Chłopiec z Aleppo, który namalował wojnę

by Sumia Sukkar, Zuzanna Buczek (Translator)

Historia rodziny, która stara się przetrwać we współczesnej Syrii ogarniętej wojną domową, opowiedziana oczami czternastoletniego Adama, chłopca o niezwykłym umyśle, który przejawia symptomy zespołu Aspergera i synestezji. Pozwala mu to na przekazanie szczerej i bezpośredniej relacji z tego, jak otaczający go świat rozpada się na jego oczach.

Genres: Fiction, War, Contemporary, Middle East, Autistic Spectrum Disorder

312 pages, Paperback

First published November 11, 2013

About the author

Sumia Sukkar is of Syrian and Algerian origin, but grew up in London. She has a BA (Hons) in Creative Writing from Kingston University. The Boy From Aleppo Who Painted the War is her debut novel.

“Writing... (is) a way for me to express my grief towards the tragedies of what’s happening in my country,” says Sumia.

- excerpted from Eyewear Publishing

Reviews

[Lio · Rating 1 out of 5]

I know why this book was published. An author with a Syrian name, story supposedly set in Syria, peak interest in Syrian war/refugees, a teenage POV with Aspergers. It hits a target market, and quality was certainly not considered. This book's publication had to be all about money. This book is so awful, it's the first book I've actively pushed myself to keep reading, and then just had to give up on because I simply couldn't do it. This book has so many issues (especially considering I only got to just under halfway), this review might just end up turning into a ranty list. Considering the seriousness of some of the content, this is definitely the worst book I've ever read. This review will have spoilers, so read ahead at your own will. However, the worst thing about this book is truly how much I wanted to like it, to be educated and informed. I can’t say I enjoy Khaled Hosseini’s books, but they certainly do that. His are important books because of it. But this book didn’t come close. There’s nothing worse than an awful book than a disappointing one.

The most obvious problem from the start is that the writing is just plain bad. I can't even really believe it's been edited. Or how this author got through a creative writing degree without learning how to construct proper sentences, use commas and semicolons, and properly format and punctuate dialogue. The punctuation is a mess all the way through, and not in a deliberate way to supposedly try to show something relating to Aspergers, as the same issues are also present in the sister's POV chapters, too. It’s simply really sloppy writing.

Other issues are plenty: virtually no useful description, no sense of place or culture (or anything really other than names to suggest that this book was actually set in Syria), shallow and cardboard characterisation at best, poor scene-crafting (I will get on to one specifically awful scene later), illogical or impossible actions (ditto), severe lack of continuity and research into everything from bullet wounds to the few bits of historical detail, really bad transitions between scenes and during scenes, no sense of how much time has passed/is passing, and the constant use of passive voice and annoying amateur things like ‘starts to [verb]’ aaaall the way through. There’s also no plot and things happen for no reason (like why did they go on holiday to the beach randomly for two pages, and the only noteworthy scene is them swimming (and not actually talking/doing anything) and the trip has no relevance?). I just don’t care about the characters, or what’s happening at all.

Another big thing was Adam himself, and the portrayal of Aspergers. I’ve worked with a lot of children and teenagers from all over the autistic spectrum, as well as with other special needs children. Sukkar’s portrayal of Aspergers felt like a Wikipedia tick-list from the very first pages, and it felt insulting rather than eye-opening or sensitive. None of it felt real or drawn from actual experience, Adam’s voice was inconsistent in his perception and intelligence, and often contradictory and not in a convincingly human way either. Adam is strongly disturbed by seeing dead people, violence, and blood in reality, but has apparently been painting war since (possibly even before) the war began, even depicting very graphic things he’s never seen during the book. This kid paints very disturbing images, but I honestly can’t see how this is even related to processing trauma through art, as he started doing it before the war, and his emotional release is in direct contradiction to what the art is meant to represent. When I read him going to paint, he was doing it to forget or take his mind away from the bad things. It doesn’t feel true to his character at all that he'd then go paint what he was trying to escape. He constantly tried to surround himself with things that are comfortable and visually appealing to him, including people's moods. The art is apparently the whole point of the book (hence the title), but it feels jammed in and totally contradictory to the little we know about his personality. There are many other big inconsistencies in what Adam does/doesn't understand. Adam’s struggles with understanding feel more like ignorance and stupidity, and a way to excuse the lack of any substance in this book. People with Aspergers and autism are not stupid. They are quite often highly intelligent people. Aspergers is simply used in this book as a gimmick and as the author says in an interview 'to give him more edge as a narrator' and that feels insulting. I also got the sense that Sukkar was trying to push in some synaesthesia with all the colouring of emotions and moods, but this too felt shoe-horned in and poorly researched, if it was so. I myself have synaesthesia, and I can tell you that no sense that comes with a colour is ever so basic or uniform as Adam’s simple pallet, especially for a kid with a supposed interest in art and colour, and has access to the world of paint colour names.

