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Maps of the Soul
Othman al-Sheikh is running away from the shadows of his past life in a small dusty village in the Libyan Desert. Tripoli, meanwhile, is a city in the process of transformation, moulded to the will of its Italian colonisers. Its decadent entertainments and extravagant riches conceal an underbelly of abject poverty and ruthless plotting. Othman falls for the city and its temptations. With a natural instinct for survival, he tries his luck in the capital, swept along by chance and opportunity.
656 pages, Paperback
First published March 1, 2014
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
December 10, 2014
Maps of the Soul is the coming-of-age tale of a young Libyan man, although the book itself is much more than the story of one person. It’s the story of Tripoli, or rather one chapter in its long and ancient history.
It starts with a restless young man named Othman El-Sheikh, who longs to leave his static village life and find his prospects in Tripoli. Circumstances allow him to run away from the village and pursue his future, and the novel centers around this journey. He starts in abject poverty and works hard to build up a life, only to have it snatched away when the Italians force young Libyan men into the military to fight their battle in Abyssinia. Again Othman uses hard work and sheer determination to rise in the ranks, and he almost succeeds before losing it all again.
This is a very Libyan book, and by that I mean it’s richly saturated with Libyan life, rituals, and customs, weaving through the fabric of Libyan society. Othman is the archetypal Libyan youth, unsatisfied with society’s expectations and trying to break free, although the invisible chains of these expectations ultimately hold him back.
The pace of the book itself is also Libyan, lingering on details and revealing the plot slowly. Othman’s life is intrinsically tied to those of his family, friends and acquaintances, and social bonds are a dominant theme. The book is also filled with religious, mythological and historical references, as well as Libyan idioms.
While the book mainly features Libyan men and their struggles, Fagih did not leave out Libyan woman, and mentions several times the harsh restrictions our society placed on its female half, especially in contrast to Italian society.
There is also a certain level of symbolism in the three women of Othman’s life; Thuraya, who represented the wholesome Libyan life he could have had and which he longed for; Houriya, the symbol of the life of riches, success and high standing that tantalized him; and Nuriya, who was Othman's means to satisfy his baser human impulses, although he does eventually come to appreciate her.
In the background to all this is the character of Tripoli itself, and the reader can experience the sights, sounds, smells and taste of the city through Othman as he moves throughout the city, from the tiny winding alleys of the Arab quarters to the Jewish and Italian districts, describing the historic landmarks as he interacts with them.
One quote that really stuck with me, in light of Libya’s current situation:
“But despite the wounds, the dark clouds, and the stolen, scorched earth, it was still your homeland. You didn’t have any other homeland, and more than being stone, tree and earth, it was people, hearts and emotions.”
It starts with a restless young man named Othman El-Sheikh, who longs to leave his static village life and find his prospects in Tripoli. Circumstances allow him to run away from the village and pursue his future, and the novel centers around this journey. He starts in abject poverty and works hard to build up a life, only to have it snatched away when the Italians force young Libyan men into the military to fight their battle in Abyssinia. Again Othman uses hard work and sheer determination to rise in the ranks, and he almost succeeds before losing it all again.
This is a very Libyan book, and by that I mean it’s richly saturated with Libyan life, rituals, and customs, weaving through the fabric of Libyan society. Othman is the archetypal Libyan youth, unsatisfied with society’s expectations and trying to break free, although the invisible chains of these expectations ultimately hold him back.
The pace of the book itself is also Libyan, lingering on details and revealing the plot slowly. Othman’s life is intrinsically tied to those of his family, friends and acquaintances, and social bonds are a dominant theme. The book is also filled with religious, mythological and historical references, as well as Libyan idioms.
While the book mainly features Libyan men and their struggles, Fagih did not leave out Libyan woman, and mentions several times the harsh restrictions our society placed on its female half, especially in contrast to Italian society.
There is also a certain level of symbolism in the three women of Othman’s life; Thuraya, who represented the wholesome Libyan life he could have had and which he longed for; Houriya, the symbol of the life of riches, success and high standing that tantalized him; and Nuriya, who was Othman's means to satisfy his baser human impulses, although he does eventually come to appreciate her.
