Book set in Al-Afraj, Saudi Arabia. Reviewed on 2019/08: https://www.instagram.com/p/B1omRcMACCC/
The #goatdays by #benyamin is above all a cautionary tale on #immigration . I think the writer’s intent was to offer a realistic and crude story about the fantasies and larger-than-life dreams that millions of potential immigrants make in their heads before sailing into the unknown. Yeah, the story was entertaining and with a heavy dose with unexpected and enticing twists to make you read it nonstop in one sit. It felt more of a #shortstory than an actual novel. What I personally think Benyamin fails to understand is that nothing is ever going to stop immigrants. Nothing is ever going to stop a parent for finding ways to improve and provide for her/his family. Ultimately the immigrant story is an existential human quest driven by hope and that allows people to dream and to survive. We can wholeheartedly identify with the flawed and unrealistic dreams of the immigrant. Who hasn’t dreamed of impossible goals and too-good-to-be-true ideas just because they allow you to continue? I so wanted the writer to concentrate instead in the deeper and philosophical meanings of finding yourself not only in the complete opposite situation from what you expected but also completely isolated in the middle of “nothingness”, in the middle of the desert. Is he really alone? Is this the place our dream takes us to? Is the emptiness of the desert the only sure thing we can aspire to? These questions would have been a lot more of interest to me. I don’t want to belittle other people’s glowing reviews and positive reactions to this book. Helas I personally believe that Benyamin was just interested in one simple plot. #riyadh #malayalam#malayalamliterature #indianliterature#kerala #keralaliteraryacademyaward#penguinbooks #penguinindia#JosephKoyippally #saudidesert#desertprison #immigrantstories
hebdo_readings 