Further problems that constantly jarred the reading were how terribly constructed pretty much all the scenes were. [Spoiler coming up now] A few chapters before the point I gave up on this book, there’s a death scene where Adam’s brother has been shot and Adam and his sister Yasmine both rush off to the hospital (why just them when their father is home?). There’s no description of the hospital (or any other place in the book for that matter - you get 'the school', 'the hospital', 'the market', etc), no sense of place or anything. Isa (the dying brother) has been shot six times in the chest and a doctor sticks a metal rod into his wounds (!?!?!). Isa (who is miraculously conscious! How? And he’s not in shock?) is able to scream. Despite having six bullets in his chest. Right. I’m sorry, but the distinct lack of research there is so plain it's laughable. Then suddenly Yasmine needs to get off the floor, despite never being written to have sat down (was that supposed to be a bad clue to time passing? Because man, that's the worst scene transition I've ever read if so) and Isa dies a few sentences later, very overdue. And suddenly Adam can’t understand he’s dead, despite having seen many dead bodies by this point, painted plenty of dead people and people dying very graphically, and he also personally identified the neighbours alone after they were killed in their home. This entire scene is so poor, contradictory, and illogical, and all its point seems to be is to make Adam pitiful because he doesn’t understand what happens to his brother. It’s not a glimpse into the struggles of someone with Aspergers, it’s not even an emotional scene because of all the logical flaws, melodrama, and contradictions. Nothing feels crafted or solid. I can't picture what's happening except in vague white space. It’s paper thin, unrealistic, and it’s insulting to the real grief of people who have suffered such things, and to the intelligence of people with Aspergers.

But the crowning reason why I quit reading this book: the kidnapping, torture, and multiple rapes of Adam’s sister, from her own POV. It’s badly written and insensitively dealt with. It’s written in the same style that Adam’s chapters are written, but with more big words and concepts thrown into the garbled writing. There's no reason for this to happen, it simply does, which may be realistic in the grand scheme of Life and Things, but as pretty much everything that happens to this family other than watching TV and eating happens out of the blue, it feels like another terrible and pointless thing was thrown in. It's not part of any plot (I'm not sure this book has a plot apart from surviving/living though the war, and there are definitely writers who can pull of plots like that and still make the compelling, depthful, realistic, and powerful, but Sukkar is definitely not among them). Yasmine’s thought processes are not at all convincing, she's so wooden it's painful. Her torture and rape are so insensitively written and unemotional I felt sick reading it. And perhaps that’s an indication it maybe was emotional, but it wasn’t like similar things I’ve read before in like Khaled Hosseini’s books where such terrible things happen, but there’s /real/ and raw emotion in it, and it has a massive impact on the entire story and the characters. This didn’t feel real. It felt artificial and forced. And THAT'S why it made me feel sick. I didn’t read on so I can’t comment on how Sukkar deals with the trauma of such an experience afterwards, but Yasmine was very barely characterised before this event so I doubt she’ll pull off any kind of sensitive character development from it further on. It’s simply another shoe-horned horror.

Overall, I’m disappointed. But looking the author up, I realise she probably knows as much as I do about what life is like during that war. But I would never attempt to write about it like I did know what it was/is like. She has Syrian ancestry, but she’s British and raised British. Knowing people who’ve been through such things is not the same as living through it yourself, no matter how many people you interview. It takes more than listening to stories about horrific things to be able to write about them, and that distance and emotional disconnect really shows in this novel, which is such a shame because Syrian voices so badly need to be heard. This could have been such a powerful novel, but it falls flat on a mountain of issues. I see from other reviews, though, that it has been powerful for many other people, which I suppose is something. I'm not sure. When a book like this has a main readership of privileged westerners who generally know squat about experiencing that kind of war, I'm dubious that their praise is not simply an indication and further insult of the damaging quality of such a book on people's understanding of people with Apsergers, the conflicts in Syria and those affected by it, of rape and its victims, and all the other terribly represented themes forced into this book.

