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83rd out of 131 books
—
119 voters
The End of Manners: A Novel
A crumbling farmhouse in Puglia, Casa Rossa was bought by Alina Strada’s grandfather at a time when no one else wanted it. Now busy preparing it for sale, Alina endeavors to recover the memories it still harbors—in particular of three women whose passions indelibly shaped her family’s dark past. There’s grandmother Renee, whose love of novelty won over everything else. Ali...more
Hardcover, 272 pages
Published
May 20th 2008
by Pantheon
(first published September 20th 2007)
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The End of Manners tells the story of an Italian photographer, Maria Gallante on assignment in war-torn Afghanistan. Her task is to photograph women who have attempted suicide in order to avoid arranged marriages to men many years their seniors. This proves to be difficult since it is ilegal for these women to show their faces and suicide is taboo.
Maria is on assignment with Imo Glass, a larger than life Columbian-born reporter who writes for a London-based newspaper.
Francesca Marciano has some...more
Maria is on assignment with Imo Glass, a larger than life Columbian-born reporter who writes for a London-based newspaper.
Francesca Marciano has some...more
Interesting fiction about two women, Imo, a journalist, and Maria, a photographer, who travel to Afghanistan to do a story on Afghan women who commit suicide rather than be forced into arranged marriages. The detail of the journey itself, the culture, the standard of living, the presence of foreigners, is an eye-opener. Imo is meant to be larger than life,get out of my way, I don't-care-if-I-have-to-rip-off-your-veils-I'm-getting-this-story-and-the-world-will-know-the-truth-thanks-to-me. She doe...more
Sep 13, 2011
Bonnie
rated it
3 of 5 stars
Recommended to Bonnie by:
Book Lover's Book-a-Day Calendar
Although fiction, this book gave me great insight into the country of Afghanistan, perhaps even more so than Khaled Hosseini's The Kite Runner and A Thousand Splendid Sons. For instance, an amazing fact I learned is that real estate in Kabul in much more than in Manhattan, and the real estate in Afghanistan is usually pockmarked and ravaged from war rather than a gleaming loft atop a building soaring into the skyline of the city. A second insight was the difference a cell phone these days makes...more
Prior to picking up this book, I read a number of amazing reviews. The book is described as "brilliant" and "courageous and painful, not to be missed." And, of course it has a wonderful cover suggesting that it is full of literary treasures. So, perhaps my expectations were a bit high, but sadly, they definitely were not met. The main character, Maria, is a young photojournalist who after suffering anxiety attacks has taken herself off her fast-track career path. While Maria's reaction to her w...more
Tried so hard to finish reading this book. Unlike the little train that could i finally stopped two thirds of the way up. I was frustrated by the idea of so many people putting their lives at risk to take pictures of young women who would rather commit suicide than marry men much older than themselves in Afghanistan. Furthermore females having their pictures taken dishonors them according to their culture. Somehow the whole idea just frustrated me too much. And so I admit I am a quitter....but n...more
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A journalist's conflict--if the purpose of a story is to reveal suffering in the hopes of alleviating it, does that justify making use of unwilling subjects or risking their well being by including them? Do the ends justify the means? Photographer Maria Galante travels with a reporter to Afghanistan in order to research a story on young girls who attempt suicide rather than be married to much older men. This moral conflict leaves her emotionally torn about her justification for photographing the...more
Jul 09, 2010
Kate
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommended to Kate by:
Catherine (saw it in her to-read shelf)
Maria Gallante was a photojournalist; she had a nervous breakdown and now photographs food-porn for a living. One day, her agent calls her; he wants her back in journalism, and he wants her to go to Kabul to photograph young women who have chosen self-immolation over arranged marriage. She does. Moral dilemmas abound.
I don't know how I feel about this novel: Is it a half-hearted attempt or just too reserved? The scenery could use a little fleshing out, but then, the inability to do just that is...more
I don't know how I feel about this novel: Is it a half-hearted attempt or just too reserved? The scenery could use a little fleshing out, but then, the inability to do just that is...more
I thought this book was amazing. This photojournalist, after photographing food shoots, is sent to Afghanistan to seek out women who are suicidal at the news of being married off to men their fathers choose. The novel touches on terrorism, sexism, culture shock, and, how things are different yet we are all the same. I thoroughly enjoyed the book and feel enlightened and more educated and familiar with these topics.
