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A review by sas_lk
The Map of Love by Ahdaf Soueif
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.25
I really took my time with this novel because it's really one of those books you just need to savour. I loved the journey, I loved the characters. It gave me a sense of peace, even though the book is by no means peaceful, and definitely discusses many important but sad topics such as colonialism, terrorism, political situation, etc.
My only criticism is that at some point, towards the end of the book, it became only politics out of nowhere. One can definitely see that the author wanted to make the reader aware of Egypt's and the Middle East's history, but sometimes it just could so much that I ended up skimming because it was all these names that I didn't remember, and so I had to really force myself to trudge through that part. It just got a little confusing and felt like Soueif suddenly decided that they hadn't put enough politics in it, so they bombarded those 100 pages. It lost me a little bit.
Otherwise, I fully understand why this book was shortlisted for the Booker Prize. A love letter to Egypt, it makes me want to go back and see it again.
My only criticism is that at some point, towards the end of the book, it became only politics out of nowhere. One can definitely see that the author wanted to make the reader aware of Egypt's and the Middle East's history, but sometimes it just could so much that I ended up skimming because it was all these names that I didn't remember, and so I had to really force myself to trudge through that part. It just got a little confusing and felt like Soueif suddenly decided that they hadn't put enough politics in it, so they bombarded those 100 pages. It lost me a little bit.
Otherwise, I fully understand why this book was shortlisted for the Booker Prize. A love letter to Egypt, it makes me want to go back and see it again.