tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31552114.post6547335312477058329..comments2024-03-29T02:44:01.604-07:00Comments on Musings of a Bookish Kitty: The Translator: A Tribesman's Memoir of Darfur by Daoud HariLiterary Felinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13079276242303738719noreply@blogger.comBlogger25125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31552114.post-75090480741782405942008-02-15T18:20:00.000-08:002008-02-15T18:20:00.000-08:00Tara - Thank you so much! I look forward to readi...Tara - Thank you so much! I look forward to reading your thoughts on this book.<BR/><BR/>Trish - It packs a powerful punch in just 200 pages--and the print was not exactly small.<BR/><BR/>The West African child soldier book I was referring to is actually a fiction book called Beasts of No Nation by Uzodinma Iweala. And then there was Lauren St. John's memoir about her life in Rhodesia (now known and Zimbabwe) called Rainbow's End and also Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's Half of a Yellow Sun. Machete Season: The Killers in Rwanda is a nonfiction book by Jean Hatzfeld. And then Forgive Me by Amanda Eyre Ward touched upon Apartheid in South Africa (fiction).<BR/><BR/>Carrie K - I'm glad you approve! :-) Honestly, I'd rather get it right then get it wrong, find six months later and feel so embarrassed.Literary Felinehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13079276242303738719noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31552114.post-43533820864224684442008-02-15T17:25:00.000-08:002008-02-15T17:25:00.000-08:00Oh, perfect rewording! I feel kind of grinchy even...Oh, perfect rewording! I feel kind of grinchy even saying anything when I cannot put a coherent sentence together myself....but clearly that makes me a born editor, eh? Just smack me if I get out of line though.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31552114.post-543176596616635502008-02-15T10:06:00.000-08:002008-02-15T10:06:00.000-08:00This one sounds very interesting--and I like what ...This one sounds very interesting--and I like what you say about nothing new, but still fresh. Only 200 pages??? <BR/><BR/>I'd be interested in knowing the titles of the other books you read last summer. I'm guessing the first is Memoirs of a Boy Soldier? (which I plan on reading this year).Trish @ Love, Laughter, Insanityhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17225576485797030511noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31552114.post-62493646556149823192008-02-14T18:07:00.000-08:002008-02-14T18:07:00.000-08:00I also have a review copy of this - it sounds like...I also have a review copy of this - it sounds like an important book. Your review is beautifully written, as always.Tarahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07208766776468157501noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31552114.post-22789708266222826832008-02-14T17:59:00.000-08:002008-02-14T17:59:00.000-08:00CJ - I was eying that meme and am glad you tagged ...CJ - I was eying that meme and am glad you tagged me for it! <BR/><BR/>Clea - The book you mention, "The Rebels' Hour" sounds interesting. It's too bad it didn't leave a better impression on you. I hope you do get a chance to read this one. <BR/><BR/>Kris - It would definitely make a good bookclub selection--plenty to talk about!<BR/><BR/>Alisia - I am glad you will be reading this one. There is mention of the refugee camps and the hardships the refugees face--another area where education wouldn't hurt so that these people get the help they need.<BR/><BR/>Melody - Thanks, Melody!<BR/><BR/>Carrie - Exactly. We don't believe anything like that could happen here, but it very well can. Some of the Middle Eastern countries who are now under fundamentalist rule were once prosperous and progressive. And now those countries are poor and full of violence and oppression.<BR/><BR/>Humanize wasn't the right word at all really. :-) It's been corrected. Thanks for pointing it out.<BR/><BR/>Jeane - I agree. I think memoirs or nonfiction books written about situations like this can be more effective than a quick news segment on television. There are some great written news sources out there, but they sometimes get overlooked because they aren't quick and easy reads.Literary Felinehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13079276242303738719noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31552114.post-44856116305032704792008-02-14T17:45:00.000-08:002008-02-14T17:45:00.000-08:00This sounds like one of those books you just have ...This sounds like one of those books you just have to read in order to understand more of the world. I'm glad there are so many people in other countries who write about their experiences; I learn so much more from reading a memoir or novelistic account than articles in the news.Jeanehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02270303640902731044noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31552114.post-52514989221619366972008-02-14T17:08:00.000-08:002008-02-14T17:08:00.000-08:00We think it's all so foreign and far away but hone...We think it's all so foreign and far away but honestly, there but for the grace of God, or good luck, etc, go us. It's frighteningly possible everywhere.