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Stoning the Devil
Stoning the Devil is a linked collection of stories set in the United Arab Emirates, a country of paradoxes, of seediness and glamour, of desert grandeur and Disneyland vulgarity, where public executions and other barbaric customs are winked at by the western expats who run the economy. Colin, a professor of literature, is not the ‘typical’ expat, ignorant and interested only in pleasure and his stock portfolio, but a speaker of Arabic and an admirer of Arab culture – or is he? To his Arab wife, he is an Orientalist who exoticizes and patronises the locals, unaware of his latent racism. Powell presents a complex and contradictory set of Arab characters, who are a far cry from fundamentalist stereotypes. He also gives women in the Gulf a voice –as none are completely submissive.
Garry Craig Powell delivers a powerful story cycle and perhaps the first work of literary fiction set in the Persian Gulf by a westerner since Hilary Mantel’s Eight Months on Ghazzah Street. It echoes all the concerns of the great Arab writers, Mahfouz, Munif, and Kanafani regarding the post-colonial world. Written by an author that spent a good deal of time in that part of the world, the Gulf is presented as a crucible in which people of different races and religions are forging a new humanity, in spite of the abysses between them.
Garry Craig Powell delivers a powerful story cycle and perhaps the first work of literary fiction set in the Persian Gulf by a westerner since Hilary Mantel’s Eight Months on Ghazzah Street. It echoes all the concerns of the great Arab writers, Mahfouz, Munif, and Kanafani regarding the post-colonial world. Written by an author that spent a good deal of time in that part of the world, the Gulf is presented as a crucible in which people of different races and religions are forging a new humanity, in spite of the abysses between them.
- GenresMiddle East
150 pages, Paperback
First published August 17, 2012
2 people are currently reading
394 people want to read
About the author
Garry Craig Powell
2 books18 followers'Brilliant and hysterically funny' (Dr Gary Buslik, University of Illinois).
'I'd put Powell on my syllabus along with Evelyn Waugh and John Fowles' (Kirsten Koza).
'Equal to the wittiest & most sharply observed of Evelyn Waugh or Tom Sharpe.' (David Joiner).
English by birth and inclination, and a Nietzschean free spirit by vocation, Powell, after graduating from Cambridge University, has undergone a 'savage pilgrimage' that took him to Spain, Portugal, Poland, the Arabian Peninsula and the USA. His first book, Stoning the Devil, (Skylight Press, 2012) was hailed by more than one critic as 'mesmerizing' and compared to 'the best of Conrad, Kipling, Orwell and Achebe'.
His latest novel, Our Parent Who Art in Heaven, has been described as 'the anti-woke campus novel of our times'.
Currently Powell is writing a novel about Gabriele d' Annunzio, a poet, playboy, war hero and statesman who strove consciously to be a Nietzschean overman or ubermensch.
'Write dangerously' is Powell's motto.
'I'd put Powell on my syllabus along with Evelyn Waugh and John Fowles' (Kirsten Koza).
'Equal to the wittiest & most sharply observed of Evelyn Waugh or Tom Sharpe.' (David Joiner).
English by birth and inclination, and a Nietzschean free spirit by vocation, Powell, after graduating from Cambridge University, has undergone a 'savage pilgrimage' that took him to Spain, Portugal, Poland, the Arabian Peninsula and the USA. His first book, Stoning the Devil, (Skylight Press, 2012) was hailed by more than one critic as 'mesmerizing' and compared to 'the best of Conrad, Kipling, Orwell and Achebe'.
His latest novel, Our Parent Who Art in Heaven, has been described as 'the anti-woke campus novel of our times'.
Currently Powell is writing a novel about Gabriele d' Annunzio, a poet, playboy, war hero and statesman who strove consciously to be a Nietzschean overman or ubermensch.
'Write dangerously' is Powell's motto.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
February 16, 2013
I should begin by saying that I know Garry Powell personally and have been familiar with his writing for some time. While what follows is a very positive review of his work, I can assure anyone reading this that I wouldn’t publish this if I didn’t honestly feel the work deserved it.
