An unnecessary woman is the fourth novel by jordanianborn lebanese author, rabih alameddine. An unnecessary woman by rabih alameddine paperback. An unnecessary woman hardcover the elliott bay book company. 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, nominated for the national book award. A central concern of the book is the nature of the desire of artistic creators for their work to matter, which. 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. National book foundation books an unnecessary woman. Aaliya sohbi lives alone in her beirut apartment, surrounded by stockpiles of books. Alameddines erudite narrator, aaliya saleh, enfolds her.
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. Oct 10, 2017 an unnecessary woman by rabih alameddine my rating. Aaliyas insightful musings on literature, philosophy, and art are invaded by memories of the lebanese. An unnecessary woman is a sublime novel, a love letter to literature and its power to define who we are. An unnecessary woman is a 2014 novel by lebanese american writer rabih alameddine that was nominated for the national book award for fiction. Every year, she translates a new favorite book into arabic, then stows it away. Home an unnecessary woman discussion guide libguides at. An unnecessary woman is a story of innumerable things. Home an unnecessary woman discussion guide libguides. 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. About a woman in the twilight of her life, a product of rusted times. 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 by rabih alameddine, paperback barnes.
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. An unnecessary woman is a kind of commonplace book, stuffed with citations from aaliyas favorite novels and poems. Godless, fatherless, childless, and divorced, aaliya is her familys unnecessary appendage. For fifty years, she has translated novels into arabic, usually starting a. 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.
Her passion for translation is the prime source of the novels claim on. Her tastes run toward the intellectual titans of 20thcentury international literature, including w. An unnecessary woman by rabih alameddine, paperback. Download for offline reading, highlight, bookmark or take notes while you read an unnecessary woman. Aaliya saleh lives alone in her beirut apartment, surrounded by stockpiles of books. An unnecessary woman by rabih alameddine overdrive. An unnecessary woman, a piercing study of detachment and. 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. The thirtyseven books that aaliya has translated over her.
Aaliya sobhi is an elderly divorced woman living alone in an apartment in beirut. 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. 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. 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. An unnecessary woman is a painful reminder that life is too short to read all the fascinating literary works from around the world.
Rabih alameddine follows his bestseller, the hakawati, with a heartrending novel that celebrates the singular life of an obsessive introvert, revealing beiruts beauties and horrors along the way. Standing before a smudged bathroom mirror, aaliyah saleh, the 72yearold narrator of an unnecessary woman, warns. An unnecessary woman by rabih alameddine the boston globe. An unnecessary woman hardcover changing hands bookstore. Her passion for translation is the prime source of the novels claim on its readers sympathies. An unnecessary woman lebaneseamerican author rabih alameddine fits an entire, richly lived life into one day finding room for war, tragedy, ak47s, and lots of literature. Rather it is a work whose every page is to be savored, to be read and read again. The book the title is a reference to polish artist and writer.
Alameddines erudite narrator, aaliya saleh, enfolds her personal story within the 20thcentury history of her. Rabih alameddines novel, both clever and pretentious, is set in a maddeningly americanised sitcom version of the middle east. 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. Alameddines presence in an unnecessary woman is transparently and unashamedly paired with the voice of aaliyah, a metafictional note. An unnecessary woman finalist, national book awards 2014 for fiction. An unnecessary woman by rabih alameddine in doc, epub, rtf download e book. 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. Find books like an unnecessary woman from the worlds largest community of readers. Finalist for the national book award beautiful and absorbing. An unnecessary woman book washington county cooperative.
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. 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. An unnecessary woman is not a novel that keeps the reader turning pages. 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, book rich in quirky metaphors an unnecessary woman is not a game, though. Read it once, read it twice, read other books for a decade or so. Oct 19, 2015 an unnecessary woman by rabih alameddine in doc, epub, rtf download e book. Grief, hope and humor all combine in this story told by 72yearold aaliya saleh in the novel an unnecessary woman by rabih alameddine. An unnecessary woman by rabih alameddine and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. 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. A novel arrested my interest from the very beginning and held it right to the end.
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 unnecessary woman audiobook by rabih alameddine. An unnecessary woman rabih alameddine, 2014 groveatlantic 320 pp. Sebald, roberto bolano, joseph roth, vladimir nabokov and fernando pessoa. 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. Mar 20, 2014 yet, in its way, an unnecessary woman is just as epic as its predecessor. Aaliya is an aging woman who for decades has begun the year translating one of her favorite books into arabic. Yet, in its way, an unnecessary woman is just as epic as its predecessor. He divides his time between san francisco and beirut.
Goodreads members who liked an unnecessary woman also liked. Yvonne zipp, the christian science monitor an unnecessary woman is a book lovers book. A finalist for the national book critics circle award and the national book award, an unnecessary woman is a fun, and often funny. Rabih alameddine is the author of the novels koolaids, i, the divine and the hakawati, the story collection, the perv, and most recently, an unnecessary woman. When the last page is turned, both heart and mind will be richer for it. A woman who offered pursed whimpers amid teeth that reeked soupy yellow.
Everything that happens to her provokes a literary reminiscence. The thirtyseven books that aaliya has translated over her lifetime have never been. Aaliyas insightful musings on literature, philosophy, and art are invaded by memories of the lebanese civil war. An unnecessary woman by rabih alameddine goodreads. 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. I like this book because i usually appreciate books that introduce me to other books. Here are all the books mentioned in rabih alameddines an unnecessary woman. The book can be categorized as a work of metanovel. 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.
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