This is a really beautiful book about Afghanistan, but if you've read Rules of the Wild (a much less politically relevant novel but, I have to admit, one of the most fun books I've ever read) it's also a bit of a disappointment in terms of the level of personal intimacy with the characters. A very detached narrator, Maria, compared to the wonderfully narcissistic, intense Esme of the former novel.
I sympathized with the central character, Maria, couldn't stand another main character, Imogen, and found myself annoyed with the proliferation of similes that the author used in every description. As a presentation of life in modern-day Afghanistan, it generally succeeds, and as an account of the quiet strength that can reside inside a fearful person, it's really enjoyable. I preferred The Bookseller of Kabul, but this was a quick and mostly satisfying read.
A Italian female photojournalist suffers a breakdown leaves news to photograph food. She is called to go to Afghanistan with another journalist to photograph women who have tried to commit suicide rather than go through with an arranged marriage. Great premise but the book fell short for me. The main character is shallow and I really didn't care what happens to her or her egotistical partner.
I loved this book. I thought it was fabulously written with engaging characters and an intriguing plotline. Story about a photographer who gets an assignment in Kabul. Her initial reaction is to turn it down but she ends up going and the experience teaches her about who she is as a person. I didn't want this book to end and loved the assorted characters we met along the journey!
3.5 stars. The protagonist is an anxious female Italian photojournalist who is assigned to do a story on honor suicides of women in Afganistan. Her foil is the outgoing female journalist who is writing the story and traveling with her. I quite enjoyed it. She presented a really unique voice and an interesting look into the world of women in Afganistan. Worth reading.
I got this as an Advance Readers' Copy from Borders some time ago but just finally got around to reading it. It was surprisingly good, for "junk food" literature - the story of an Italian photographer who journeys with an English journalist to Afghanistan in order to do a story on women who attempted suicide rather than be forced into arranged marriages. Well told.
An interesting book. It read more like a non-fiction book than a fiction book. The people in countries at war live in what must be a stressful and constant inner battle amongst hope, fear, despair, and determination to just go on, and an outer battle of politics, espionage, anarchy, and some small sense of order. I thought the description of the Defenders school in England believable and I hope based on reality because if you are going to Afghanistan, Pakistan, or Iraq as a civilian you'd better...more
The End of Manners leaves me thinking about what and why I read – in this case a story within a story with more kernels of stories inside that. Are the outer and the inner story both superficial? The characters or the story? Isn't all fiction superficial? Perhaps reading is mostly a substitute for thinking? Must be time to become immersed in a different book! Questions aside, I did enjoy this novel about a writer and photo-journalist who travel to Afghanistan to do a story on young women who hav...more
This book felt as real to me as a letter from a friend. A photographer goes to Afghanistan for work and tells of her experiences. Has everything to do with the killing of aid workers and the confusion and harrowing conditions there. A very good effort describing a real situation by a natural storyteller.
I found this to be a satisfying book in all ways, plots, prose, characters and the way the author left the reader to make the connection from the events and relationships in the book to larger issues.
Very good!
Very good!
Interesting read. Is there really training to prepare you for traveling in hostile countries? Makes sense that there would be. While I enjoyed reading this book, it seemed disconnected in parts, where I felt like the author could not decide, which direction they wanted to go in.
Aug 11, 2011
Ginny Tata-Phillips
added it
READ IT. Just not while drinking wine or while your husband is serving in Afghanistan. Prepare to sob at the end if you are human/female/sensitive or any combination of the aforementioned.
This book was okay, but not her best effort. She would have been better to stick to a different subject, rather than jumping on the cause du jour.
About an Italian journalist set primarily in Afganistan. I really enjoyed the last part of the book but found the first 2/3rds a little tedious.
The describing of different places and people was great, although all in all the book still remained dull, nothing crazy happened.
Good read for understanding what is going on in Afghanistan today, and how cultures collide and misunderstand.
Worth reading to get observations of a war-torn country from a journalist's perspective in an interesting novel.
I loved Marciano's other two novels -- Casa Rosa and Rules of the Wild -- but this one was disappointing.
The book reads like good non-fiction. I felt I got a real glimpse into Afghanistan today.
I enjoyed the journalist and photo journalist experience on an assignment in Afganistan.
Interesting story. I now want to read more books by this author.
Great read. A little harrowing and a too neat ending, but still an interesting exploration of how the political meets the personal.
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