<BR/>Sounds like a powerfully moving book. One nitpick - he doesn't humanize the victims -they are human. He does remind us of that fact.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31552114.post-56750867694878193172008-02-14T17:06:00.000-08:002008-02-14T17:06:00.000-08:00Hey Wendy! You're tagged. ;)Hey Wendy! You're tagged. ;)Melodyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03967837585961009598noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31552114.post-68382687248279472082008-02-14T11:37:00.000-08:002008-02-14T11:37:00.000-08:00I only briefly skimmed this book, since I have it ...I only briefly skimmed this book, since I have it on my TBR pile. I'll be coming back once I read it, probably sometime in the next two weeks. I'm not on Library Thing, so I tracked down the author through the Save Darfur organization to get an ARC. I was fortunate that his wonderful agent gave me a copy. :)Nyssanealahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01880042178848084407noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31552114.post-46370605348215005182008-02-14T10:51:00.000-08:002008-02-14T10:51:00.000-08:00This sounds like a very good book and just the thi...This sounds like a very good book and just the thing I need for my bookclub. I already added it to my wish list - thanks for reviewing it.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17182023445485838169noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31552114.post-45758081946367408832008-02-14T10:40:00.000-08:002008-02-14T10:40:00.000-08:00Wow, this sounds good. I just finished "The Rebels...Wow, this sounds good. I just finished "The Rebels' Hour," a novel based on fact, by a Belgian writer. Powerful story - a fictionalized account of a young man of Rwandan origins who ends up a rebel general in Congo - but it sort of left me cold, either the writing or the translation didn't quite work for me. This sounds better.Clea Simonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10810838253598050028noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31552114.post-83103717905056805052008-02-14T02:23:00.000-08:002008-02-14T02:23:00.000-08:00Hey, LF, I tagged you for a non-fiction meme, whic...Hey, LF, I tagged you for a non-fiction meme, which may be totally redundant but I'd still like to read your answers...<BR/><BR/>And how is that for a convoluted sentence? <BR/><BR/>cjhCJhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07798965643027904154noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31552114.post-54398683081497410312008-02-13T23:29:00.000-08:002008-02-13T23:29:00.000-08:00Amy (Sleepy Reader) - The Poet is engrossing! :-)...Amy (Sleepy Reader) - The Poet is engrossing! :-) I look forward to reading your thoughts on The Translator. I'm glad so many of us got to read this one about the same time. :-)<BR/><BR/>Wendy - Thank you. I hope you get as much out of the book as I did.<BR/><BR/>Amy - It was definitely a worthwhile read. <BR/><BR/>Maw Books - I just got back from reading your review of Dave Eggers book (very good!). I haven't yet read it, but I sure do want to. Thanks for the recommendation!<BR/><BR/>Heather - It is a painful read. What human beings do to other human beings . . . It is just so sad. I think it's important for stories like this to be heard though--if only to raise awareness in hopes of preventing it from happening again. Of course, that means stopping what's going on now. Sometimes it feels helpless, but Daoud Hari has so much optimism that it's infectious. :-) <BR/><BR/>Terri - Haha Yes, deserts are quite fascinating--and frightening in some respects. <BR/><BR/>Phones can be such annoyances and yet they sure come in handy when in situations like the students you mention as well as in Mr. Hari's situation. They can mean life or death. It's easy to take them for granted when not faced with situations like that.<BR/><BR/>Nymeth - Thank you. I completely agree. So much goes on in the world that we never hear about and as ugly and tragic as some of these books are, I really do think they tell stories that need to be heard.<BR/><BR/>Jen - I did. I really like reading books like this. Although I wish there wasn't a reason for them to be written. :-(<BR/><BR/>Florinda - Thanks. Human rights' violations and genocide are topics that get my blood boiling. <BR/><BR/>Jaimie - Thank you. It's definitely powerful.