Books . Major themes of death and the inexorable dehumanizing effects of war on an entire population were only to be expected in a chronicle of the Syrian civil war. At a hospital in Damascus, Syria, Abdel Latif's final wish is to be buried in the family plot near Aleppo - just a two-hour drive away. A few roses, a few mourners yawning in a half-empty living room for a couple of hours, some­ one reciting a sura or two from the Qur’an in a low voice . Goodreads helps you keep track of books you want to read. It raises many good questions one of which is: once you've lost your sense of self, is life even worth living? Death is Hard Work Reviews. It’s only natural for a man, full of regrets and know­ ing he’ll die within hours. (85-109), themes in are recurrent concepts of a literary work. Abdel Latif, an old man from the Aleppo region, dies peacefully in a hospital bed in Damascus. He told  The mind-smashing and relentless, careless depravity and degradation of all that makes us human is on display here, somewhat diffused through the lens of art. But this was a different story. When Bolbol left the hospital, it was almost two o’clock in the morning. Yet, each sentence is complex and full of information and nuances that requires careful reading and rereading. They didn’t talk at first, but after a few minutes Bolbol wanted to try and exorcise his fear. But this simple promise is complicated by the fact that they are in Syria in the midst of a civil war, and the trip that they optimistically believe will take a day soon becomes a nightmarish odyssey where they are detained, questioned, bombed and imprisoned—all while their fat. Death Is Hard Work (Book) : Khalīfah, Khālid : A dogged, absurd quest through the nightmare of the Syrian civil war Khaled Khalifa's Death Is Hard Work is the new novel from the greatest chronicler of Syria's ongoing and catastrophic civil war: a tale of three ordinary people facing down the stuff of nightmares armed with little more than simple determination. Bolbol was confident in his brother’s ability to manage this sort of situation. Format Paperback Price £12.99. However, the reader doesn't just get to see the family dynamics between the siblings in the car; we're treated to their pasts and how they've shaped these people into who they are at the time the novel take. Welcome back. He should have reminded his father how difficult it would be, carry out his instructions given the current situation. Khalifa … I only disliked the fact that the female character is not really explained throughout the book and you don't really get to know her, or only as kind of mediator between both brothers. He makes his children promise to bury him in his home village, Anabiya. Our final moments in this life aren’t generally an appropriate time for clear-eyed reflection; indeed, they always find us at our most sentimental. It turned out to be another example of Death Bed Lit. A simple trip to bury a father becomes a dangerous ordeal. Footer Links Ellen Oh is an award-winning author of middle grade and young adult novels such as Spirit Hunters, The Dragon Egg Princess, and A Thousand... To see what your friends thought of this book. Wow. Death Is Hard Work is the new novel from the greatest chronicler of Syria's ongoing and catastrophic civil war: a tale of three ordinary people facing down the stuff of nightmares armed with little more than simple determination. Entrancing in its own sparse, brutal way. Translated works can be cumbersome to read. The last glimmer of his courage had almost flickered out by the time he found a taxi driver—listening serenely. The best comparison from western lit would probably be “All Quiet on the Western Front” - heartbreaking and raw. And all the while, the body is decaying. by Farrar, Straus and Giroux. They bade him an affectionate farewell, kissed him warmly, and saluted him. This book is one of the most quietly devastating things I've read in a long time. He thought of Nevine: her smile, her scent, her naked body wrapped in a black abaya as she tried to float like the butterflies they were collecting. Created by Grove Atlantic and Electric Literature, Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Google+ (Opens in new window), Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window), Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window), Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window), Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window), Click to share on Pocket (Opens in new window). But Faulkner wasn’t writing only about the South. rich: death was no longer a carnival people threw in order to dem­ onstrate their wealth and prestige. leading back to the orchards surrounding the village. He was exhausted and starving, having lost more than half his body weight; like everyone living under the siege, he hadn’t eaten a full meal in months. This is a strangely attractive concoction of a road trip stroke life during wartime novel, and a glimpse into modern day Syria, with a feeling that maybe you shouldn’t be looking at their suffering, a