine and tie up both the first and second novels extremely well. It justifies and compensates the second novel, for China Rich Girlfriend does provide a fair amount of background for half of this novel's story. I found this final story to be extremely eventful, which offered a good pace to all the happenings. Kwan managed to keep the balance between creating suspense and filling scenarios with emotion without them lingering on for too long and allowing the reader some relief or at least some progress on the issue(s) at hand. 

I also valued Kwan's approach to history in this novel. Crazy Rich Asians and Rich People Problems offer a colonial context to Singapore, especially in its architecture, but I liked how Kwan went the extra mile in this novel. By taking the reader into the past, Kwan characterised Su Yi more thoroughly as well as deepen our understanding of the relationships in the novel. 

Overall, I have to say I loved this book as much as the first one and it gave me much more than what I was expecting. I'm glad I chose to read the final of the trilogy despite the slight "slump" in the middle. Believe it or not, this novel shows that rich people do have a whole host of problems. Ranging from being accepted into high society to inheritance and being released of the "shackles" of elite norms, Rich People Problems definitely offers readers an enjoyable and emotional experience into this wealthy world.

***

Have you read this novel? What did you think of it? Comment your thoughts below, I'd love to hear what you thought. 

*** 

Follow me on instagram @nafisasiddique for updates on my latest posts. 

The Watermelon Boys: A Novel (2018)

When I found out that my brother’s best friend’s sister had published a book, I had to get my hands on it, albeit a year late. Since, this novel has received the Betty Trask Award. The Watermelon Boys by Ruqaya Izzidien is a 349-page novel (or 352 with the Author’s Note) published in 2018 by Hoopoe, Cairo. It comprises of 57 chapters divided into three parts. I’ll firstly note the details of her award and include the book’s description (or blurb) before going into my review. Note, I read this novel in April 2019 and just gotten round to publishing my thoughts now.

Izzidien’s novel is one of the six winners of the 2019 Betty Trask Awards, bestowed annually by the prestigious Society of Authors’ Awards in recognition of the best and most promising first novels written by authors under the age of 35 in a traditional or romantic, but not experimental, style. (Source below)

Book description:

It is the winter of 1915 and Iraq has been engulfed by the First World War. Hungry for independence from Ottoman rule, Ahmad leaves his peaceful family life on the banks of the Tigris to join the British-led revolt. Thousands of miles away, Welsh teenager Carwyn reluctantly enlists and is sent, via Gallipoli and Egypt, to the Mesopotamia campaign. Carwyn’s and Ahmad’s paths cross, and their fates are bound together. Both are forever changed, not only by their experience of war, but also by the parallel discrimination and betrayal they face.

The narrator powerfully begins the novel in the first-person plural (we), implicating each of us into history before switching to a third-person voice, focalising into Ahmad’s experience, but then later also that of Carwyn, To a lesser degree the narrator focalises into other characters’ experiences too. Izzidien chooses an effective writing style for the story she has crafted. She skilfully recounts several tender scenes and also succeeds in creating tension and expressing passion, thus taking the reader through an emotional journey as well as a historical one. The narrator offers deep words of truth and contemplation on several occasions in the novel, which call out the ongoing state of the world and contemporary human relations. Bringing in these reflections and connecting history to the present day serves to spark reflection in terms of what we can learn from history and how much of it we allow to be repeated. It also prevents us from disassociating ourselves from people of the past as mere characters. 

While this novel focuses largely on Ahmed and his sons in the light of historic events, as they are the titled watermelon boys who sell the fruits along the Tigris, we also meet strong female characters. They are gracious and admirable without being clichés or cringingly naive. Izzidien creates a warmth in her female characters, who are both pleasant and powerful in their own ways. I would have loved to delve deeper into their lives, but for that to be satisfied, the novel would have had to be much longer. Thankfully she gives us just enough though more wouldn’t have gone amiss. 

In terms of the historical period, I found that I was reading about a part of British colonisation that I had never known or heard about (having been more exposed to Indian and African narratives). Izzidien proposes a provocative depiction of historical events, which I doubt would be typically read in a British classroom. Izzidien is not afraid to take the British to account in this piece and it is rather refreshing to say the least. This critical exploration makes this novel, in my opinion, a valuable and arguably necessary read for anyone who does not know about British involvement in the region as early as WWI. 

As Izzidien describes a time gone by and a city (Baghdad) that no longer exists as it used to, I could not help but to feel remorse and grief at the architecture, life and how this city, as many others in the world, mark history in the absence of monuments and relics rather that in the solid walls of historic architecture and museums. Thankfully history is also contained in people’s hearts, memories and in literature. Izzidien's descriptions of the city are vibrant and create a longing for a place that unfortunately no longer exits in its fully glory. 