[Anna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gdy przeczytałam kilka pierwszych rozdziałów tej książki, wiedziałam, że nie będzie łatwo. Obawiałam się, że dalej będzie coraz trudniej. I było, kilka razy musiałam odłożyć książkę, żeby odetchnąć, otrzeć łzy, zamyślić się.

Chłopiec z Aleppo jest debiutem literackim Sumi Sukkar, moim zdaniem udanym. Historia czternastoletniego Adama nie pozostawi nikogo obojętnym, a świadomość, że opisane przez autorkę wydarzenia dzieją się teraz, nie są straszliwą przeszłość, obezwładnia i pozostawia w czytelniku niezgodę na to, co dzieje się w Syrii.

Ciąg dalszy: https://przeczytalamksiazke.blogspot....

[Bettie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bettie's Books

[Larnacouer de SH · Rating 4 out of 5]

Babamın yüzü bir hayalet gibi bembeyaz. Hiç hayalet görmedim ama bu benzetmeyi yüzlerce kez duyduğum için hayaletlerin beyaz olduğunu tahmin ediyorum. Yere oturuyorum, nasıl bu hale geldiğimizi düşünüyorum. Hayatımızın kusursuz bir düzeni vardı, o düzende çok rahattım ama şimdi kim olduğumuzu veya neler olduğunu anlayamıyorum. Savaş başımdan aşağı yağmur ve şimşekler yağdıracak gri belirsizlik bulutu sanki. Üzerime şimşekler yağsın istemiyorum.
Eğer düşünmezsem bu anıyı silebilirim. Keşke gözlerimiz kapandığında zihinlerimizde bir karatahta ve silgi belirse istediğimiz anıları yeniden yazabilsek veya silebilsek.

//

Savaşın ezici ve hüzünlü yanına Asperger sendromlu bir çocuğun gözünden bakmak etkileyici ama: Hali hazırda devam eden Suriye savaşını düşününce okuması, hazmetmesi zor bir o kadar da farklı bir deneyimdi.

Şu sıralar ihtiyacımız olan son şeyin bir savaş teması olduğunu biliyorum ama günün birinde yolunuz kesişirse şans vermenizi isterim zira renklerle tanımladığı dünyasını okuduktan sonra pişman olmayacağınız bir kitap Halepli Çocuk.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

From BBC Radio 4 - Saturday Drama:
Farshid Rokey, Noof Ousellam and Jalleh Alizadeh lead an outstanding young cast in this heart-rending drama, based on the moving debut novel by Sumia Sukkar.

'The Boy from Aleppo who Painted the War' presents the Syrian conflict through the eyes of Adam, a teenage boy with Asperger's syndrome, who can only speak the truth.

As the war creeps ever closer to home, it devastates and disrupts the life of his family.

Struggling to make sense of the conflict, as he and his family try to survive in an impossibly brutal world, Adam paints as a way to record and cope with the horrors he witnesses.

His older brothers face the dilemma of whether to take sides - and the consequences of their choices have repercussions for the entire family. But can they make it to safety as the conflict in Aleppo rages all around them?

The immediacy and impact of this drama bear witness to the horrors of war, its effect upon the innocent, and the triumph of the human spirit over almost unbearable adversity.

Dramatised for radio by Richard Kurti and Bev Doyle.

[Thaqib Moosa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Due to the high amount of content produced about Syrian refugees, it sometimes feels like we have reduced each Syrian life down to just a number. The uniqueness of this book lies in its ability to bring the Syrian crisis to life through the perspective from a single family.

I finished the book within six hours of its delivery to my house. I was left numb at the losses that they experienced. The book is written from the perspective of Adam, a boy with Asperger’s Syndrome, a form of autism, and the book uses this disease to exclude many unnecessary details. Adam does not initially understand that there is a war going on, or why his siblings feel so passionately about the matter at hand. The focus therefore becomes exclusively on the direct effects that the circumstances are having on his direct family. His aunt’s psychological breakdown as she moves in with them is narrated through his eyes, where he doesn’t fully understand what is happening to her.

The deuteragonist in the story is Yasmine, Adam’s older sister, who finds herself put in a position where she has to put the family’s well-being ahead of her own. The book shows her suffering from her own problems and issues, while trying to shield Adam from as much as is possible. The narration of the book changes to her for one chapter, and that chapter is one of the most harrowing chapters in the book.