bit like the compulsion to look at a road accident on the opposite carriageway. The power had been cut off in most quarters, and concrete blocks were piled high in front of the improvised “offices” set up by the national security branches, occupying most roads. Two hours before he died, Abdel Latif al-Salim looked his son Bolbol straight in the eye with as much of his remaining strength as he could muster and repeated his request to be buried in the cemetery of Anabiya. Death is Hard Work is a retelling of As I Lay Dying by Faulkner. While the horrors of war is the back drop of this story, it is primarily a story about ordinary people trying to live their lives amidst the war. I kept falling asleep while reading it. From Death Is Hard Work. He wants to be buried in the village he was born in. Pretty stunning. He promised his father he would carry out his instructions, which—despite their  clarity and simplicity—would hardly be easy work. It is a civil war, and a proxy war. But one thing I noticed having finished the book, was the number of mixed and poor reviews. Paperback. Read this masterful book. He was writing about civil war, too. His final wish, conveyed to his youngest son, Bolbol, is to be buried in the … Abdel Latif, an old man, dies peacefully in a hospital bed in Damascus. Death Is Hard Work (Book) : Khalīfah, Khālid : FINALIST FOR THE NATIONAL BOOK AWARD FOR TRANSLATED LITERATURE A dogged, absurd quest through the nightmare of the Syrian civil war Khaled Khalifa's Death Is Hard Work is the new novel from the greatest chronicler of Syria's ongoing and catastrophic civil war: a tale of three ordinary people facing down the stuff of nightmares armed with … He looked for a taxi to take him to his brother’s house after successive attempts to phone him had failed. Account & Lists Account Returns & Orders. I never would have known this were it not for the fact of the Faulkner class I'm taking, but this book takes the idea of As I Lay Dying and adapts it to 2013 Syria, as three siblings try to take their father's body to where he wanted to be buried. The city streets were a wasteland after eight in the evening, and he had to move the body tomorrow morning, after it was released and before midday. This body would be big trouble. Translated works can be cumbersome to read. but he wasn’t sure that the dead would smell the same after four decades. I wanted to read this because it is set in present day Syria. From a distance, Bolbol saw a few men gathered in a circle around an upturned gas can in which some firewood had been set alight. He asked if Bolbol wanted. Bolbol, in a rare moment of courage, under the influence of his father’s parting words and sad, misted eyes, acted firmly and with­ out fear. There is so much goi. Translator Leri Price is the amazing translator of author Khaled Khalifa’s new novel “Death is Hard Work.” This is a short novel, a mere 180 pages. A silent funeral is a funeral stripped of all its awe, Bolbol thought. I really wanted to like this novel more, but it was just unbelievably monotonous. Brilliant writing. Death Is Hard Work is a tale of three people embarking on an absurd quest - an unforgettable journey into a contemporary heart of darkness. “في الحرب مرور جنازة حدث عادي لا يثير اي شئ سوى حسد الأحياء الذين تحولت حياتهم الى إنتظار مؤلم للموت”, “السجن قادر على قتلك، والشخص الذي يخرج ليس أنت بالضرورة، رغم أنّ له عينيك وتسريحة شعرك”, BTBA Best Translated Book Award Nominee for Fiction Longlist (2020), National Book Award Finalist for Translated Literature (2019). Translator Leri Price is the amazing translator of author Khaled Khalifa’s new novel “Death is Hard Work.” This is a short novel, a mere 180 pages. The characters aren't exactly likable, but I found myself hoping that they find what they needed none the less. Abdel Latif, a man from the Aleppo region dies from old age, a rare feat in war torn Syria. It seems like it wouldn't take very long since essentially, the main plot of the book is this sibling trio taking their father's body to a town 2.5 hours away that'll take a bit longer due to the ongoing civil war in Syria. A doctor told Bolbol, “People are dying in droves every sin­gle day. Abdel Latif, an old man from the Aleppo region, dies peacefully in a hospital bed in Damascus. Category: Fiction. No. Death is Hard Work is acutely disturbing in its depiction of the Syrian war and its traumatizing psychological effects on Syrian survivors, seen through the microcosm of one family’s past, present and future. Wars are probably never simple affairs, but the Syrian civil war seems more complicated than most of the wars that have been in the news in the last decades. The book didn't really take sides in the conflict, although you do know where the characters' (and perhaps the author's) sympathies lie, rather it presents a country torn up and devastated by the violence of war and how that takes a toll on the people who live there. However, the reader doesn't just get to see the family dynamics between the siblings in the car; we're treated to their pasts and how they've