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La Mujer De Papel (2012)

by Rabih Alameddine(Favorite Author)
3.82 of 5 Votes: 3
languge
English
publisher
Lumen
review 1: "There must be a word in some language that describes the anguish you experience upon suddenly coming face-to-face with your terrifying future"- Rabih Alameddine 'An Unnecessary Woman'If such a word existed I would use it to describe how I feel about Rabih Alameddine's exquisite novel. In 'An Unnecessary Woman', Alameddine renders an indelible portrait of a life that is both every bibliophile's most secret dream, and his / her most dreaded nightmare: a portrait of a woman growing old not alone but in solitude, cut off from all human contact but surrounded by books and music, the hazy kaleidoscope of her mind equal parts memory and quotation, as she spends her time translating beloved texts that no one shall ever read. It is a pitch perfect description of a life I, personal... morely, have always aspired to, and am almost afraid I might achieve. "To be a poet is not my ambition / It's may way of being alone" Pessoa's heteronym Alberto Caeiro writes, and the spirit of Pessoa hangs over this novel, making it one of the most moving, and yes, most necessary reads of the year.
review 2: An Unnecessary Woman is definitely a new all time favorite and has knocked The Hakawati from top spot as my favorite book by Alameddine. The book focuses on the protagonist's quiet, day to day life as a single woman in her 70s living in Beirut interspersed with beautiful musings about past events and relationships that have shaped her. It is incredibly moving and I found the overall tone of the book to be quite melancholic but still extremely absorbing. less
Reviews (see all)
anna
I didn't get all of the literary references but I enjoyed the essential story.
iraqbraveheart
Good prose. Interesting perspective. Slow moving but smart.
dessymiteva
There's only one unnecessary sentence in this whole book.
JulioRoks007
I stopped after two chapters. I just found it boring.
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