In the Country of Men by Hisham Matar - 4 stars (Subdue)

[Joy D]

In the Country of Men: A Novel by Hisham Matar - 4* - My Review

Set mostly in Libya in 1979, this is the story of a family caught up in the turmoil and oppression of Gaddafi’s regime. It is told through the eyes of nine-year-old Suleiman as he struggles to make sense of what is happening around him. His father is part of the intelligentsia, a group of liberal reformers that becomes a target for persecution. His father is subjected to the cruelties of a police state, including betrayal, arrest, imprisonment, and torture. Interrogations are shown on television. Occasionally the State kills someone in a public execution. The storyline follows Suleiman as he gradually realizes the true nature of what is happening. He tries to protect his mother, and she withdraws into substance abuse.

Matar does not allow the storyline to devolve into a litany of disturbing events (though there is plenty). He also portrays the relationships among families and friends to support each other as their world crumbles around them. He explores the way some people can get ensnared in treachery and violence. The writing is strong, and the narrative is gripping. This book examines how relationships evolve in an environment based on fear and tyranny, which is, unfortunately, still pertinent in today’s world.

[Joanne]

This one has been on and off my shelf since it came out. Perhaps it is time to put it back on. Thanks for the reminder

[Joy D]

Joanne wrote: "This one has been on and off my shelf since it came out. Perhaps it is time to put it back on. Thanks for the reminder"
Matar is an excellent writer. Just make sure you are in the right mood for some pretty harsh material.

I've also read his non-fiction, which I greatly enjoyed: The Return: Fathers, Sons and the Land in Between, about his search to find out what happened to his father, who was an opponent of the Gaddafi regime and was imprisoned in Libya in 1990.