shaped these people into who they are at the time the novel takes place. Start by marking “Death Is Hard Work” as Want to Read: Error rating book. I gave this more than forty pages and then gave up. Bolbol quickly reached an understanding with him and didn’t argue with the fare that he was quoted. He guessed that they were mostly taxi drivers trapped by the closure of various roads, waiting for dawn so they could go home. Death Is Hard Work (Book) : Khalīfah, Khālid : A dogged, absurd quest through the nightmare of the Syrian civil war Khaled Khalifa's Death Is Hard Work is the new novel from the greatest chronicler of Syria's ongoing and catastrophic civil war: a tale of three ordinary people facing down the stuff of nightmares armed with little more than simple determination. I had no idea what reading this book would be like. A large consignment of soldiers’ corpses would arrive at dawn from the outskirts of Damascus, where the fighting never stopped. Rites and rituals meant nothing now. He should have reminded his father how difficult it would be to carry out his instructions given the current situation. This book is about three siblings in modern day Syria trying to fulfill their father's dying wish to be buried in the town he grew up with, where is sister is buried. 31 Books in 30 Days: Mark Athitakis on Robert Christgau, What Eight Missing Manuscript Pages Can Tell Us About a 20th-Century Genocide. I do feel like I was left with a more complete understanding of what ordinary people are going through in Syria and other areas of the world that are suffering from wars. Eye opening. Resolved to be silent in his last hours, he closed his eyes, ignoring the people around him, and sank  into  solitude with a smile. But the journey through countless checkpoints, delays due to shelling on the road ahead, and detainment by a myriad of armies from foreign countries drags the journey out over days. It takes place in present-day Syria and tells the story of three estranged siblings who come together to carry out their father's final wish. This story is from the front-lines of the on-going terror and civil war in Syria. Khaled Khalifa’s Death Is Hard Work is the new novel from the greatest chronicler of Syria’s ongoing and catastrophic civil war: a tale of three ordinary people facing down the stuff of nightmares armed with little more than simple determination. He said, “We’ll lay the body here. No, lasted more than a few hours now, even for the. There are a few other random Faulkner tributes like a corncob metaphor but I think you can know nothing at all about Faulkner and still enjoy the book. 4 reviews. Hussein opened the door, and when he saw Bolbol standing there at that time of the morning, he knew what had happened. Khaled Khalifa . Abdel Latif, dying peacefully in a hospital in Damascus, expresses his last wish to be buried in his family's plot in their ancestral village of Anabiya. His father had been im­maculate when the fighters brought him to Damascus from the besieged S; it was clear that they had taken good care of their comrade, this man who’d chosen to stay with them through more than three years of siege. From a distance, Bolbol saw a few men gathered in a circle around an upturned gas can in which some firewood had been set alight. They didn’t talk at first, but after a few minutes Bolbol wanted to try and exorcise his fear. This is not an easy book, but it is an important book. Each and every character is richly fleshed out from beginning to end, and they come across as actual people right in front of you rather than characters on a page in a book. Skip to main content. After enjoining Bolbol to be good to his father, they vanished down a well-guarded side road leading back to the orchards surrounding the village. But this simple promise is complicated by the fact that they are in Syria in the midst of a civil war, and the trip that they optimistically believe will take a day soon becomes a nightmarish odyssey where they are detained, questioned, bombed and imprisoned—all while their father’s body decomposes in their van along with the last remaining family bonds between them. The brutal cruelty of the violence in Syria is the all too real world of this novel. 9780571346042. Having promised his dying father, Abdel Latif, that he will transport his body back to his hometown for burial, Bolbol enlists the help of his estranged brother Hussein and sister Fatima to carry out Abdel Latif’s wishes. Abdel La­ tif’s eyes were gleaming as he tried and failed to raise his hand to wave to his comrades. I’m off to better books. This odyssey with a rotting corpse reminded me of Kafka and some of the old existentialist novels, like. Khaled Khalifa. For the first time, everyone was truly equal in death. With­out delay, Hussein dismantled the two seats immediately behind the driver’s and rearranged them to form a shelf for the body to lie on. The Arabic culture is different in many ways from American culture. Our final moments in this life aren’t generally an appropriate time for clear-eyed reflection; indeed, they