Overall, I found the novel to be both historically informative and emotionally nuanced. I enjoyed reading Izzidien's writing and felt it was a brave piece of work. My biggest criticism would be that I would have liked to read even more about some of the other characters and sub-plots but also recognise that it would have been beyond the scope for a first novel.  

Source: https://hoopoefiction.com/2019/06/19/izzidiens-first-novel-the-watermelon-boys-wins-big/

Have you read this novel? What did you think of it? Comment your thoughts below, I'd love to hear what you thought. 

*** 

Follow me on instagram @nafisasiddique for updates on my latest posts. 

The Monk of Mokha (2018)

The Monk of Mokha is a non-fiction and true account of Mokhtar Alkhanshali's attempt to revive the Yemeni coffee trade and find his own place in the world. Alkhanshali is a Yemeni American and this book was written by Dave Eggers following years of interviews and research. The book was published in 2018 by Hamish Hamilton (Penguin) and the hardback edition is 323 pages long. Eggers divides this work into a prologue, five "books" (which comprise of a total of 42 chapters), and an epilogue. I will share some of the different components that make up this account as well as my thoughts on this type of writing.

The book begins by introducing the reader to Mokhtar Alkhanshali. We quickly learn about his childhood, immigrant background and his general upbringing, which contribute to his developing a quick-witted character. Eggers smoothly describes the series of events that result in Alkhanshali's transition into the coffee world. And yet trying to establish oneself with the intention Mokhtar had, is shown to be hardly a piece of cake. Alkhanshali is not only introduced to this idea somewhat coincidentally, he also has a lot to lose if he chooses to pursue this vision and he is, for the majority of this book, quite a desperate fellow. 

The reader, like Mokhtar himself once was, is immersed into the history and origins of coffee, which comprise of spirituality (Islamic ascetics), politics (colonisation) and criminality. This background not only shows how far coffee has come since its humble beginnings but also the extent to which the coffee trade has expanded and been exploitative on a global level. This history is fascinating in and of itself but even more so when we consider ethical trading and historical practises. 

We also learn about the delicate process of producing coffee as we know it today. Mokhtar Alkhanshali had to learn about the nature of coffee agriculture as well as the whole processing procedure and how to prepare coffee for roasting, grinding and finally preparation. As we learn the delicate nature of coffee production from his research and experiences, it reestablishes an increased level of respect for this "common" beverage. In fact, good coffee is far from common and if anything a privilege to drink. Of course coffee, as with anything in the world, comes in all shapes and sizes (and qualities) but Mokhtar learns and Eggers explains the labour intensive work behind this beverage. In some ways it explains that the "hipster" obsession with coffee connoisseur-ship is no joke.

Eggers also places these events in the context of contemporary American politics, and recognises the significance of islamophobia in the the US for Muslim Americans. In addition, Alkhanshali's adventures happened to take place while the Yemeni war began to develop, and he intended to visit Yemen to realise his project. In one of his visits he found himself stuck in the Yemeni war and had to try to get out for the sake of his life and business. Eggers does not ignore the social distinction Alkhanshali felt due to his background, and the implied privilege white Americans enjoy in the world. This is not elaborated on in detail as we also see how Mokhtar also experiences the privilege of holding an American passport when he is in Yemen, highlighting international hierarchies and bias. 

For much of the book, the events Alkhanshali experiences create much of the tension and suspense, as they are extremely delicate situations that vary from theft and poverty to matters of life and death. However, Eggers conveys the urgency of each situation accordingly and does not overly dramatise or exaggerate in a way to make you feel like you're reading a piece of fiction. The reader is very much reading about the real world, which is not short of its own dangers. Eggers' writing style is clear and engaging. I personally found the cultural insight into Yemeni society (as tribal as it is) quite fascinating and Eggers, an "outsider" himself, effectively conveys cultural distinctions so as to explain the reasons behind uncommon behaviour for Westerners. 

This is my first time reading a book by Eggers and even reading non-fiction about something so contemporary. Both the book and the company are so new (and real) that it is quite a new experience for me as a reader, especially for someone who is more attracted to historical works. The book was a birthday gift to me from my siblings, and definitely made for a change in my reading. I find Alkhanshali's cause (to revive Yemeni coffee trade and value its labourers) to be noble and his chosen approach to be befitting. At the very least this book offers readers the opportunity to learn a little more about the complexity of an "everyday" hot beverage but it otherwise has the potential to spark a little motivation in being more ethical about our coffee selection and seek quality where possible. 

