Aaliyas insightful musings on literature, philosophy, and art are invaded by memories of the lebanese civil war. An unnecessary woman by rabih alameddine, paperback. Aaliya, the unnecessary woman of the title, narrates her story in the winter of her 72nd year, as she contemplates which book she should. An unnecessary woman book the seattle public library. Aaliya sobhi is an elderly divorced woman living alone in an apartment in beirut. Yvonne zipp, the christian science monitor an unnecessary woman is a book lovers book. Aaliya is an aging woman who for decades has begun the year translating one of her favorite books into arabic. Finalist for the national book award beautiful and absorbing. An unnecessary woman is a 2014 novel by lebanese american writer rabih alameddine that was nominated for the national book award for fiction.
Its a portrait of an isolated woman with a dazzling. Here are all the books mentioned in rabih alameddines an unnecessary woman. An unnecessary woman hardcover the elliott bay book. I like this book because i usually appreciate books that introduce me to other books. An unnecessary woman is an utterly unique love poem to the book and to the tenacity of the feminine spirit. When an unnecessary woman offers her what she regards as the corniest of conceits a redemption arc its a delight to see her take it. Set in beirut, lebanon, it painted a historical canvas of its turbulent years as seen through the eyes of an unlikely heroine, aaliya sohbi, a 72yearold. When the last page is turned, both heart and mind will be richer for it. One of beiruts most celebrated voices, rabih alameddine fo. Her passion for translation is the prime source of the novels claim on its readers sympathies. In this snapshot of the introverted but well read woman living in beirut, the capitol city of lebanon, aaliya shares with her reader her love for her home city as well as her fear of growing older.
A novel arrested my interest from the very beginning and held it right to the end. All content included on our site, such as text, images, digital downloads and other, is the property of its content suppliers and protected by us and international laws. An unnecessary woman book washington county cooperative. It is also the first book i have read by a lebanese author unless you count kahlil gibran, but since he wrote in english, i. Aaliya is a formidable character an unnecessary woman is a book lovers book. One morning in december, aaliyah sobhi, a 72yearold resident of beirut, misreads the label on a shampoo bottle and dyes her hair bright. Read it once, read it twice, read other books for a decade or so. Rabih alameddines novel, both clever and pretentious, is set in a maddeningly americanised sitcom version of the middle east. Every year, she translates a new favorite book into arabic, then stows it away. One of the middle easts most celebrated voices, rabih alameddine follows his international best seller, the hakawati, with an enchanting story of a bookloving, obsessive, 72yearold unnecessary woman. Everything that happens to her provokes a literary reminiscence.
The usual mood that prevails while reading an unnecessary woman is something that can be observed during the time of a candid conversation with a fellow book lover who not only share your passion for books but also have similar reading preferences for most of the part. An unnecessary woman winner of the california book award finalist for the national book critics circle award finalist for the national book award beautiful and absorbing. An unnecessary woman hardcover changing hands bookstore. An unnecessary woman by rabih alameddine my rating. Aaliya sohbi lives alone in her beirut apartment, surrounded by stockpiles of books. Home an unnecessary woman discussion guide libguides at. An unnecessary woman, nominated for the national book award. A novel and millions of other books are available for instant access. An unnecessary woman by rabih alameddine goodreads. Finalist of the 2014 national book awardi can t remember the last time i was so gripped simply by a novels. An unnecessary woman by rabih alameddine paperback.
An unnecessary woman is a story of innumerable things. Playful, brainy and full of zest, an unnecessary woman is an antidote to literary blandness. A woman who offered pursed whimpers amid teeth that reeked soupy yellow. Oct 19, 2015 an unnecessary woman by rabih alameddine in doc, epub, rtf download e book. Finalist for the national book award washington post top 50 fiction books of 2014.
It is a tale of blue hair and the war of attrition that comes with age, of loneliness and grief, most of all of resilience, of the courage it. The list includes all the books mentioned by name only and therefore not the books from which character names or quotes are from, nor the countless other literary references throughout the novel. Mar 20, 2014 yet, in its way, an unnecessary woman is just as epic as its predecessor. The novel follows the experiences of an isolated 72yearold woman, aaliya saleh, who is a shutin in beirut, exploring how she deals with her changing life. Godless, fatherless, childless, and divorced, aaliya is her familys unnecessary appendage. For fifty years, she has translated novels into arabic, usually starting a. Download for offline reading, highlight, bookmark or take notes while you read an unnecessary woman. The book can be categorized as a work of metanovel. Its a portrait of an isolated woman with a dazzling mind as she comes to grips with getting old. Enter your mobile number or email address below and well send you a link to download the free kindle app.
