Frankenstein in Baghdad in Around the World in 80 Books

Apr 11, 2022 Nina ( picturetalk321 ) rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: a-reviewed, author-man, z-challenges-2022, zchallenge-readtheworld22, z-read-gelesen-2022, author-ofcolour, genre-litfic, transl-arabic, genre-horror, world-iraq

A passable satire of anarchy and violence in Baghdad in the wake of war, marred by some really terrible misogyny.

The premise of the satire is not bad at all and is what drew me to starting this book: a reanimated corpse, patched together from various body parts strewn across the streets in terrorist suicide bomb explosions, in revenge killings or simple murders, plus a lost soul that inhabits it and embarks on a revenge murder spree, all of this as a quite clever, if heavy-handed, metaphor for c A passable satire of anarchy and violence in Baghdad in the wake of war, marred by some really terrible misogyny.

The premise of the satire is not bad at all and is what drew me to starting this book: a reanimated corpse, patched together from various body parts strewn across the streets in terrorist suicide bomb explosions, in revenge killings or simple murders, plus a lost soul that inhabits it and embarks on a revenge murder spree, all of this as a quite clever, if heavy-handed, metaphor for conditions in Baghdad after the American invasion and the deposition of Sadam Hussein in the early 21st century.

'The best way to protect yourself from evil is to keep close it,' is the advice of the chief editor of a magazine to his second editor (p.171), and that about sums up the cynical philosophy of this tale.

The story is told through multiple povs, and it does not follow the novel and character arc, prescribed by creative writing classes. This in itself is not a bad thing; the novel as a genre is incredibly flexible and able to adapt. But this book would, to my mind at any rate, have benefitted greatly by including some characters whom I cared about. It's fine to have an ensemble cast but each one was left, to some extent, a hollow figure. The most interesting things were descriptions of clothing, beards and smoking habits which evoked some sort of realist flavour but the people themselves were so -- dare I say it in a novel that ostensibly deals with the issue of soul-lessness in a living corpse? -- soul-less. The voice was too objective. Everyone and everything was treated the same. I do realise that this is a narrative voice frequently adopted for satirical purposes so maybe it is the satirical genre that just isn't for me.

What is interesting is that the setting of Baghdad was brought alive to me as a place of multiple identities: not just the Arab and muslim identity we are used to seeing in Europe but also tribal identities, the Assyrian church (I did not know of this church), a Saebean heritage, Jewish legacies, and varieties of Islam (Sunni, Shiite) plus astrologers who vaguely reminded me of Zorastrianism.

All this would still have earned this book a passing three stars, were it not for the awful discussion of women. Part of the reason I was a bit bored was because there was just nobody like me in this book. It's pretty much men all the way, with women secondary at best. The exception is the middle-aged mother whose story starts the novel (and who keeps being described as 'old') but at least she had some sort of agency. 3/4 of the way into the book, though, enter the prostitutes.

One of the main characters with whom we are invited to sympathise (and at least one reviewer, Helen Benedict cited in the front, found him to be 'hapless journalist') has sex with a sex worker. The description is odious (warning: the following quote contains sexual coercion and uncomfortable-making violence):

'He covered her dark body with kisses, and she laughed, which he didn't like. He dived deep into her, ... but then she started to moan uncomfortably, faking pleasure. She wasn't with him but was looking forward to him climaxing quickly so she could be done with him.

"Shut up," he scolded her, and she stopped. Then he clamped his hand over her mouth as he pressed against her from behind. When he had finished, she left the bed grumbling.' (p.213)

A few pages later, the journalist propositions a female movie star, offering her help with her script in exchange for sexual intercourse. When she rejects him, she is immediately labelled as a 'loose woman' (what is this prediluvian epithet in a novel published in 2013??).

Format: I like the UK's edition cover design by James Jones. Unusually, for a British publication, the spine is not super stiff and the book flops open quite easily which makes for a pleasant reading experience. The cover is what in German is called Schweizer Broschur or Swiss Binding, meanign that there are flaps at front and back of the paperback, folded over themselves. I like this. Thank you, Oneworld Publisher. Jonathan Wright's translation is smooth and elegant.

Read for the 2022 popsugar challenge, prompt: Social horror. Also read in April for insta #aprilinarabia / #ArabLitApril ...more

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Apr 20, 2025 Bogdan rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: orient-express

A very good reminder of what tragedies bring war and terrorism, which is another form of war.

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Feb 20, 2019 Tony rated it really liked it

Shelves: translated-fiction, novels, own-loanable, speculative-fiction, project-fit, setting-middle-east

This retelling of the Frankenstein story in modern Baghdad carries several themes across its brisk pages. The most obvious -- that violence begets violence -- is conveyed through the creature. He begins killing sparingly and within a strict framework as a necessity of survival as various limbs start to decay, but as his needs expand, so does his framework -- not unlike certain military campaigns of the last fifty years.

The setting provides another key theme -- that Baghdad (and indeed, Iraqi so ...more

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Dec 29, 2020 Katie rated it liked it

Shelves: male-author, __middle-east, translated, _iraq

This book is a retelling of Frankenstein that is set in Iraq in 2005ish. The "monster" is created from dismembered body parts found in the streets after bombings. These parts couldn't be properly buried so the goal is to create a whole person that could be buried. When the monster comes to life, it becomes his goal to avenge the deaths of those from whom he was created.

I think I would have liked this book a lot more if I could have focused a bit more. I read the first half several weeks ago and ...more

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Dec 19, 2018 Liz rated it really liked it

“The people on the bridge died because they were frightened of dying. Every day we’re dying from the same fear of dying. The groups that have given shelter and support to Al-Qaeda have done so because they are frightened of another group, and this other group has created and mobilized militias to protect itself from al-Qaeda. It has created a death machine working in the other direction because it’s afraid of the Other. And we’re going to see more and more death because of fear. The government a ...more

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Mar 04, 2018 Beverly rated it really liked it

Shelves: literary, cross-cultural, translation, newtome2018

thoughts coming shortly

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Dec 24, 2018 Deedee rated it it was amazing

Shelves: read-2018-fsf-and-horror, science-fiction, translation, magic-realism-read, read-2018, sff-in-translation, read-2018translated, challenge-2019-winter, sff-iraqi

5 star read about the horrors of war in 21st century Iraq. Minimal science fiction content.
Fails the Bechdel test. Still a good read.
(The Bechdel test asks if a work of fiction features at least two women who talk to each other about something other than a man. The requirement that the two women must be named is sometimes added.)

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