“I bombardamenti mirano ad ammazzare tutti quanti. Bisogna che muoiano tutti quelli che hanno assistito a questa guerra, perché non resti nessuno per raccontare. Perché se resta qualcuno per raccontare non ci saranno altre guerre. E invece in Libano bisogna che ci sia una guerra ogni vent’anni almeno. Quindi, bisogna ammazzare tutti quanti.”

الرواية بتدور في فترة الحرب الأهلية اللبنانية عام ١٩٧٥ وما بعد الحرب، لكنها مش رواية تاريخية بالمعنى الحرفي لها
يمثل خليل أحمد جابر - أحد شخصيات الرواية - دور الخيط الذي تتشبث به حبات العِقد، يمر في حياة باقي الشخصيات زي أي عابر سبيل لكنه بيكشفلنا من خلال تتبع مسيرته عن حياتهم وصراعاتهم ومخاوفهم وتأثير الحرب عليهم وعلى قرارتهم.
رواية متخمة بالمشاعر الإنسانية المتخبطة والقلقة نتيجة الحرب والخوف المصاحب لها والإحباطات الناتجة عنها، واعتقد إن الأجزاء المفضلة ليا في الرواية كانت عندما تتحدث الشخصية عما تشعر كما لو أنها تُحدث نفسها

A fascinating book set in Beirut in 1980 at the height of the civil war. The book is a series of interviews with people who in some way have a connection with Khalil Ahmed Jabir an old man who's mutilated body has been discovered in a rubbish dump. The narrative includes the stories of his wife, his daughter, a militia man who is present when he had been bought in for interrogation and a neighbour who has given him water. The book is an investigation by someone unconnected but it tells the various tales of a country ravaged by civil war where gangs roam kidnapping at will, where marriage is dominated by violence, the fighters are viewed as martyrs when they die and generally life is very cheap. As a read it was at times hard jumping from story to story within the same narrative but as a view of a society which I knew little about save the obvious headlines from the 80's and 90's it was very good and an interesting picture, well worth the effort.

the only book i've ever started and didnt finish

Set during and around the years of war in Lebanon, it presents a meandering tale whose supposed purpose is to determine who killed an older man in a neighborhood. However, the real purpose seems to be to show you the confusions, justifications, brutalities, kindnesses, look-the-other-way attitudes, privations, duties, myths, life-goes-on-even-amid-death-and-war activities, heartbreaks, shifting morals, & so on that happen to a regular populace during a wartime situation. It's not really a linear story, almost more of an out-loud conversation with a variety of everyday people, stream-of-consciousness ramblings about their lives.... Haunting, especially when you think of the many humans caught up in wars at this very minute. This could be your story. Or mine. Or of the stranger halfway around the world.