Garry Powell is an extraordinary writer, and it is no exaggeration to say he is one of the most masterful stylists currently writing in English. That his debut novel-in-stories, Stoning the Devil, has not received more press is both shocking and disappointing––this work is in many ways peerless.
The overlapping stories in this novel shatter the dull, tinted window through which Westerners so often view the Arab world, and bring us nose-to-nose with that world in a way that perhaps makes it more comprehensible to many of us. The conflicts and dramas marking these stories may make some readers wince, but Conrad, too, did his fair share of this.
Powell writes like an angel––a dark and fearless one––beautifully and with a focus that often falls on sexual politics and race. These linked stories are grippingly told and deeply human, and it is the humanizing aspect of the work that draws the readers in most brilliantly. It is certainly what makes the work stay with readers long after they put the book down.
The esteemed writer Naomi Shihab Nye has written that “Powell has an astonishing ability to create characters with swift and haunting power,” and one could easily apply the same notion to the landscape he depicts. The United Arab Emirates, in which these linked stories are set, emerges over time as one of the most important characters of all.
This novel reads in the way we might view a riveting movie. An entire world is painted, peopled, and portrayed in what can be read in a single sitting, and we are shown that world in its many varied colors, complex history, and multitude of human conflicts. Stoning the Devil is an important novel (it is no wonder that one story, “Kamila’s Price,” appeared in the “Best American” series) and one that I immediately went back to after finishing it for its language, imagery, and complex human dramas.
(Highly recommended––though as some reviews show, this may not appeal to overly sensitive readers.)
Garry Powell is an extraordinary writer, and it is no exaggeration to say he is one of the most masterful stylists currently writing in English. That his debut novel-in-stories, Stoning the Devil, has not received more press is both shocking and disappointing––this work is in many ways peerless.
The overlapping stories in this novel shatter the dull, tinted window through which Westerners so often view the Arab world, and bring us nose-to-nose with that world in a way that perhaps makes it more comprehensible to many of us. The conflicts and dramas marking these stories may make some readers wince, but Conrad, too, did his fair share of this.
Powell writes like an angel––a dark and fearless one––beautifully and with a focus that often falls on sexual politics and race. These linked stories are grippingly told and deeply human, and it is the humanizing aspect of the work that draws the readers in most brilliantly. It is certainly what makes the work stay with readers long after they put the book down.
The esteemed writer Naomi Shihab Nye has written that “Powell has an astonishing ability to create characters with swift and haunting power,” and one could easily apply the same notion to the landscape he depicts. The United Arab Emirates, in which these linked stories are set, emerges over time as one of the most important characters of all.
This novel reads in the way we might view a riveting movie. An entire world is painted, peopled, and portrayed in what can be read in a single sitting, and we are shown that world in its many varied colors, complex history, and multitude of human conflicts. Stoning the Devil is an important novel (it is no wonder that one story, “Kamila’s Price,” appeared in the “Best American” series) and one that I immediately went back to after finishing it for its language, imagery, and complex human dramas.
(Highly recommended––though as some reviews show, this may not appeal to overly sensitive readers.)
October 11, 2012
Stoning the Devil, a linked collection of short stories is an excellent read, I highly, highly recommend it. For me it was eye-opening and engrossing. I've read two novels set in the region, (Hilary Mantel's Eight Month's on Gazzah Street and Lucy Caldwell's The Meeting Point) but never really felt I had a real a sense of what it might be like to live there, both as an expat and as an Arab. Now I have it, thanks to this book. Garry Craig Powell's ability to enter the female perspective is outstanding, at no point did I feel, "ah, well, pretty good job for a man," no, I was entirely taken in. Very good stuff indeed, whether or not you have an interested in the UAE - these are stories are about the human condition.
November 15, 2012
it is utterly disgusting .and an obvious attack on emiraties and their culture.