<BR/><BR/>Rhinoa - Yes, it seems like a different world entirely reading about things like this and yet it's not so far away as we might want to believe. <BR/><BR/>Melody - Thanks! I get so much from books like these.Literary Felinehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13079276242303738719noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31552114.post-81727682685814038592008-02-13T20:02:00.000-08:002008-02-13T20:02:00.000-08:00Wow, this one sounds good!! Glad you enjoyed it. T...Wow, this one sounds good!! Glad you enjoyed it. Thanks for the great review, Wendy!Melodyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03967837585961009598noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31552114.post-54403016395324549502008-02-13T16:57:00.000-08:002008-02-13T16:57:00.000-08:00It's so strange to hear about stuff like this sitt...It's so strange to hear about stuff like this sitting in our nice comfy houses where it doesn't touch us. I am so glad that people are able to put their experiences into words in books like this that really evoke their life to those of use who can barely imagine it. It sounds like a really interesting book and that it made a big impact on you.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31552114.post-31956744505642478152008-02-13T15:29:00.000-08:002008-02-13T15:29:00.000-08:00This sounds like a powerful book. Thanks for the g...This sounds like a powerful book. Thanks for the great review.Janehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15984305420691237277noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31552114.post-68871978777815413572008-02-13T14:13:00.000-08:002008-02-13T14:13:00.000-08:00It sounds like this book may have had quite an eff...It sounds like this book may have had quite an effect on you - and that's one of the reasons we read, isn't it? Thank you for sharing your impressions in a great review. I'll have to be on the lookout for this one.Florindahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09789402061034734894noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31552114.post-1567791253968394032008-02-13T13:46:00.000-08:002008-02-13T13:46:00.000-08:00It sounds like you really enjoyed it!It sounds like you really enjoyed it!Ladytink_534https://www.blogger.com/profile/14317480621483829078noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31552114.post-46540839008387726412008-02-13T13:45:00.000-08:002008-02-13T13:45:00.000-08:00Wonderful post, Wendy. This sounds like a must rea...Wonderful post, Wendy. This sounds like a must read. I'm glad that there are books like this, books that allow the truth to be told and the victims' voices to be heard.Ana S.https://www.blogger.com/profile/16092495983972185943noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31552114.post-60278365897079242852008-02-13T10:35:00.000-08:002008-02-13T10:35:00.000-08:00I'd read it just for the description of the Sahara...I'd read it just for the description of the Sahara (I have a thing for deserts!).<BR/><BR/>I loved the first line. We have had a number of students do internships in various African countries, and hit-and-miss telecommunications is one of the things they always comment on when they return. They don't realize how much they depend on it until they go someplace where you can't take it for granted.Terri B.https://www.blogger.com/profile/12215878121282668358noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31552114.post-72193837757212712592008-02-13T09:09:00.000-08:002008-02-13T09:09:00.000-08:00I'm always afraid to read books that look to be th...I'm always afraid to read books that look to be this painful, but I'll have to put this one on the wishlist. Your recommendation is high indeed.heather (errantdreams)https://www.blogger.com/profile/08867100188239630970noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31552114.post-34270194706208768282008-02-13T08:51:00.000-08:002008-02-13T08:51:00.000-08:00Wow, this book looks really interesting. I just f...Wow, this book looks really interesting. I just finished reading What is the What by Dave Eggers a fictionalized autobiography of Valentino Achak Deng, a Lost Boy from Sudan. They also hope to shed light on the current genocide in Darfur. If you haven't read it, I would highly recommend it. After reading it, I've been wanting to read more books on the situation. Thanks for the great recommendation, I will put it on my reading list.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31552114.post-37029744937396395582008-02-13T08:04:00.000-08:002008-02-13T08:04:00.000-08:00Wow. This book sounds really interesting. Thanks f...Wow. This book sounds really interesting. Thanks for posting about it.<BR/><BR/>-AmyAmy M.https://www.blogger.com/profile/10851557242036545042noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31552114.post-61245363707325392792008-02-13T07:28:00.000-08:002008-02-13T07:28:00.000-08:00Beautifully reviewed, Wendy. I just started this b...Beautifully reviewed, Wendy. I just started this book last night - I think I will quickly finish it. Very powerfully written in simple prose....Wendyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14332796775305098552noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31552114.post-60452260883081858212008-02-13T05:01:00.000-08:002008-02-13T05:01:00.000-08:00I didn't read your review as I haven't finished th...I didn't read your review as I haven't finished this book yet. I got wrapped up in The Poet and I have almost completed it. <BR/><BR/>I look forward to coming back and reading your review as I have truly enjoyed what I have read so far of this book.Amyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08134658141375355475noreply@blogger.com