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56th out of 59 books
—
7 voters
Osama
by
Lavie Tidhar
Lavie Tidhar was in Dar-es-Salaam during the American embassy bombings in 1998, and stayed in the same hotel as the Al Qaeda operatives in Nairobi. Since then he and his now-wife have narrowly avoided both the 2005 King’s Cross and 2004 Sinai attacks—experiences that led first to his memorable short story “My Travels with Al-Qaeda” and later to the creation of Osama.
“In a...more
“In a...more
Hardcover, 276 pages
Published
October 1st 2011
by PS Publishing
(first published 2011)
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Feb 16, 2013
Marvin
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
science-fiction,
kindle
Osama was the surprise winner of the 2012 World Fantasy award for best novel beating out both Stephen King and George R.R. Martin. Its premise involves a quest to find the writer of a series of pulp thrillers featuring a vigilante named Osama Bin-Laden. In Tidhar's alternate reality tale, we have a world in which there is no war on terror and no World Trade Center. Joe (just Joe) is a private investigator hired by a mysterious woman (Is there any other kind in this type of story?) to search and...more
I thought that this wonderful novel about our identities in this world will be more like The Man in the High Castle and less like Ubik, but it is the other way around and I like it. And fortunately, the writing is so much better than anything Philip K. Dick ever put on paper.
In an alternate universe without terrorism, Joe is a private detective based in Vietnam, when a mysterious woman gives him a rather bizarre case. To track down Mike Longshott, the author of the Vigilante series of novels about a Freedom Fighter named Osama bin Laden.
Joe's investigations take him across the globe, from Vietnam, to Europe and America. Along the way he finds out there's at least one shadowy organisation that doesn't want him to investigate any further, and they're willing to beat t...more
Joe's investigations take him across the globe, from Vietnam, to Europe and America. Along the way he finds out there's at least one shadowy organisation that doesn't want him to investigate any further, and they're willing to beat t...more
Wishing Terrorism Was Only Fiction
Many people have compared the novel Osama by Lavie Tidhar to books by Phillip K. Dick. It is similar in that the main characters come to realize that reality is not at all what it seems, and that there are those who would stop them from learning the truth. However, Osama is much more beautifully written, and without the heightened paranoia of many of Dick’s works.
This is not a difficult book to read, but it is a very difficult book to discuss. I finished it over...more
Many people have compared the novel Osama by Lavie Tidhar to books by Phillip K. Dick. It is similar in that the main characters come to realize that reality is not at all what it seems, and that there are those who would stop them from learning the truth. However, Osama is much more beautifully written, and without the heightened paranoia of many of Dick’s works.
This is not a difficult book to read, but it is a very difficult book to discuss. I finished it over...more
Meet Joe, an archetypal low-rent private detective living in Southeast Asia. Except, in Joe's world, 9-11 and other terrorist attacks never took place. Instead, they're just plot elements in a semi-popular series of pulp novels called "Osama bin Laden, Vigilante", which even has a yearly fan convention devoted to it.
This matters to Joe because a mysterious woman appears at his office and hires him to track down the author of those same novels. Soon, as he travels the world, he finds himself runn...more
This matters to Joe because a mysterious woman appears at his office and hires him to track down the author of those same novels. Soon, as he travels the world, he finds himself runn...more
This is a 3.5, and it probably deserves two different ratings.
The first rating would be much closer to a 5, and that's for the atmosphere of the book. This novel haunted me for a time after I read it. The subtly wrong world, the mysterious disappearing people, the men who wanted to stop Joe the private investigator. The writing was an examination of violence and what experiencing violence does to people. It was frankly a little creepy, disturbing, and memorable.
The second rating, which would b...more
The first rating would be much closer to a 5, and that's for the atmosphere of the book. This novel haunted me for a time after I read it. The subtly wrong world, the mysterious disappearing people, the men who wanted to stop Joe the private investigator. The writing was an examination of violence and what experiencing violence does to people. It was frankly a little creepy, disturbing, and memorable.