In the background to all this is the character of Tripoli itself, and the reader can experience the sights, sounds, smells and taste of the city through Othman as he moves throughout the city, from the tiny winding alleys of the Arab quarters to the Jewish and Italian districts, describing the historic landmarks as he interacts with them.
One quote that really stuck with me, in light of Libya’s current situation:
“But despite the wounds, the dark clouds, and the stolen, scorched earth, it was still your homeland. You didn’t have any other homeland, and more than being stone, tree and earth, it was people, hearts and emotions.”
November 23, 2015
Easily a contender for one of my favourite books of this year.
The story, set in Libya in the 1930s, begins with one of the most affecting opening scenes I have ever read. It grabs you and does not let go for a moment. Without giving too much away, an otherwise nameless 'you' is waiting under a hot sun to be brutally executed by another.
Of course, that second person 'you' makes it very difficult to look away. You are right there in that 'you', feeling the heat beat down as you wait for the knife...
The tale then flashes back to show us that 'you' is Othman al-Sheik, a boy from a far off village forced to leave for Tripoli after being caught in an indiscretion. He flounders at first, sleeping rough and contemplating a career of begging, before beginning to make his way and make connections that will see him admitted to the palaces and high society now controlled by the Italians.
Whirling thorough the streets of Tripoli, shedding innocence and qualms as he goes, still Othman manages to never quite lose his moral compass. As it is the 1930s in North Africa, the reader might suspect that Othman is in for quite a time of it. Maps of the Soul is a tale of place: finding one's place and growing into it. It is beautifully written, pulling the reader in and along with the tastes, sights and even the smells of a city that is being forcibly modernised by the latest in a long line of invaders.
(If you have enjoyed this review, there's more at my website: http://10mh.net/2015/10/25/maps_of_th... Thank you!)
The story, set in Libya in the 1930s, begins with one of the most affecting opening scenes I have ever read. It grabs you and does not let go for a moment. Without giving too much away, an otherwise nameless 'you' is waiting under a hot sun to be brutally executed by another.
Why did you care about fending off fear when your end was nigh, when you knew that once the electricity that provided you with energy and life was cut off, perpetual darkness would follow?
Of course, that second person 'you' makes it very difficult to look away. You are right there in that 'you', feeling the heat beat down as you wait for the knife...
The tale then flashes back to show us that 'you' is Othman al-Sheik, a boy from a far off village forced to leave for Tripoli after being caught in an indiscretion. He flounders at first, sleeping rough and contemplating a career of begging, before beginning to make his way and make connections that will see him admitted to the palaces and high society now controlled by the Italians.
Whirling thorough the streets of Tripoli, shedding innocence and qualms as he goes, still Othman manages to never quite lose his moral compass. As it is the 1930s in North Africa, the reader might suspect that Othman is in for quite a time of it. Maps of the Soul is a tale of place: finding one's place and growing into it. It is beautifully written, pulling the reader in and along with the tastes, sights and even the smells of a city that is being forcibly modernised by the latest in a long line of invaders.
(If you have enjoyed this review, there's more at my website: http://10mh.net/2015/10/25/maps_of_th... Thank you!)
January 17, 2015
This is a great sweeping saga of a novel that I couldn't put down. It follows the life of Othman El-Sheik in 1930's Libya. We follow his rise and fall under Italian occupation. The details of Libyan life are incredibly rich. The English translation is a translation of the first three parts of a twelve part saga. I wish I could have continued with this beautiful story. It is all written in the second person which is unusual for such a long novel but it is in every way compelling. I will not forget it in a hurry, each character is still living with me.
February 26, 2016
I advise Arabic speakers to read the book in Arabic as the translation is weak and incoherent apart from few spelling mistakes here and there, but in general the book is good
April 26, 2018
Quite an epic tale, charting the ups and downs of a young man who runs off to Tripoli during the Italian occupation of the 1930s. I found it interesting that this was a second-person narrative, and half-expected the narrator to appear somewhere in the 600-odd pages of this sweeping novel. Considering its length, you'll come across several characters in this book, but probably none as captivating as the city its set in: Tripoli. Fagih acquaints us with the Libyan capital and its inhabitants, both struggling to find their place against the backdrop of colonialism. My main problem with this novel was its bad editing. That aside, a relatively engrossing read.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews