PDF The Parisian edition by Isabella Hammad Literature Fiction eBooks
Download As PDF : The Parisian edition by Isabella Hammad Literature Fiction eBooks
‘A sublime reading experience delicate, restrained, surpassingly intelligent, uncommonly poised and truly beautiful’ Zadie Smith
As the First World War shatters families, destroys friendships and kills lovers, a young Palestinian dreamer sets out to find himself.
Midhat Kamal navigates his way across a fractured world, from the shifting politics of the Middle East to the dinner tables of Montpellier and a newly tumultuous Paris. He discovers that everything is fragile love turns to loss, friends become enemies and everyone is looking for a place to belong.
Isabella Hammad delicately untangles the politics and personal tragedies of a turbulent era – the Palestinian struggle for independence, the strife of the early twentieth century and the looming shadow of the Second World War. An intensely human story amidst a global conflict, The Parisian is historical fiction with a remarkable contemporary voice.
*AN OBSERVER HOTLY TIPPED DEBUT NOVELIST OF 2019*
PDF The Parisian edition by Isabella Hammad Literature Fiction eBooks
"You know that feeling you get when you near the end of a book and your heart breaks a little because you don’t want it to end? I only just finished The Parisian, but I already feel a bit lost, suspended in time, missing the characters, and the country I grew to love all over again through Isabella Hammad’s beautiful prose.
It’s funny, because during the first fifth of the book or so there were areas where I struggled, and wondered if I should just leave it and move on to something else. The thing is, every time I put the book down, Midhat stayed in my mind, following me around, and I couldn’t leave him hanging, could I? I’m so glad I didn’t, because firstly I would have continued to wonder how Midhat’s life played out, and secondly I would have missed the wonders of this book.
The Parisian revolves around Midhat Kamal, the son of a wealthy fabric trader from Nablus in Palestine, and follows him through about 20 years of his life, which coincide with the First World War in Europe, the dissolution of the Ottoman Empire, the British Mandate, and the Arab uprising for independence in the mid 1930’s. The first quarter of the novel takes place in France, where Midhat’s father sends him to study medicine. Midhat falls in love, both with a woman and the country, but he then returns to Nablus alone, where he moves to learn his father’s trade. France never leaves his thoughts, but Nablus is where he stays. The rest of the novel is the story of a country fighting to exist in its own right. Midhat is the leading thread through the story but we also get to know many other characters, all of whom add depth and importance to the story, as well as necessary information towards grasping a concrete overview of the country, the changes, and a history we don’t talk about.
It’s beautifully written, and the setting, the characters, and the plot really interested me. I loved the depth, and the intensity of the descriptions, both visual and psychological. I also feel like I learned so much about a country I already thought I knew so much about.
The Parisian reminded me so much of the 19th century French and Russian literature I studied in depth in my teens and early 20’s. The richness of the character development, and the intensity of the language reminded me that literature is art, and that this book is actually a work of art. There is a level of commitment required from the reader, and if readers aren’t aware of that they may be put off by the story at first. I am glad that I persevered, because The Parisian is a very, very special book.
This is historical fiction, history, and literature at its finest. If you only buy one book in April make sure it is this one."
Product details
|
Tags : The Parisian - edition by Isabella Hammad. Download it once and read it on your device, PC, phones or tablets. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading The Parisian.,ebook,Isabella Hammad,The Parisian,Vintage Digital,20th century,20th twentieth century a passage to india best british fiction new women's writing; literary debut novels reads 2019 holiday beach summer reading historical love story; brooklyn colm toibin middle east politics palestine east west world european friendship; family loss zadie smith em forster epic first great world war one saga orientalism modernism; israel zionism arab revolt syria nationalism ottoman empire balfour declaration postcolonialism; paris montpellier france peace birdsong sebastian faulks the great alone kristin hannah; multiculturalism immigration marius gabriel gustav sonata rose tremain; a woman is no man etaf rum all the light we cannot see anthony doer; love is blind william boyd leo tolstoy kate atkinson,AF Historical,Early 20th century c 1900 to c 1950,FICTION / Cultural Heritage,FICTION / Historical / General,FICTION / Literary,FICTION / Romance / Historical / 20th Century,France,Historical Mythological Fiction,Historical fiction,Historical romance,Modern contemporary fiction,Modern contemporary fiction (post c 1945),Narrative theme Sense of place,Ottoman Empire,Palestine,Palestine, France and Egypt,Paris France - Fiction,World War, 1914-1918 - Fiction - France - Paris,FICTION / Historical / General,FICTION / Romance / Historical / 20th Century,FICTION / Cultural Heritage,FICTION / Literary,Historical Mythological Fiction,Historical fiction,Historical romance
The Parisian edition by Isabella Hammad Literature Fiction eBooks Reviews :
The Parisian edition by Isabella Hammad Literature Fiction eBooks Reviews
- THE PARISIAN is totally enveloping. Rarely does a novel provide such deep insight into character while also communicating a world with such intricacy and complexity. Definitely a must-read for anyone who loves a story with a fantastic sense of place. Wholeheartedly recommend!
- A huge immersive experience- a book to get lost in. Midhat Kamal is the Parisian but he's more than that. He's the history of Palestine between 1914 and just before WWII. Moving between France and the Middle East, he exemplifies the ebb and flow for so many during that time frame, and today as well. There are lots of characters, there are some densely written descriptive passages, but once you sink into this, it will reward you with a good story that's also informative. Thanks to the publisher for the ARC. Fans of big Russian novels will recognize the rhythms of this. It's also one which might be better read in hard copy instead of kindle.
- Terrific debut novel from Isabella Hammad
- You know that feeling you get when you near the end of a book and your heart breaks a little because you don’t want it to end? I only just finished The Parisian, but I already feel a bit lost, suspended in time, missing the characters, and the country I grew to love all over again through Isabella Hammad’s beautiful prose.
It’s funny, because during the first fifth of the book or so there were areas where I struggled, and wondered if I should just leave it and move on to something else. The thing is, every time I put the book down, Midhat stayed in my mind, following me around, and I couldn’t leave him hanging, could I? I’m so glad I didn’t, because firstly I would have continued to wonder how Midhat’s life played out, and secondly I would have missed the wonders of this book.
The Parisian revolves around Midhat Kamal, the son of a wealthy fabric trader from Nablus in Palestine, and follows him through about 20 years of his life, which coincide with the First World War in Europe, the dissolution of the Ottoman Empire, the British Mandate, and the Arab uprising for independence in the mid 1930’s. The first quarter of the novel takes place in France, where Midhat’s father sends him to study medicine. Midhat falls in love, both with a woman and the country, but he then returns to Nablus alone, where he moves to learn his father’s trade. France never leaves his thoughts, but Nablus is where he stays. The rest of the novel is the story of a country fighting to exist in its own right. Midhat is the leading thread through the story but we also get to know many other characters, all of whom add depth and importance to the story, as well as necessary information towards grasping a concrete overview of the country, the changes, and a history we don’t talk about.
It’s beautifully written, and the setting, the characters, and the plot really interested me. I loved the depth, and the intensity of the descriptions, both visual and psychological. I also feel like I learned so much about a country I already thought I knew so much about.
The Parisian reminded me so much of the 19th century French and Russian literature I studied in depth in my teens and early 20’s. The richness of the character development, and the intensity of the language reminded me that literature is art, and that this book is actually a work of art. There is a level of commitment required from the reader, and if readers aren’t aware of that they may be put off by the story at first. I am glad that I persevered, because The Parisian is a very, very special book.
This is historical fiction, history, and literature at its finest. If you only buy one book in April make sure it is this one. - In her debut novel, Isabella Hammad uses richly-textured prose to invoke the turbulence of the Middle East right after World War I. I have recently read Kurt Seyit and Sura by Nermin Bezmen andThe Carpet Weaver of Usak by Kathryn Gauci, both of which deal roughly with the Middle East pre-, during and post the War to End All Wars.
The nineteen-year-old protagonist, Midhat Kamal, arrives in Montpellier, France, to study medicine. He stays with the a professor of social anthropology at the university, the widower Molineau. During his stay, he falls desperately in love ,with Jeannette, Molineau’s daughter. This poignant romance fails. When he is betrayed by Molineu, Midhat moves to Paris and embarks on a hedonist journey. He constantly walks the knife-edge between fitting in and being different, being a woman’s love exotique. When World War I keeps him in France, he becomes part of a group of expatriates who debate the future of Palestine. At last recalled home by his father, Midhat faces the same dilemma of not fitting in at home, held apart by his newfound sophistication.
This book deals beautifully with big issues personal identity, cultural identity, the struggle between self-self-fulfillment and family set against a background of a nation struggling for independence. Hammad is particularly gifted at showing both these emotions and the setting in which they occur. She deftly handles a large, complex cast (ignore the long list at the beginning of the book—you won’t need it), multiple settings, and the turbulence of the times. The middle of the book drags a bit. There are many foreign terms, that while giving a sense of a different culture, also tend to clutter her writing. - The Parisian seemed promising but fell short. The story was boring and lost me. I couldn't get interested enough to really care about it. Unfortunately, this story was not for me. Thanks to NetGalley for an arc in exchange for an honest review.
- A beautiful book - I found The Parisian incredibly moving and so pertinent to the world we are living in now. Highly recommended- the story of Midhat will stay with you for a very long time.
- A love story, a history, a portrait of Palestine's many futures as imagined by its one and only past--Hammad's book is a sprawling, epical novel that delights and teaches in equal measure.