The second rating, which would b...more
Dec 02, 2012
Matt Smith
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
contemporary,
fantasy
I'm really unsure about this book. I've moved between two and four stars so many times that I'd better just stick with three, but I can't.
This review contains spoilers that may ruin the book for you. After the tl;dr, which is safe to read, continue at your own risk. I won't be using the spoiler tag.
tl;dr
There's no satisfying conclusion, no detailed explanation, and some really overused techniques; it's really hard to grab hold of it and take it seriously. However, the book has a fascinating pr...more
This review contains spoilers that may ruin the book for you. After the tl;dr, which is safe to read, continue at your own risk. I won't be using the spoiler tag.
tl;dr
There's no satisfying conclusion, no detailed explanation, and some really overused techniques; it's really hard to grab hold of it and take it seriously. However, the book has a fascinating pr...more
*review first appeared at skullsaladreviews.blogspot.com*
In the interest of full disclosure, I admit Lavie's someone I know and interact with online. I received an electronic review copy straight from the author himself. That said, Tidhar's new novel, Osama (PS Publishing, 2011), is a difficult novel to review without spoilers. I will do my best here. But let me just say upfront that I loved, loved this book! Sometimes when getting a book from a friend or acquaintance, there's a hesitance to rev...more
In the interest of full disclosure, I admit Lavie's someone I know and interact with online. I received an electronic review copy straight from the author himself. That said, Tidhar's new novel, Osama (PS Publishing, 2011), is a difficult novel to review without spoilers. I will do my best here. But let me just say upfront that I loved, loved this book! Sometimes when getting a book from a friend or acquaintance, there's a hesitance to rev...more
Surprising and engaging throughout, Osama is the sort of novel that will be appreciated by fans of Phillip K. Dick and William Gibson, but heavier on the noir setting. The story traces the investigation of Joe, a world-traveling private eye, into the mysterious "Mike Longschott," author of a trashy pulp series about a fiendish fictional villain named "Osama bin Laden."
I typically gauge whether I like a certain SF work based on the magnitude of cognitive dissonance it provokes. Tidhar certainly e...more
I typically gauge whether I like a certain SF work based on the magnitude of cognitive dissonance it provokes. Tidhar certainly e...more
This novel's actually between a 7 and an 8 out of 10 for me (as rated on my blog). I've given it 4 on GoodReads... I nearly didn't give it any stars at all - not because it doesn't deserve them, but because I can't make up my mind about it.
It's an interesting, enigmatic, Noir-ish novel which is beautifully written. It reminded me a lot of some novels by Jon Courtenay Grimwood, particularly End of the World Blues (for some reason). At its most basic, it's an alternate history novel about a series...more
It's an interesting, enigmatic, Noir-ish novel which is beautifully written. It reminded me a lot of some novels by Jon Courtenay Grimwood, particularly End of the World Blues (for some reason). At its most basic, it's an alternate history novel about a series...more
This is not your standard crime noir novel. It is not a standard anything. Lavie Tidhar manages to deliver a book that doesn’t just keep you thinking about it whilst you are reading but occupies your thoughts for a while afterwards. There are so many things happening on several levels that it takes a while to digest them all. I’m still not sure I fully understand it now. As cerebral as this story is it is thoroughly enjoyable and easy to read at the same time.
There is probably a rule somewhere t...more
There is probably a rule somewhere t...more
Apr 14, 2012
Tamara
added it
Modernity, or post-modernity, or the difference, or whatever that thing we're in now is. Very precisely, very elegantly, theres an evocation of a stylized, graceful past, though the setting is nominally the present. A world of phone booths and opium dens, fedoras, travel agents, zippo lighters, Parisian cafes and London pubs populated by beautiful, sad eyed prostitutes where smoking indoors is always allowed. Cons where people still read mimeographed fanzines. Our world intrudes as a crude, poin...more
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This is an interesting reaction to current events, digging down to mess about in the collective unconscious. There are some striking moments - the interstitial chapters describing terrorists balance journalistic precision with a poetic eye for detail and Joe's imprisonment by the mysterious CPD is rich with irony, taking the Man in the High Castle elements to a new level.
I'd rate this one a 3 1/2 - I would like to have rated this thoughtful book higher, but some elements didn't quite gel for me....more
I'd rate this one a 3 1/2 - I would like to have rated this thoughtful book higher, but some elements didn't quite gel for me....more
May 28, 2013
Mariano Hortal
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
genre-science-fiction,
israelite-literature
Publicado en http://lecturaylocura.com/osama-de-la...
El israelita Lavie Tidhar está marcado por una serie de hechos ineludibles y que le ligan al terrorismo; no deja de ser curioso que se encontrara en Dar es Salaam durante los atentados a la embajada estadounidense en 1998, que en el 2004 sobreviviera junto con su esposa a los atentados del Sinaí y en el 2005 a los de King’s Cross. Estas experiencias, de hecho, han influenciado claramente la orientación de sus relatos y, en particular, de esta...more
El israelita Lavie Tidhar está marcado por una serie de hechos ineludibles y que le ligan al terrorismo; no deja de ser curioso que se encontrara en Dar es Salaam durante los atentados a la embajada estadounidense en 1998, que en el 2004 sobreviviera junto con su esposa a los atentados del Sinaí y en el 2005 a los de King’s Cross. Estas experiencias, de hecho, han influenciado claramente la orientación de sus relatos y, en particular, de esta...more
Originally published by PS Publishing – the edition I have – then brought out in massmarket paperback by Solaris. Winner of the World Fantasy Award last year, and a surprising omission from several other shortlists (though it made the BSFA Award shortlist). It would be unfair to say I did not come to this book with high expectations. Happily, they were met. A private detective based in Ventiane is tasked with tracking down Mike Longshott, the mysterious author of a series of pulp novels which fe...more
It reads like a detective crime thriller with lots of clouds mishmashed together, all beyond any recognition. There are clouds of conspiracy theories, America's many insurgency plots, opium bars, sleazy hotels and a bit of Afghanistan which seems alien to the whole story. I expected Osama to emerge fro New York instead of Kabul. Maybe its just me with my Muslim background who expected some serious treatment of the 'War against terror' which has turned out to be a completely one way as far as the...more
Lavie Tidhar's Osama is a wonderful exploration of the nature of terrorism and violence. The alternate history format enables Tidhar's protagonist to explore the subject and the issue with greater detachment as well as explore the wider impacts on contemporary society of key events, particularly those that took place in the wake of WWI and WWII.
This is a thoughtful and thought-provoking book where the author is clearly trying to rationalise his own experiences of being close to a number of key...more
This is a thoughtful and thought-provoking book where the author is clearly trying to rationalise his own experiences of being close to a number of key...more
3.5 estrellas.
El detective que fuma, bebe whiskey, la mujer misteriosa que le contrata, buscar al hombre del que todos saben algo pero nadie sabe donde se encuentra, el viaje por distintos paises investigando, metiendose poco a poco en cosas turbias, hasta darse cuenta que nada es lo que parece con la mujer que lo contrató ni con quen está buscando el protagonista.
A simple vista un cliché total de novela negra, hasta que de repente, todo cambia, todo, literalmente todo, y absolutamente todo tien...more
El detective que fuma, bebe whiskey, la mujer misteriosa que le contrata, buscar al hombre del que todos saben algo pero nadie sabe donde se encuentra, el viaje por distintos paises investigando, metiendose poco a poco en cosas turbias, hasta darse cuenta que nada es lo que parece con la mujer que lo contrató ni con quen está buscando el protagonista.
A simple vista un cliché total de novela negra, hasta que de repente, todo cambia, todo, literalmente todo, y absolutamente todo tien...more
An interesting experiment, but a flawed one. The characters (such as they are) are intentionally cardboard cutouts, the action is purposefully repetitive, and the plot twist is telegraphed nearly from the start. But there's something of worth here, flipping history and science fiction to show the absurdity of a War on Terror.