"Stoning the Devil is a novel set in the United Arab Emirates, a country of paradoxes, of seediness and glamour, of desert grandeur and Disneyland vulgarity, where public executions and other barbaric customs are winked at by the western expats who run the economy."
as for public execution the only one done,. was that of a man that had raped a little boy , who was only the age of 4. but then I guess someone that had raped a boy should get off? to do it again?
here is the link to that news article about the boy see if anyone would let that happen to their chilren http://www.thenational.ae/news/uae-ne...
interesting they use the Garry Craig uses the wording Barbaric customs when in the usa texas execution of an adult male with downs syndrom was ok under bush being governor of the state and still the practice of execution is still well and alive in usa. not to mention in Ukrain, Romania child prostitution is also there. lets not forget asian countries where men form europe and usa canada go to have sexy with chidren be it boy or girl as for disney land of Vulgarity. the expats are allowed to keep their drinking of alcohol etc. but then I guess garry wants that to be taken away? but I could see him then griping about the expats not allowed to get drunk and go to dance clubs.
utterly a disgusting racist and bigotry filled book.
One Last Thing, For to think about- UAE was voted to the human right council yesterday with the largest even larger then what the USA has.
and those with Barbaric Practices wouldnt be voted in the the UN hamn rights council if such was the case. silly bigotry and racism still is alive and well in 2012. smh
"Stoning the Devil is a novel set in the United Arab Emirates, a country of paradoxes, of seediness and glamour, of desert grandeur and Disneyland vulgarity, where public executions and other barbaric customs are winked at by the western expats who run the economy."
as for public execution the only one done,. was that of a man that had raped a little boy , who was only the age of 4. but then I guess someone that had raped a boy should get off? to do it again?
here is the link to that news article about the boy see if anyone would let that happen to their chilren http://www.thenational.ae/news/uae-ne...
interesting they use the Garry Craig uses the wording Barbaric customs when in the usa texas execution of an adult male with downs syndrom was ok under bush being governor of the state and still the practice of execution is still well and alive in usa. not to mention in Ukrain, Romania child prostitution is also there. lets not forget asian countries where men form europe and usa canada go to have sexy with chidren be it boy or girl as for disney land of Vulgarity. the expats are allowed to keep their drinking of alcohol etc. but then I guess garry wants that to be taken away? but I could see him then griping about the expats not allowed to get drunk and go to dance clubs.
utterly a disgusting racist and bigotry filled book.
One Last Thing, For to think about- UAE was voted to the human right council yesterday with the largest even larger then what the USA has.
and those with Barbaric Practices wouldnt be voted in the the UN hamn rights council if such was the case. silly bigotry and racism still is alive and well in 2012. smh
December 16, 2012
I received the book for free through Goodreads First Reads. Not only did the author get it out to me very quickly, he messaged me to let me know it was on the way. Additionally, Garry Craig Powell took the time to personalize the signature on the book and send a card very nicely asking me to remember to review it on GoodReads. So here I am... Because the author was so nice, it's the first book that I've received from Goodreads First Reads that I put down other books so that I could start it.
Stoning the Devil was a great book. For someone like me who gets bored reading about the same characters page after page, Powell's book was a breath of fresh air. Each chapter contained a different plot involving different people, who ended up having connections to those in other chapters. It was interesting and involved. All of the characters in the book are connected to the United Arab Emirates... some from there, some who emigrated there, some who are married to citizens of UAE. I don't know much about the area, but Stoning the Devil paints a pretty realistic picture. Some characters I absolutely hated and some I wanted to help... which means that Powell really knows how to write. When an author can make you hate one of his own characters, it's pretty astonishing.
Thanks for the book and good luck!
Stoning the Devil was a great book. For someone like me who gets bored reading about the same characters page after page, Powell's book was a breath of fresh air. Each chapter contained a different plot involving different people, who ended up having connections to those in other chapters. It was interesting and involved. All of the characters in the book are connected to the United Arab Emirates... some from there, some who emigrated there, some who are married to citizens of UAE. I don't know much about the area, but Stoning the Devil paints a pretty realistic picture. Some characters I absolutely hated and some I wanted to help... which means that Powell really knows how to write. When an author can make you hate one of his own characters, it's pretty astonishing.
Thanks for the book and good luck!
March 16, 2013
Stoning the Devil a thoughtful and elegantly written book which I enjoyed a great deal. Set in the United Arab Emirates it takes readers to a place where many will never have been before and deals in believable, rounded characters who make you care about them.