Sebald, roberto bolano, joseph roth, vladimir nabokov and fernando pessoa. If youve ever felt not at home in the worldor in your own skinor preferred the company of a good book to that of an actual person, this book will welcome you with open arms and tell you that youre not alone. An unnecessary woman audiobook by rabih alameddine. Alameddines presence in an unnecessary woman is transparently and unashamedly paired with the voice of aaliyah, a metafictional note. An unnecessary woman is the latest novel from lebaneseamerican writer rabih alameddine. An unnecessary woman by rabih alameddine librarything. About a woman in the twilight of her life, a product of rusted times. An unnecessary woman is not a novel that keeps the reader turning pages.
The christian science monitor top 10 fiction books of 2014 praise for an unnecessary woman an unnecessary woman is a meditation on, among other things, aging, politics, literature, loneliness, grief and resilience. Unnecessary woman lives on the margins, enveloped in books february 2, 2014 in his new novel, rabih alameddine questions what the value is of an inwardly focused life. An unnecessary woman, a piercing study of detachment and. Then you can start reading kindle books on your smartphone, tablet, or computer no kindle device required. An unnecessary woman is a painful reminder that life is too short to read all the fascinating literary works from around the world. An unnecessary woman is a kind of commonplace book, stuffed with citations from aaliyas favorite novels and poems. If youve ever felt not at home in the worldor in your own skinor preferred the company of a good book to that of. Simultaneously a philosophical rumination, a literature class and a cry from the heart, an unnecessary woman is, precisely in its strangeness, a genuine literary pleasure. Reading an unnecessary woman is about listening to a voice aaliyas not cantering through a plot, although powerful events do occur, both in the present and in memorya fun, and often funny, bookrich in quirky metaphors an unnecessary woman is not a game, though. Grief, hope and humor all combine in this story told by 72yearold aaliya saleh in the novel an unnecessary woman by rabih alameddine. Her tastes run toward the intellectual titans of 20thcentury international literature, including w.
Alameddines erudite narrator, aaliya saleh, enfolds her personal story within the 20thcentury history of her. An unnecessary woman not much happens in an unnecessary woman, lebaneseamerican author rabih alameddines novel about an elderly recluse who spends her time reading and translating. National book foundation books an unnecessary woman. An unnecessary woman by rabih alameddine in doc, epub, rtf download ebook.
An unnecessary woman is the fourth novel by jordanianborn lebanese author, rabih alameddine. In lesser hands, the farranging dissertations might have seemed like authorial preening, but with alameddine, in part because of aaliyahs rich voice and in part because of the sheer brilliance of her words, the reader is charmed into complete acceptance. And its a triumph for alameddine, who has created a book worthy of sitting on a shelf next to the great works whose beauty and power his novel celebrates. The thirtyseven books that aaliya has translated over her lifetime have never been. John wilkerson had the almost perfect wife and the almost perfec. The book the title is a reference to polish artist and writer. Text publishing an unnecessary woman, book by rabih. An unnecessary woman finalist, national book awards 2014 for fiction. Yet, in its way, an unnecessary woman is just as epic as its predecessor. Home an unnecessary woman discussion guide libguides. Reading an unnecessary woman is about listening to a voiceaaliyasnot cantering through a plot, although powerful events do occur, both in the present and in memory. An unnecessary woman by rabih alameddine, paperback barnes. It is also the first book i have read by a lebanese author unless you count kahlil gibran, but since he wrote in english, i dont think i will.
An enchanting story of a bookloving, obsessive, seventytwoyearold unnecessary woman with a past shaped by the lebanese civil war. An unnecessary woman rabih alameddine, 2014 groveatlantic 320 pp. An unnecessary woman hardcover the elliott bay book company. A finalist for the national book critics circle award and the national book award, an unnecessary woman is a fun, and often funny. Winner of the california book award finalist for the national book critics circle award finalist for the national book award beautiful and absorbing. Jan 28, 2015 simultaneously a philosophical rumination, a literature class and a cry from the heart, an unnecessary woman is, precisely in its strangeness, a genuine literary pleasure. If youve ever felt not at home in the worldor in your own skinor preferred the company of a good book to that of an actual person. Rather it is a work whose every page is to be savored, to be read and read again.
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