The hardboiled prose and short chapters were agreeable even when the ham-handed cultural references weren't. (Look, it's Casablanca! The Wizard of Oz! Alice in Wonderland!...more
The hardboiled prose and short chapters were agreeable even when the ham-handed cultural references weren't. (Look, it's Casablanca! The Wizard of Oz! Alice in Wonderland!...more
First off, this is one of the best looking books I've ever seen, from the cover art to the translucent pages. It's just sharp.
The novel is a noir adventure in a pulp world. The hook is that the "pulp" of the fictional world are detailed accounts of real world terrorist accounts. The book itself is entertaining, and obviously ambitious, However, the ambition never really clarified for me. I was left with a few passages that started to mean something but then slipped back into the booze, mysteriou...more
The novel is a noir adventure in a pulp world. The hook is that the "pulp" of the fictional world are detailed accounts of real world terrorist accounts. The book itself is entertaining, and obviously ambitious, However, the ambition never really clarified for me. I was left with a few passages that started to mean something but then slipped back into the booze, mysteriou...more
It was hard to know how to rate this book. I like the premise, but because the vast majority of the book is given over to mimicking pulp detective fiction, most of the time it's just not that great a read. The ending also seems to get wrapped up a little too perfunctorily after we've spent so long following the central character on his pseudo-noir wild goose chase. It has a kind of Alice down the rabbit hole crossed with The Matrix crossed with Philip K. Dick feel. Ultimately not sure how succes...more
2 likes · like · see review
The book had a promising start but eventually it turned out to be a disappointment. It's like a noir novel set in a paralel universe where the protagonist, a private detective, is in search of Osama bin Laden, who exists only as a fictional character. Actually, it's the author of the Osama bin Laden novels that's the target of the investigation.
While the atmosphere and the dialogues are good, they are not good enough to save the book, provided that there is not much going on. Overall, it was a...more
While the atmosphere and the dialogues are good, they are not good enough to save the book, provided that there is not much going on. Overall, it was a...more
Recensione approfondita e prolissa qui: http://ilsociopatico.wordpress.com/20...
Un investigatore privato di nome Joe viene assunto da una donna misteriosa per cercare l'autore di una serie di romanzi pulp. Fin qui niente di eccezionale, non fosse che la serie di romanzi pulp si intitola Osama Bin Laden: Vigilante e l'antieroe protagonista è lo sceicco del terrore e leader di al-Qaeda. Che nel continuum di Joe non esiste, come non è mai esistito il terrorismo jihadista.
Questo romanzo, che richia...more
Un investigatore privato di nome Joe viene assunto da una donna misteriosa per cercare l'autore di una serie di romanzi pulp. Fin qui niente di eccezionale, non fosse che la serie di romanzi pulp si intitola Osama Bin Laden: Vigilante e l'antieroe protagonista è lo sceicco del terrore e leader di al-Qaeda. Che nel continuum di Joe non esiste, come non è mai esistito il terrorismo jihadista.
Questo romanzo, che richia...more
http://nwhyte.livejournal.com/1891438.html[return][return][return][return]An alternate history novel where the War on Terror never happened, but instead the history of our world is experience in a series of pulp novels about Osama Bin Laden; the plot concerns the central character's quest for the author of these stories, which takes him on a long journey including a brief step into our timeline. So it's basically The Man In The High Castle recast for today, though with lots of added literary all...more
I am having the hardest time processing this book.
Basic plot?
Joe is a detective. He's living and working in Laos when a mysterious woman comes to him and asks him to find an author. Someone who is writing about a fictional vigilante named Osama bin Laden. Chances are, if you've gotten to my review, you already know that.
This world is an alternate reality (maybe). It's a very classic detective noir novel (maybe), with your typical cardboard cut out detective stereotype (maybe), and standard cardb...more
Basic plot?
Joe is a detective. He's living and working in Laos when a mysterious woman comes to him and asks him to find an author. Someone who is writing about a fictional vigilante named Osama bin Laden. Chances are, if you've gotten to my review, you already know that.