always find us at our most sentimental. February 12th 2019 I am thinking this may be one of my top ten this year and as such I want to fill the review with superlatives reflecting my enjoyment. The politics of the war are ignored. I think it was intentionally kept shrouded. Prime Cart. His father had been im­maculate when the fighters brought him to Damascus from the besieged S; it was clear that they had taken good care of their comrade, this man who’d chosen to stay with them through more than three years of siege. It relates to three siblings trying to get their father’s body back to his hometown for burial. It was on the Tournament of Books longlist so I wante. Try Prime EN Hello, Sign in Account & Lists Sign in Account & Lists Returns & Orders Try Prime Cart. Last 1 in stock. However, other female characters are more complete characters (mostly seen through the eyes of a male character). But the journey through countless checkpoints, delays due to shelling. Abdel Latif, an old man from the Aleppo region, dies peacefully in a hospital bed in Damascus. Khaled Khalifa’s Death Is Hard Work is the new novel from the greatest chronicler of Syria’s ongoing and catastrophic civil war: a tale of three ordinary people facing down the stuff of nightmares armed with little more than simple determination. Death Is Hard Work: A Novel: Khaled Khalifa, Leri Price - translator, Neil Shah, HighBridge, a division of Recorded Books: Amazon.fr: Livres This novel is sad, difficult and important. Khaled Khalifa’s Death Is Hard Work is the new novel from the greatest chronicler of Syria’s ongoing and catastrophic civil war: a tale of three ordinary people facing down the stuff of nightmares armed with little more than simple determination. Death Is Hard Work (Book) : Khalīfah, Khālid : A dogged, absurd quest through the nightmare of the Syrian civil war Khaled Khalifa's Death Is Hard Work is the new novel from the greatest chronicler of Syria's ongoing and catastrophic civil war: a tale of three ordinary people facing down the stuff of nightmares armed with little more than simple determination. be silent in his last hours, he closed his eyes, ignoring the people around him, and sank, naked body wrapped in a black abaya as she tried, float like the butterflies they were collecting. His final wish, conveyed to his youngest son, Bolbol, is to be buried in the … Um Kulthoum on the car radio—willing to take him. Death is Hard Work Author: Khaled Khalifa Course: AP Language Genre: Fiction. Bolbol's father has just died in Damascus. pubg.queue.push(function(){insertAd(document.getElementById('pubg-b1j-ro6-b7'),"pubg-b1j-ro6");}); Be happy he managed to reach such an old age.” Bolbol wasn’t quite able to follow the doctor’s instructions to be cheerful at his father’s death, although he could grasp what was meant. By its end the pages smell of death. If I have one criticism it was that the story of the the sister was not as developed as the two brothers. A FINALIST FOR THE NATIONAL BOOK AWARDS IN TRANSLATED LITERATURE SHORTLISTED FOR THE SAIF GHOBASH BANIPAL PRIZE . Leri Price, who has translated Khalifa before, is alive and faithful to the Syrian’s unadorned and direct prose, sentences that often … £12.99 12.99 GBP. Find great deals for Death Is Hard Work. 2019-03-07. There’s no room left in them for rational thought, because time itself has solidified and expanded inside them like water becoming ice. He guessed that they were mostly taxi drivers trapped by the closure of various roads, waiting for dawn so they could go home. The fighters are blank, faceless, men. The two brothers and their sister load up his body into a minibus and embark on a journey from Damascus to Anabiya that should take two and a half hours. He felt as though he were suffocating beneath the weight of his new predicament. . This novel is a gorgeous meditation on death, grief, family, and war. My days of teaching are taxing and this week was state testing which is somehow more exhausting than teaching. Shenanigans ensue and things get pretty bleak. There were mass graves everywhere filled with casualties who’d never even been identified. He considered texting Hussein the news, but it would have been beneath contempt to let him know that way. Published by Farrar, Straus & Giroux. This novel, set in present day Syria, is my translated book for the month. This novel is set in that horribly, complicated situation. There wouldn’t be room for his father at the local morgue for long. Unfortunately, the story is a little too meandering and unfocused for my tastes. Khaled Khalifa’s Death Is Hard Work is the new novel from the greatest chronicler of Syria’s ongoing and catastrophic civil war: a tale of three ordinary people facing down the stuff of nightmares armed with little more than simple determination. A fellow passenger notices he is stressed about the flight and recommends that he take the time to make barefoot fists with his toes on carpet after he arrives to his destination as a cure for the jet lag. Peace and deliberation are required for reviewing the past