Life on Hold: A Saudi Arabian Novel (Modern Arabic Literature

by Fahd Al-Atiq, Jonathan Wright (Translator)

Riyadh is a city of masks, a city "like a pressure cooker that's about to explode," a city that sleeps on a pile of words that no one dares utter. Saudi society has split into two camps, one adopting the slogan that God is strict in punishment, the other that God is merciful and forgiving. In the background the media trumpets that everything is perfect. Saudi writer Fahd al-Atiq explores this world through the character of Khaled, whose dysfunctional life, humdrum but rich in memories and introspection, bridges the gap between the old impoverished world of Najd and the consumerism of the years after the various oil booms, symbolized in this novel by the family's move from the lively back streets of the old city to an isolated dream villa in the new suburbs, where their dreams are never quite fulfilled and their lives remain permanently 'on hold.'

Genres: Fiction, Middle East

124 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2012

Reviews

[Hawra Alnabi · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was okay. Slow.

[Raoum Bani · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have mixed feelings about this book. I want to read the Arabic version before I make any judgements.

[Yasmin · Rating 3 out of 5]

A story with a sad tone, a realistic outlook, and entrapment in ones lives and thoughts. Rating: 3,5/5.

[BaSila Husnain · Rating 3 out of 5]

cityscapes and memory scapes

[!Tæmbuŝu]

Reviewed by The Complete Review