This world is an alternate reality (maybe). It's a very classic detective noir novel (maybe), with your typical cardboard cut out detective stereotype (maybe), and standard cardb...more
Dec 30, 2012
Benjamin
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
fantasy,
science-fiction
This one starts off simply enough as a noir detective story with a private investigator hired to find the creator of the fictional character, Osama Bin Laden. However, those looking for a quick, mystery plot will be disappointed as the story quickly becomes a surreal journey as the main character struggles to understand how this fictional world, which is really our world, a world of terrorists, suicide bombers, and other things, can possibly exist. There are even suggestions that our world and t...more
I loved it. I have to think it over some before I write a review though. Despite comparisons to PKD, I find the quality of writing much higher here. I like a book that leaves me with more questions than answers.
Having thought on it for a while, I changed my review to five from four stars. This is a more contemplative book (on reflection). It gives voice to all involved in terrorist attacks, whether the bomber or the bombed. That's gutsy. There's a bit of noir quality to this as well, it's a hard...more
Having thought on it for a while, I changed my review to five from four stars. This is a more contemplative book (on reflection). It gives voice to all involved in terrorist attacks, whether the bomber or the bombed. That's gutsy. There's a bit of noir quality to this as well, it's a hard...more
A hungry ghost drifts through a haze of alcoholism and opium addiction. It wanders the askew streets of Paris and London, cities where everyone smokes, no one has heard of 9/11 and Osama bin Laden is a pulp fiction character in a series of penny dreadfuls.
This is not The Man in the High Castle for the 21st Century, I think that's a facile comparison. It's a very subtle play on meta fiction, riffing on The Little Prince, the Wizard of Oz and film noir.
This is not The Man in the High Castle for the 21st Century, I think that's a facile comparison. It's a very subtle play on meta fiction, riffing on The Little Prince, the Wizard of Oz and film noir.
4/5
Osama es la atrevida historia de un detective privado que un buen día recibe el encargo de encontrar a un popular escritor de novelas policíacas, probablemente el libro que con más ganas he esperado en lo que llevamos de temporada. Con un particular estilo atiborrado de silencios incómodos, gran dominio del lenguaje y una magnífica prosa impregnada de sutileza, Lavie Tidhar ha conseguido plasmar un relato ciertamente estremecedor sobre la violencia terrorista y la psicosis que genera.
Osama es la atrevida historia de un detective privado que un buen día recibe el encargo de encontrar a un popular escritor de novelas policíacas, probablemente el libro que con más ganas he esperado en lo que llevamos de temporada. Con un particular estilo atiborrado de silencios incómodos, gran dominio del lenguaje y una magnífica prosa impregnada de sutileza, Lavie Tidhar ha conseguido plasmar un relato ciertamente estremecedor sobre la violencia terrorista y la psicosis que genera.
I really liked this book. It completely sucked me in. I read the last half in a single sitting.
And, frankly, I have no idea what I just read. Maybe there's a part of me that doesn't grok the big picture metaphors going on in books (and it's why I hate critical literature) but I've been sitting here for an hour after I finished this book, and I still don't know what the hell happened.
But I do know I enjoyed it quite a bit.
Go figure.
And "Mike Longshott" is a GREAT pseudonym for a purveyor of "terr...more
And, frankly, I have no idea what I just read. Maybe there's a part of me that doesn't grok the big picture metaphors going on in books (and it's why I hate critical literature) but I've been sitting here for an hour after I finished this book, and I still don't know what the hell happened.
But I do know I enjoyed it quite a bit.
Go figure.
And "Mike Longshott" is a GREAT pseudonym for a purveyor of "terr...more
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Lavie Tidhar was raised on a kibbutz in Israel. He has travelled extensively since he was a teenager, living in South Africa, the UK, Laos, and the small island nation of Vanuatu.
Tidhar began publishing with a poetry collection in Hebrew in 1998, but soon moved to fiction, becoming a prolific author of short stories early in the 21st century.
Temporal Spiders, Spatial Webs won the 2003 Clarke-Bradb...more
More about Lavie Tidhar...
Tidhar began publishing with a poetry collection in Hebrew in 1998, but soon moved to fiction, becoming a prolific author of short stories early in the 21st century.
Temporal Spiders, Spatial Webs won the 2003 Clarke-Bradb...more
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