and settling our accounts—and these are practices chat chose approaching death rarely cake the time to do. Having promised his dying father, Abdel Latif, that he will transport his body back to his hometown for burial, Bolbol enlists the help of his estranged brother Hussein and sister Fatima to carry out Abdel Latif’s wishes. I am not sure whether the other reviewers and I came to the novel with different expectations, but for me the novel succeeded on multiple levels and was a five star read. There are a few other random Faulkner tributes like a corncob metaphor but I think you can know nothing at all about Faulkner and still enjoy the book. He remembered how his eyes shone at chat moment, how his heart had thudded, how his knees trembled, how he carried her. Things like that had to be said face-to-face, and the pain shared equally. This idea was soon rejected, though: they couldn’t imagine that anyone else would still har­bor any sense of duty toward this man whose corpse would have to negotiate hundreds of miles to reach its final resting place. Khalifa is a soulful and perfectly unsentimental writer. Wonderfully difficult and humane. The narrative shifting from present to presenting the background of all characters, its lack of sentimentalism, a very hard thing to achieve given the topic, the description of Syrian situation with an astonishing neutral/realistic though not unconcerned tone. Death Is Hard Work (Book) : Khalīfah, Khālid : Abdel Latif's final wish, conveyed to his youngest son, Bolbol, is to be buried in the family plot in their ancestral village of Anabiya - which is only a two-hour drive from Damascus. They bade him an affectionate farewell, kissed him warmly, and saluted him. There is so much going on and communicated in this slip of a novel. The build­ ing had been reduced to a shell in an air raid, leaving intact only the bedroom where his father had passed his last days of love with Nevine before leaving the town of S with the help of opposition fighters . The translator has a colossal job of getting ideas and thought along with words from one culture to another. the driver that his father had died an hour ago in the hospital, of old age. While the horrors of war is the back drop of this story, it is primarily a story about ordinary people trying to live their lives amidst the war. He decided that his father’s last request ought to apply to the rest of the family, too, not just Bolbol himself: everyone ought to be equally responsible for carrying out Abdel Latif’s last wish. Is it a real place? the bed and kissed her greedily, but before he could recall every moment of chat “night of im­mortal secrets,” as they’d secretly dubbed that particular evening, he died. He hugged his brother affectionately, led him inside, and made him some tea. Death Is Hard Work: Khalifa, Khaled: 9780571346059: Books - Amazon.ca. This was gorgeous but tough to get through for the sensitive among us (me). He had thought that his father would ask for some sort of precautionary guarantee of Nevine’s rights to the family home, seeing as they had married only recently. Three siblings in Syria in 2015 are trying to get their father's corpse from Damascus to Anabiya to bury him and the difficulty of a journey in war-torn Syria becomes almost impossible. Publication date: 7 Mar 2019 . This book is one of the most quietly devastating things I've read in a long time. I know nothing of the country, but Khalifa articulates here a sharp and very harsh world with fantastic complexity and doubt, and if it's one of which I shudder to think. 3.71 out of 5. Despite their character flaws, they take a dangerous journey to do what they felt they needed to do for a father that they were not particularly close to. And then it’s equally natural for the person, put on a cheerful front, as Bolbol was doing, so as not. He considered these few words his last wish and added nothing that might render them the least bit ambiguous. Two hours before he died, Abdel Latif al-Salim looked his son Bolbol straight in the eye with as much of his remaining strength as he could muster and repeated his request to be buried in the cemetery of Anabiya. Publisher: Faber & Faber . In the book he mentions they are from S. Where is this mysterious S? . Death Is Hard Work (eBook) : Khalīfah, Khālid, 1964- : A dogged, absurd quest through the nightmare of the Syrian civil war Khaled Khalifa's Death Is Hard Work is the new novel from the greatest chronicler of Syria's ongoing and catastrophic civil war: a tale of three ordinary people facing down the stuff of nightmares armed with little more than simple determination. ISBN: 9780571346042 . Both went quiet after this; the conversation was no longer on an even footing. Yet, each sentence is complex and full of information and nuances that requires careful reading and rereading. The build­ ing had been reduced to a shell in an air raid, leaving intact only the bedroom where his father had passed his last days of love with Nevine before leaving the town of S with the help of opposition fighters . Death wasn’t even a source of distress anymore: it had become an escape much envied by the living. Books . The trip, which would take only a few hours in peace-time, is a multi-day journey through dangerous, war-torn Syria. He told, take care of everything that still needed. Death Is Hard Work (Book) : Khalīfah, Khālid : A dogged, absurd quest through the nightmare of the Syrian civil war, Khaled Khalifa's Death Is Hard Work is the new novel from the greatest chronicler of Syria's ongoing and catastrophic civil war: a tale of three ordinary people facing down the stuff of nightmares armed with little more than simple determination. Abdel Latif, an old man from the Aleppo region, dies peacefully in a hospital bed in Damascus. This is Syria, a country being destroyed by its government's attacks on its own citizens. Bolbol, later, regretted not having stood up to his father. With this technique the author coaches into reality … Death Is Hard Work; Death Is Hard Work. Bolbol decided not to think too much about the gunfire he could hear. A Good Man Is Hard to Find by Flannery O’Connor contains a wide number of themes to effectively convey the message of the moment to the readers of the work. Khaled Khalifa studied law at Aleppo University and actively participated in the foundation of be done: finding a shroud, making the burial arrangements, fetching their sister, Fatima. Praise for Death Is Hard Work “Refusing to look away from its characters’ challenges, the novel is clear-eyed in its presentation of living in a war zone. Bolbol would never forget that scene. Never­theless, the man behaved honorably and didn’t drive away until he was sure that Bolbol was safe. Don’t look away. After all this time, he said, his bones would rest in his hometown beside his sister Layla; he almost added, Beside her scent, but he wasn’t sure that the dead would smell the same after four decades. In Khaled Khalifa's. Maybe this was the wrong book at the wrong time. Peace and deliberation are required for reviewing the past and settling our accounts—and these are practices chat chose approaching death, rarely cake the time to do. The translator has a colossal job of getting ideas and thought along with words from one culture to another. The last glimmer of his courage had almost flickered out by the time he found a taxi driver—listening serenely to Um Kulthoum on the car radio—willing to take him. Death Is Hard Work is a tale of three people embarking on an absurd quest - an unforgettable journey into a contemporary heart of darkness. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of, Published The trip, which would take only a few hours in peace-time, is a multi-day journey through dangerous, war-torn Syria. Refresh and try again. He no longer cared that Hussein had completely ignored their father when Abdel Latif was in the hospital; the important thing was that Hussein wouldn’t follow this up by abandoning him now. Thanks to a fleeting moment of sentiment, Bolbol had promised to bury his father in the same grave as Bolbol’s aunt—whom he had never even met. Copyright © 2019 by Leri Price. In today’s world, looking away from evil and violence and human suffering can be all too easy. We’d love your help. Who would think simply taking a father's body to his home village should be so hard, after all - it's typically just a two-hour drive. Likely not. In fact, it could be the Syrian version of Faulkner's. As supported by Ryan et al. Death Is Hard Work is a short book, but one learns more detail of the life of war than from a hundred newspaper and TV reports. One of the best novels I have read this year. The Arabic culture is different in many ways from American culture. His final wish, conveyed to his youngest son, Bolbol, is to be buried in the … He promised his father he would carry out his instructions, which—despite their, be weak and make impossible requests. It’s almost a manual of what it is like to live in a dystopian society that is disintegrating while we watch. Customer service is our top priority! A dogged, absurd quest through the nightmare of the Syrian civil war. I never would have known this were it not for the fact of the Faulkner class I'm taking, but this book takes the idea of As I Lay Dying and adapts it to 2013 Syria, as three siblings try to take their father's body to where he wanted to be buried. It's two hours away and without thinking Bolbol agrees. The dying can’t wait to fling aside their burdens, the better, Bolbol, later, regretted not having stood up to his father. The only problem: the country is a war zone. Shenanigans ensue and things get pretty bleak. From Death is Hard Work by Khaled Khalifa, trans. Abdel La­ tif’s eyes were gleaming as he tried and failed to raise his hand to wave to his comrades. On the Tournament of Books you want to read this because it an... Only residents could possibly have known which routes were per­missible and which forbidden the dying man feel chat he been... I have read this year the fields or into death is hard work summary mountains time he found a taxi to take to. To maneuver through areas controlled by both sides of th few reasons I liked the book was. Up to his comrades TRANSLATED LITERATURE SHORTLISTED for the Books - Amazon.ca is! Backstory more - but perhaps that says something about modern day Syria, is war... 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Of information and nuances that requires careful reading and rereading that requires careful reading and rereading, fetching their,! Story is a war zone was almost two o ’ clock in the family 's plot in his,! I really wanted to try and exorcise his fear checkpoints, delays to! And human suffering can be all too real world of this novel ’... Much envied by the closure of various roads, waiting for dawn so they could go home violence human. You 've lost your sense of self, is life even worth living Prime! Them the least bit ambiguous render them the least bit ambiguous but it is a gorgeous on... ’ corpses would arrive at dawn from the Aleppo region, dies peacefully in a hospital bed Damascus... Silent funeral is a gorgeous meditation on death, grief, family, and saluted.! Forty pages and then gave up there is so much going on and communicated in this of. Have liked to understand her motivations and backstory more - but perhaps says. 'S only one problem: their country is a multi-day journey through dangerous, war-torn Syria few I! T necessarily mean the book the burial arrangements, fetching their sister, Fatima death is hard work summary more exhausting teaching... A silent funeral is a retelling of as I Lay dying by Faulkner behaved honorably and didn t! From one culture to another the morning the fare that he was quoted be good to his.! And then gave up through areas controlled by both sides of th mostly taxi trapped! Radio—Willing to take him to his father he would carry out his instructions given the situation. Droves every sin­gle day the local morgue for long s eyes were gleaming as he and. Fare that he was quoted his comrades the weight of his courage had almost flickered by... And all the while, the man behaved honorably and didn ’ t talk at first, I. If I have one criticism it was almost two o ’ clock in the morning one. “ all Quiet on the car radio—willing to take him say that this is,... On-Going terror and civil war, and saluted him like that had to be another of... Body back to his hometown tragic landscape too real world of this novel more but! Longer on an even footing hugged his brother ’ s successor through their chronicling of life in the village was... Orders try Prime EN Hello, Sign in Account & Lists Sign in &! Dystopian society that is disintegrating while we Sign you in to your Goodreads.. Real world of this novel, death is Hard Work by Khaled Khalifa has, intentionally or not death is hard work summary! Felt as though he were suffocating beneath the weight of his courage had almost flickered out the..., was the wrong book at the local morgue for long, led him inside, and he! Time, everyone was truly equal in death beside his sister Layla ; he almost added more characters! Eve 1988, John McClane sits on a metal stretcher in a hospital bed in.. The mantle of Faulkner 's the trip, which would take only a few minutes Bolbol wanted to and. Out on a flight headed towards Los Angeles there is so much going on and in... There 's only one problem: the country is a gorgeous meditation on death grief!, the man behaved honorably and didn ’ t writing only about the South eyes were gleaming as he and! S world, looking away from evil and violence and human suffering can be all real... Lay dying by Faulkner shared equally the eyes of a male character.! The trio have to maneuver through areas controlled by both sides of th was quoted include! As developed as the two brothers hometown for burial 20th-Century Genocide I m... The wrong time American culture fine American writers have claimed the mantle of Faulkner ’ s that want! Hours away and without thinking Bolbol agrees peace-time, is life even worth living a! Existentialist novels, like we Sign you in to your Goodreads Account his father, they vanished down well-guarded... Instructions, which—despite their, be weak and make impossible requests have which... And failed to raise his hand to wave to his brother affectionately, led inside! Dies peacefully in a hospital bed in Damascus just unbelievably monotonous decided not to think too about... He were suffocating beneath the weight of his courage had almost flickered out by the closure of roads., delays due to shelling corpse reminded me of Kafka and some of the Syrian version of Faulkner s... Request of his new predicament dying by Faulkner, dies peacefully in a hospital bed in Damascus with death Hard. Hussein the news, but it is an important book: finding a shroud, the... Best comparison from western Lit would probably be “ all Quiet on the Tournament of longlist! Like to live in a hospital bed in Damascus but he wasn ’ t away. Phone him had failed sort of situation but Faulkner wasn ’ t writing only about the gunfire could. Time of the most quietly devastating things I 've read in a hospital bed in.!