The book is episodic and feels a little like a series of short stories, but the characters in them flow from one to the next and the book knits into a satisfying whole in theme and narrative.
The story draws us in to the myriad different lives of people living in the UAE, showing us everyone from fabulously wealthy locals to immigrant prostitutes and everything between. It’s an unflinching portrait of human nature which deals with deep themes like sex, death and money. The prose is always crystal clear and inviting, drawing you through the book as the lives of the characters weave and intertwine.
Stoning the Devil reminded me a little of Naguib Mahfouz’s Cairo Trilogy in its themes and setting while the clarity of its prose style reminded me of Raymond Carver, it’s no coincidence, I think, that both these writers are mentioned in the text.
It’s a book I would definitely recommend to other readers as a fascinating and compelling read.
October 3, 2018
Ex-pats and natives mix it up intimately in a Dubai that is almost a character in Gary Craig Powell's Stoning the Devil, a novel that in my opinion should be an NYT notable for its prose and the significance and timeliness of its portrait of women in the United Arab Emirates.
It shouldn’t be surprising when boys raised isolated from girls and taught they’re superior grow up to become adult sexual monsters (sometimes even unwilling monsters). What is surprising is how Garry Craig Powell gets under the skin, into the hearts and minds, of his female characters. Sex–intimacy–is at the heart of the interlocking pieces that make up the story.
Dubai is another big surprise to me in Stoning the Devil: I didn’t think I’d be interested in Dubai as a setting. Think again. I loved spending time as a reader in gleaming high-rise apartment buildings, in opulent hotel bars, in a private girl’s school, all of it in a Dubai that is an outpost as certain as the barebones cabin in the frigid north of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.
For more, read Paula Medoza’s review of Stoning the Devil at Lipstick and Politics, http://www.lipstickandpolitics.com/li...
It shouldn’t be surprising when boys raised isolated from girls and taught they’re superior grow up to become adult sexual monsters (sometimes even unwilling monsters). What is surprising is how Garry Craig Powell gets under the skin, into the hearts and minds, of his female characters. Sex–intimacy–is at the heart of the interlocking pieces that make up the story.
Dubai is another big surprise to me in Stoning the Devil: I didn’t think I’d be interested in Dubai as a setting. Think again. I loved spending time as a reader in gleaming high-rise apartment buildings, in opulent hotel bars, in a private girl’s school, all of it in a Dubai that is an outpost as certain as the barebones cabin in the frigid north of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.
For more, read Paula Medoza’s review of Stoning the Devil at Lipstick and Politics, http://www.lipstickandpolitics.com/li...
August 14, 2017
Stoning the Devi is one of the most interesting short stories book I have read in a long time and Garry Craig Powell is a very talented author. In those stories are portrayed the women condition in the Middle-East, the expat adaptation to Islamic countries, the trauma of the survivors of the Lebanon war, and the conflicts that couples face wherever the country they live. The book shows how women and girls are brutalized by Islamic religion and Arabic customs. But westerns – who exploit girls in UAE – are also denounced. No one is spared. Still, the main theme of novel is the women fight for freedom and dignity in a place where they worst less than a Camel. The price they will pay is heavy and devastating.
March 1, 2013
NOTE: I RECEIVED THIS BOOK FOR FREE THROUGH GOODREADS FIRST READS IN EXCHANGE FOR A HONEST REVIEW.
A well written book which links all the characters through the book. This book was very descriptive and detailed and I thoroughly enjoyed this book. This book has a bit of everything in it from adultery to romance to women's rights.
A well written book which links all the characters through the book. This book was very descriptive and detailed and I thoroughly enjoyed this book. This book has a bit of everything in it from adultery to romance to women's rights.
December 21, 2024
A superbly written collection of short stories with viscerally real characters set in the UAE. The collection focuses on the darker and grittier side of things that can be found there and the mutually destructive relationship between the Middle East and the West on an interpersonal level. The vivid storytelling will make even readers uninterested in the subject matter keep reading.
January 31, 2013
Some good stories although the book could really have used an introduction to explain the origin of the stories and the purpose. I also felt the author was less than subtle about the morals he was trying to get across.
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August 29, 2021I can't decide whether I think this is empowering for women
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews