Beirut Noir

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Akashic Books continues its groundbreaking series of original noir anthologies, launched in 2004 with Brooklyn Noir Each story is set in a distinct neighborhood or location within the city of the book.Featuring brand new stories by Rawi Hage, Muhammad Abi Samra, Leila Eid, Hala Kawtharani, Marie Tawk, Bana Baydoun, Hyam Yared, Najwa Barakat, Alawiyeh Sobh, Mazen Zahreddine, Abbas Beydoun, Bachir Hilal, Zena El Khalil, Mazen Maarouf, and Tarek Abi Samra.Most of the writers in this volume are still living in Beirut, so this is an important contribution to Middle East literature not the outsider s perspective that often characterizes contemporary literature set in the region.From the introduction by Iman Humaydan translated by Michelle HartmanBeirut is a city of contradiction and paradox It is an urban and rural city, one of violence and forgiveness, memory and forgetfulness Beirut is a city of war and peace This short story collection is a part of a vibrant, living recovery of Beirut Beirut Noirrecovers the city once again through writing, through the literary visions of its authors From within this collection of stories, a general attitude toward Beirut emerges the city is viewed from a position of critique, doubt, disappointment, and despair The stories here show the vast maze of the city that can t be found in tourist brochures or nostalgic depictions of Beirut that are completely out of touch with reality Perhaps this goes without saying in a collection of stories titled Beirut NoirBut the noir label here should be viewed from multiple angles, and it takes on many different forms in the stories No doubt this is because it is imbricated in the distinct moments that Beirut has lived through and how they are depicted in the stories Read Beirut Noir by Iman Humaydan – kino-fada.fr Beirut Noir is the most disappointing edition in the Akashic noir series I have read so far I found the stories to be extremely inaccessible and this is after I did some research into the wars that have torn the city apart Iman Huma...NOTE This review contains the names of all authors featured in this short story collection In my experience browsing similar books online, this valuable information is not prominently displayed.As a reader with a strong interest in exploring Lebanese and other Arabic literature in English translation, I had been looking forward to the release of Beirut Noir for many months After reading a copy I received through LibraryThing s Early Reviewer program, I can say my high expectations were sati NOTE This review contains the names of all authors featured in this short story collection In my experience browsing similar books online, this valuable information is not prominently displayed.As a reader with a strong interest in exploring Lebanese and other Arabic literature in English translation, I had been looking forward to the re...This is probably the lowest rating that I have given any of the Akashic Noir series books It is a kind of testament to the idea that I was not really getting into this collection in that it took me nearly a ...This is an anthology of stories written by different Lebanese authors As no surprise, these war stories were, at times, painful to read However, some stories were poetic There is the mention of numbers, the soul, dolls and numbers Beirut is also seen as a companion of death and as the city that dances on its wounds Although those descriptions made me fall back and regroup, I did not want to add the city of Beirut to my bucket list as a place to see.I only became excited about the city a This is an anthology of stories written by different Lebanese authors As no surprise, these war stories were, at times, painful to read However, some stories were poetic There is the mention of numbers, the soul, dolls and numbers Beirut is als...I loved this book In fact, so far, this has been my favorite in the Noir series I did wonder at times what may have been lost in translation between Arabic and English but that did not deter me from continuing to read nor did it detract from my enjoyment of this book.I think the editor made excellent choices in the material It represented sections of the city of Beirut and while war was an important theme, and how could it not be given the sheer number of years that conflict has permeated the I loved this book In fact, so far, this has been my favorite in the Noir series I did wonder at times what may have been lost in translation between Arabic and English but that did not deter me from continuing to read nor did it detract from my enjoyment of this book.I think the editor made excellent choices in the material It represented sections of the city of Beirut and while war was an important theme, and how could it not be given the sheer number of years that conflict has permeated the landscape, it was not the only theme.One of the fun aspects was understanding the experience of natives who both stayed in the city and those that left and returned after time away, often in former colonial enclaves It was gr...I had a difficult time relating to these stories Perhaps I am not as well read as I thought I was or perhaps it is because I have never travelled outside my home country yet alone a country surrounded with such chaos and upheaval Whatever the case because so many of the stories were written about the already departed and not the here and now I found them hard to connect with I did however enjoy the writing I feel as though little could have been lost in the beauty and fluidity of the prose I ha...In Beirut Noir, Iman Humaydan has selected a beautiful and often heartbreaking jigsaw portrait of its eponymous city This is very much a political book and an emotional one, invested in criticism of the city s history of division and often succumbing to melancholy But there is immense love here, in words written beneath the shadow of a brutal civil war Michael KazepisThis book was reviewed in the January 2016 issue of World Literature Today magazine Read the full review by visiting our w In Beirut Noir, Iman Humaydan has selected a beautiful and often heartbreaking jigsaw portrait of ...I wanted to like this bookthan I ended up liking it I haven t been able to finish reading it and don t think I will ever finish The writing and translation is very competent, but all the stories up through the halfway point...In compliance with FTC guidelines, I have won this book through the Goodreads Giveaways.My Rating System couldn t finish, wouldn t recommend, would recommend, would read again, have read again.Resilience personified in the multi colourful and multi great metropolis of Beirut

Beirut Noir
  • English
  • 17 December 2018
  • Paperback
  • 288 pages
  • 1617753440
  • Iman Humaydan
  • Beirut Noir