***

Have you read this book? What did you think of it? Comment your thoughts below, I'd love to hear what you thought. 

*** 

Follow me on instagram @nafisasiddique for updates on my latest posts. 

China Rich Girlfriend (2015)

The sequel to Kevin Kwan's Crazy Rich Asians was published in 2015 by DoubleDay (Penguin books). The novel is 526 pages long (a digital edition 400 in print) and is divided into three parts. Kwan chooses to title his chapters largely by the location of the given scene but occasionally opts to focus on particular characters, thus reflected in his chapter headings. I will share my thoughts on the continuation of this story and compare it to the previous novel as well as how it met my expectations.

In terms of the progression of the storyline, the China Rich Girlfriend begins a couple of years after the previous one's end. I was glad that both the Nick and Rachel and Astrid and Micheal plots were developed. The latter definitely offered great value to the novel as a whole and I felt it was well presented and delicately recounted. Astrid's character is still like-able and I appreciate the way Kwan presented her relationship struggles. The former storyline was fairly steady though there was not tremendous focus on their relationship in relation to the many other events.

I personally wanted this sequel to develop the drama between Nick and Rachel and Nick's family (especially in Tyersall Park) yet the title clearly indicates the shift away from Singaporean affairs into Chinese territory. For this reason we have a host of new characters and an unexpected focus on

a smaller character from the first novel (who I won't disclose to avoid potential spoilers). While I wasn't personally too keen on this storyline, it did offer a perspective on trying to enter Hong Kong high society despite one's history.

Before getting hold of this novel, I was warned by other readers that it was a good book but not as good as the first one (as is often the case). Someone on instagram mentioned that they felt that this novel had "too much brand identification" and upon reflection, I can see why. The storyline is interesting but not quite as gripping as the first and often it feels like there are long lists of brands and other expensive things.

Overall, I found this novel was less rich in history and culture and despite the shortcoming of expensive lists, it makes for a nice casual read. I intend to read the final of the trilogy because it seems to offer the storyline I was hoping for: the dynamics between Nick and his family, especially with his grandmother.

***

Have you read this novel? What did you think of it? Comment your thoughts on it below, I'd love to hear what you thought. 

*** 

Follow me on instagram @nafisasiddique for updates on my latest posts. 

Crazy Rich Asians (2013)

Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan has recently been turned into a successful Hollywood movie, with the first ever all-Asian cast. The novel was a bestseller and was published in 2013 by Corvus in the US and later by Doubleday. I got hold of the Kindle edition as it was on offer for 99p. The novel is 538 pages long and divided into three parts. I'll briefly cover the writing style and key insights that I found refreshing in my reading. 

The novel is preceded by a disturbing yet fabulous prologue. Each part begins with a quote about the Chinese. The first two parts are divided into chapters that focus into specific characters, either one at a time or as a family. In this way we are gradually introduced to the key personages who make up the complex social dynamic of the novel. In the third part, the chapters are headed by location and the earlier characters are merged into mutual social situations. By focusing onto characters separately at the beginning, the novel reminded me of Shafak's The Forty Rules of Love, however Kwan's insights and style of writing are immensely more interesting and engaging. Through his unnamed narrator Kwan gives the reader selected snippets of information about given characters, sometimes choosing to flashback in time to contextualise their present circumstances. Kwan also includes lots of "Singlish" terminology and words from various Chinese dialects, but these terms and others are comprehensively explained in the footnotes. 

While this novel does have a central romantic couple, it does not feel like a romance in the conventional sense, because this couple's relationship has already been long established (two years) so there is little courting involved. Even so, the couple are (for me) quite likeable because they are mature (nearing 30) and are generally reasonable and sensible personalities. Nicholas's "fatal flaw" is his naivety but no one is perfect and this also drives the plot. 

As Kwan admits, his motive for writing this novel was to give Americans an insight into another lesser known reality of contemporary Asia. For this reason, the book works very much as a socio-cultural tour guide or travel book into the wealthy world of Singapore. There is a sense of it being more of a touristic adventure which allows the reader and Rachel (a Chinese-American) to gain an exclusive insight into a new culture, world and family. In some ways I felt that the extreme wealth of the Singaporeans functioned as some sort of magical powers (money is power, right?) and so it felt other-worldly and bordered on fantasy in my personal experience. This made it even more fun to read.  

Some of the issues that Kwan touches on include racial discrimination as well as social class and standing. He also explains the difference between Old Money and New Money Chinese families and how this is relevant historically as well as in contemporary circles. In this way I felt that I learnt a little about the history of China and its people, including their migration. We also quite quickly realise that Singaporeans love their food, which can result in some friendly argumentation. 

