In the Country of Men: Amazon.co.uk: Hisham Matar: Books

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Review

'Exquisite, so full of essential truths: the more you read the more you feel the childhood described in it is yours' - Nadeem Aslam, author of, Maps for Lost Lovers --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Anne Michaels, author of 'Fugitive Pieces'

''In the Country of Men' understands that love - despite betrayal, grief, mistrust, rage, political terror - nevetheless remains love’ --This text refers to an alternate Hardcover edition.

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Customer Reviews

25 Reviews

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(6)
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4.1 out of 5 stars (25 customer reviews)

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18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant, Gripping, Moving, 17 Mar 2007

By	Judi Donegan (London) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: In the Country of Men (Paperback)

This is a fantastic book, beautifully written. Hisham Matar describes, through the eyes of 9yr old Suleiman, the appalling death of a neighbour, and the disappearance of his father an alleged 'traitor', who, after his mother begs the government official across the road, is eventually returned home, a hideous bleeding mess. Set in 1979 this is a time that saw some of the most tempestuous years when The Leader was at his pinnacle, and the Libyan people truly suffered. Although Matar insists this is not a true story, having lived there and heard many awful stories, this one strikes an authentic chord, making one think it could quite easily be based on truth. Suleiman's parents manage to get him out of the country to Cairo, but his heart is still firmly in Tripoli with its beautiful glittering sea, mulberry trees and childhood memories of playmates, also his mother either happily drawing in the garden, or unhappily drinking illegal gin in secret - her 'medicine' - something the secret police discover during one terrifying visit. The story describes in enthralling detail the young boy sitting with his mother and watching the public execution on TV of their friend from next door, the man's final humiliating moments broadcast live is both horrifying and riveting in equal measure. Also, how young Suleiman betrays his father to the secret police by telling them exactly where he is, is a powerful portrait of life in Libya at a time when people did disappear. I highly recommend this book, its impossible to put down.

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14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Through the eyes of a child, 10 Feb 2007

By	A. Hope "bookcrossing ali" (Birmingham, England) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: In the Country of Men (Hardcover)

This is very powerful, poignant story - told through the eyes of a young boy - who struggles to understand the world he is living in. Through the eyes of Suleiman we see and feel a frightening, confusing picture unfold. Telling the story of Tripoli, and Suleiman's parents in this way, the reader is drawn right into the heart of this family and the times they live in. An enthralling read that has a lot to say about freedom, and what it feels like when those basic freedoms we all take for granted don't exist - and there is a terrifying echo on the phone.

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12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Powerful story, 31 Jan 2007

By	Sancho Mahle (Charlotte, USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)

This review is from: In the Country of Men (Hardcover)

This very powerful and touching novel is not only revealing but also opens our minds to more questions, the most powerful of which is the problem of freedom in a land haunted by limited civil liberties and the strong man, a diseases that is still plaguing Africa today. From books like Triple Agent Double Cross, Nervous Conditions, Wizard of the Crows, Union Moujik, we get a vivid picture of living in unfree societies.

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Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars My favourite author
This poignantly, achingly describes loss. Matar has a beautiful way with words and - especially for anyone who has ever experienced loss in its purest form - is truly relatable.

Published 17 months ago by C. A. Govan

3.0 out of 5 stars Great idea shame about the writing.
This book looks at life in Libya in the late 70's through the eyes of a child Suleiman. His father is involved in the pro democracy movement a dangerous pastime in any police... Read more

Published 17 months ago by Helenbookworm

2.0 out of 5 stars Great Subject but poorly Rendered
For over a decade or so our literary culture and experience have been consistently broaden and enriched by a number of novels set in places such as Africa and the Indian... Read more

Published 22 months ago by Herman Norford

3.0 out of 5 stars A child's view of the Libyan Revolution
This was a choice of my book club which I looked forward to reading because I had spent some time in Tripoli not long before the revolution, a time and place which ought to be... Read more

Published 24 months ago by Old Wealden

5.0 out of 5 stars Powerful story

This very powerful and touching novel is not only revealing but also opens our minds to more questions, the most powerful of which is the problem of freedom in a... Read more

Published on 12 Aug 2007 by Sanch

4.0 out of 5 stars strong start for Hisham
I got the book and read it well before it become a story in 2006, literally before it arrived to bookshops, do not ask me how, as a Libyan, I know and experienced the atmosphere... Read more

Published on 13 May 2007 by H. Sherwi

4.0 out of 5 stars Libyan Dissent - Universal message
I picked this book almost at random, as I like reading about the Middle East, so it came as a bit of a shock when the powerful reality of living under a dictatorship is described... Read more

Published on 7 May 2007 by Dr. Michael Rowlands

4.0 out of 5 stars A fine book
This book is not just about Suleiman's Despotic country-Libya but also about his complex relationship with his mother. Read more

Published on 2 April 2007 by Sayyeda Valli

5.0 out of 5 stars A child's perceptions of life in a terror state
It is 1979 and nine-year old Suleiman lives in the brutal police state of Gaddafi's Libya. When the novel opens, a neighbour and his father's close friend, Rashid, has been taken... Read more

Published on 17 Mar 2007 by Ralph Blumenau

4.0 out of 5 stars A boy's life in Libya
Suleiman is a 14-year old boy growing up in Tripoli in 1979. His father is an active member fighting the regime of colonel Muammar el-Qaddafi and fights for the autonomy for the... Read more

Published on 13 Mar 2007 by Philippe Horak

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	86% buy the item featured on this page: In the Country of Men 4.1 out of 5 stars (25)
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In the Country of Men (Hardcover)

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