Novel set in Lebanon – The Storyteller by Pierre Jarawan
The Storyteller by Pierre Jarawan set in Lebanon
Pierre Jarawan’s first novel is a multilayered mystery of a father and his son set against the backdrop of chaotic Middle Eastern politics. The author brings a very personal experience to this book – he himself moved to Germany from Lebanon as a young boy in the 1980s. When this book was published in Germany, it was a bestseller and there’s so much wrapped up in its pages. History, a story of family, politics and the voice of a young boy seeking answers about his own past.
BookTrail Travel to the locations in The Storyteller
BookTrail Travel to the locations in The Storyteller
Setting: the deserts and war-torn villages of Lebanon
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Susan @thebooktrailer
A novel of one man’s search for his father, and of the real Lebanon.
History books tell us about war, politics and upheaval in the Middle East and Lebanon but this novel takes you to the heart of the country and its people. It’s an account of one man’s visit to his parents’s homeland. He assumes it is the paradise on earth he’s always been told it is. Certainly more attractive than the immigrant neighbourhood in German where he starts his journey…
The main character therefore is going into Lebanon as blind as the reader and that works really well. I discovered more about this country and its people through his eyes than I ever could have done in a history book. There are snippets of history dotted throughout (and sometimes they can overshadow the plot) but this is mostly an effective mix for showcasing a man’s journey to the homeland he has never known.
BookTrail Travel to the locations in The Storyteller
Life in Germany is interesting. Samir and his family have good neighbours. Storytellers who help him to build the picture of paradise he will later take with him to Beirut. Brahim, his father tells him the most exotic and fanciful tales and it’s a wonderful part of the novel itself. Images of jewels, deserts, Arabic greats and culture flicker in the readers mind This is the land of Arabic greatness in culture and wealth, language and people, isn’t it? One photo changes everything however as Samir sees a picture of his father in some sort of uniform. It’s not long after seeing the picture and refusing to answer Samir’s questions that he goes missing. Therefore, the search starts and the real journey begins.
There are three main characters in this novel – Samir, his father Brahim and Lebanon itself. What you will learn about this rich, layered country and culture is nothing short of a master storyteller. He is an artist of words who brushes meaning, nuance, history and people to create vivid images of the country concerned. The story of Samir and his father is one of ups, downs , pain and hope but it contrasts well with the stunning setting. Lebanon and its people have so much to offer the world, their country is one of stunning natural beauty and rich heritage. Like a painting , its canvas has been stained with war, violence and politics. Samir wants to find his father and find out about his own life -and it’s when you combine this with the setting of the family’s homeland, that the true message and nuance of The Storyteller really comes out and shines.
BookTrail Travel to the locations in The Storyteller
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More books set in Lebanon here
BookTrail Boarding Pass: The Storyteller
Twitter: @pierre_jarawan Web: www.pierrejarawan.de
