Book set in Damascus, Syria. Reviewed on 2020/09: https://www.instagram.com/p/CFPt4qEgWCS/
#menstruation by #ammarabdulhamid is all about #smelling . Overall, all #senses are highly emphasized in this particularly #sensory book. However, in a society forced to remain silent, blind, deaf and distanced, smelling seems to become the only way to communicate and relate with one another. #abdulhamid makes a point of connecting the intricacies of forbidden smells leading up or expressing “forbidden” relations/connections: woman-woman, man-man, woman/man, woman with herself. Menstruation also exudes eroticism and sensual passion in all pages. There is no secret that Abdulhamid aimed to challenge the reader, to shock us to some extent. However, I think readers should look beyond that and concentrate on the metaphors at play here. What are all these forbidden acts taking us to, either individually or taken as a group? Who made them #forbidden ? What is the allure of anything forbidden? Is anyone even enforcing these rules? Have we all internalized them? Addulhamid poses these questions and others through the prism of modern #syrian society. However, we can all clearly see ourselves in them as well. #highlyrecommended #debutnovel #syrianliterature #damascus #saqibooks #daring #lgbtsyria #repression #دمشق
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