Overall, I found the writing to be dynamic and catchy. I was immediately gripped into the novel and felt like I was exploring a whole new world and culture. Despite being worlds apart to the protagonists, they still captured my interest and care, and Kwan competently deals with socio-political issues while maintaining a strong narrative and plot. I'm on the verge of buying the sequel, and I hope I won't be disappointed! 

***

Have you read this novel or watched the film? What did you think of it? Comment your thoughts below, I'd love to hear what you thought. 

*** 

Follow me on instagram @nafisasiddique for updates on my latest posts. 

The Forty Rules of Love (2009)

I finally bought a copy of The Forty Rules of Love, because kindle was offering it for 99p so I obviously had to download it. Elif's Shafak's novel was initially published in 2009 though I downloaded the 2015 edition published by Penguin. It is 350 pages long and divided into five parts, which are associated with the four elements and "The Void". I'll briefly summarise what the novel is about, and then share my thoughts on the writing style and some of the ideas expressed in the novel. 

The novel follows two plots. It begins with Ella, who is a wealthy middle-aged, (non-practising) Jewish American housewife with three children. She is at a turning point in her life as she takes up a job with a literary agency. Her first manuscript that she needs to report on is the source of the second plot, and it is a novel about Shams of Tabriz and Rumi, the renowned Sufi mystics of the 13th century. Ella is dissatisfied with her life and the manuscript and the author's words push her to view and experience life differently. 

In terms of structure and style, Shafak plays with the chronology of the two plots by firstly intertwining them but also by revealing scenes from the end at the beginning and then taking the reader through the journey of revealing how those initial decisions came to be made. I'm not sure if this was a good structural move for the Shams story. The novel within a novel Sweet Blasphemy is written through the perspectives of numerous characters, who are interconnected by circumstance. In doing so, it offers several people's engagement with faith and religion, varying from indifference and hopelessness to the "zealot" and the mystic, which are valuable in their own ways. 

However, despite creating these different characters, who speak in their own chapters, and who offer their own experiences (thus changing the content), the style of writing seems fairly unchanging. The lack of variation in these characterisations resulted in me not being able to really get invested in any of the characters. Also, each character's chapter is relatively short (even if we meet them several times) and so this limits one's attachment too. Ella's emails provided a slight change, but that may have also been because it was a change of plot too. So I mainly continued to read for the characterisations of Rumi and Shams of Tabriz, who are renowned personages outside of this novel and thus piqued my interest more greatly. 

The novel's main theme, as expressed in the title, is love. It explores the transformative powers of love (and not only romantic love) and it contextualises Shams of Tabriz's forty rules of love by engaging with various characters and human experiences. I think this is a really nice idea, though I am less convinced by the execution of this concept due to the writing style and some structural reservations. 

As well as love, Shafak clearly wants to write about faith and religion. I appreciate her nuanced viewpoints of this controversial and delicate subject (since in many ways religion is considered hugely problematic and almost taboo or backwards now). This is a brave topic to engage with and she provides her readers with an opportunity to look at religion with a more open-eyed approach. Despite this, I did have some reservations about a couple of her descriptions of Sufis, that I felt were problematic, such as a protagonist claiming to be "spiritual not religious" and that Sufis are "not violent even when they have a reason". I felt that these expressions in particular pander to Western expectations of Sufism so it suits them. The first one is problematic because it seems to absolve the likeable character of the "ugly" label of religion, when rather the label should not be considered ugly, as religion comprises of spirituality. The second is problematic because it implies that Sufis (the good guys in this book and the "good Muslims" in Western discourse) ought to be passive and pacifists, which removes their right to self-defence, for example. Later in the novel Shafak counters the second notion slightly by stating that "There's a difference between patience and passivity", which I agree with more. 

Overall, I found that the idea behind the novel was promising, but the execution of it was not to my liking. The writing took some getting used to and perhaps that may be partly because Shafak is not a native English speaker. I do not know if that is the case or rather because I personally did not find myself invested in the story or characters. Nevertheless Shafak shares the importance and universality of love and how it can break barriers and transform people from all backgrounds and experiences, including those most "disconnected" from the real world or notions of injustice. The praise this novel received no doubt created high expectations and I was somewhat let down. I would give it about 3 stars. 

***

Have you read this novel? What did you think of it? Comment your thoughts on it below, I'd love to hear what you thought. 

*** 

Follow me on instagram @nafisasiddique for updates on my latest posts.