Description
By (author) Majdalani Charif; Translated by Diver, Ruth
Short /annotation
The diary of one of Lebanon”s best-selling authors in the year of the explosion that stunned the world. Majdalani”s reportage through the months of 2020 bears witness to the ways in which an ancient civilization slowly, then rapidly, descends into the abyss.
”The author”s home town is falling apart. Lebanon”s capital […] has morphed into a symbol of devastation and hatred and madness. Majdalani is a survivor who still finds in himself the elegance to smile and hope” Amin Maalouf, Prix Goncourt winner
”It is rare to capture the moment when it first occurs, in real time, with these seemingly humble details that describe the instant in all its depth” Alexandra Schwartzbrod, Libération
”A short narrative that strikes straight at the heart” Gaëtane Morin, Le Parisien
When Charif Majdalani begins to walk the streets of his city, and to write down what he sees, the first hints of unrest within a vibrant culture creep to the fore. Majdalani”s reportage through the months of 2020 bears witness to the ways in which an ancient civilization slowly, then rapidly, descends into the abyss: corruption and vice infect the corridors of power; currency plummets into freefall, rats scurry between piles of rotting rubbish that grow higher along the pavements. Born from the rancour of existential pestilence, violence erupts and Beirut”s citizens find themselves in high-voltage stand-offs with law enforcement.
Then, the unexpected, Beirut collapses under the explosive force of 2,750 tons of ammonium nitrate. The blast kills hundreds and injures thousands. But through the rubble and the sirens, a people finds its strength to survive and its heart to unite. The city becomes the metaphor for each of our cultural capitals throughout the world.
Review quote
”The author”s home town is falling apart. Lebanon”s capital […] morphed into a symbol of devastation and hatred and madness. Majdalani is a survivor who still finds in himself the elegance to smile and hope”
Review quote
”Powerful and original … If much of the book”s emotional power is channelled through its coverage of daily life in 2020, its analytical force is found in the broader themes it considers”
Review quote
”It is rare to capture the moment when it first occurs, in real time, with these seemingly humble details that describe the instant in all its depth”
Review quote
”A short narrative that strikes straight at the heart”
Biographical note
Charif Majdalani is one of Lebanon”s most important literary figures. His novelMoving the Palace won the 2008 Francois Mauriac Prize from the Academie Francaise.Ruth Diver is an award-winning translator based in New Zealand. Her 2016 joint translation ofThe Reader on the 6.27 was a Waterstones Book of the Month.
Feature
The diary of one of Lebanon”s best-selling authors in the year of the explosion that stunned the world.
Feature
Winner, in France, of the 2020 Prix Femina Special Jury Prize.
Feature
Publication on the anniversary of the catastrophe.
Feature
Comparison titles: The Emperor by Ryszard Kapuscinski; Palestine by Joe Sacco (Fantagraphics, PB 2003/Special HB edition 2007); Boys in Zinc by Svetlana Alexievich (Penguin Classics, PB 2017) and Pity the Nation: Lebanon At War by Robert Fisk (OUP, 2001).
Reviews
There are no reviews yet.