The book is written by a British Syrian, and although some of the details in the book are wrong, such as the timeline which doesn’t exactly correspond with real events, the book overall points an extremely realistic picture of the war. I found myself lost in the book, lost in war torn Aleppo, in Adam’s house, surrounded by his paintings, and with no water or heating. To the extent that I was shocked when the taps in my own sink did work, and water flowed out of them.



The book explored Adam’s brothers’ desire to be part of the revolution in a realistic manner, bringing to the fore conflicts and discussions which families must have had in houses around the UK. Their desire to fight for justice conflicting with the fear of putting their own families at risk. It also accurately highlighted some of the brutal practices the Assad regime employs and how ruthlessly it targets ordinary people.

For someone who has already been involved with the Syrian crisis, this book is a reminder of what the purpose of the revolution was, and what the Syrian people initially sought out to combat against, and for those new to this topic, it presents the problem in very human terms. “The Boy from Aleppo who Painted the War” is a stark reminder of the root cause of the problem, before all of the different factions and the clouding of who is good and who is bad; All of this started due to the prolonged inhumanity of one group, the Assad regime.

[Hana Al-Harastani · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wanted to like this book, as a Syrian-American writer myself working on original stories about Syria. Our dominant first-person POV is a young Syrian boy with Aspergers who sees colors and has a strange and beautiful view of the world. The characters were Muslim, so adding onto our thin list of Muslim narratives out there that are not stereotypical is a wonderful feat. And of course, the characters were Syrian, and thus literally painting the Syrian war with a very human narrative, rather than the headline feeds by which most people get that region's news from.

However, the writing is very weak. A dialogue-heavy book with little sensory detail is difficult to follow, especially when dealing with a region many people are unfamiliar with. Having spent summers in Damascus for as long as I remember, it was not that big of a problem for me, I pooled from memories, but even then it was not enough. I understand our character sees the world differently, but the reader does not. I hoped the few chapters that we are in Yasmine's head would allow us to delve into the politics and region more, but the writing was more or less the same.

In fewer words, I felt the book was a standard war story that happened to be set in Syria. There were little to no nuances that would help differentiate and set it apart from other stories, especially in a time where people are also trying to understand what events led to the worst humanitarian crisis since WWII. 2.5 stars.

[Sharon · Rating 5 out of 5]

I originally read The Boy From Aleppo Who Painted the War by Sumia Sukkar back in 2012, and it had quite an impact on me. I don't know why I didn't write up my thoughts beforehand. Maybe I was concerned that I wouldn't be able to do it the justice it deserves. I will however now attempt to do just that and tell you what an amazing read The Boy From Aleppo Who Painted the War is. With the Syrian conflict still at the forefront of news broadcasts, further compounded by the unfolding tragedy of the exodus of refugees from a country destroyed by war The Boy From Aleppo Who Painted the War is an excellent narrative. It is a compelling but harrowing book telling an all too painfully realistic story seen through the eyes of a child.

Adam the books narrator is 14 years old, has Asperger Syndrome, and is totally dependent on his family. He lives with his loving sister, Yasmine and his brothers Khalid, Tariq and Isa in Aleppo. Although he doesn't fully comprehend what is happening to his country he does have a sense of the bubbling tensions and fear, caused by the advancing Syrian conflict from the actions and altering behaviours, of those close to him.

Yasmine has always been totally devoted to Adam but after a particularly traumatic experience her character alters to such a degree that she no longer has the patience for him. Adam cannot understand why this is or why sometimes she is grey or green and no longer ruby.

The only way he can cope, and make some sense of his changing environment is to paint what he sees and how he feels. He relates and feels through colour and paints the war as he watches the utter chaos and destruction of his home.

“I have the urge to paint and I can already see the painting in my head. Two young boys lying in the water with their bodies spread open, free, but their faces disfigured, burnt. It would be a black-and-white painting with the faces a spectrum of colours. It’s going to be horrible and beautiful all at the same time.”

The Boy From Aleppo is beautifully written with prose that flows naturally and effortlessly. It's hard to believe that this is Sumia Sukkar's debut novel but it is undeniably written with compassionate imaginative insight. These fictional characters are 'real'; Adam and his family are the refugees we currently see on our TV and tablet screens. It is painfully raw and powerfully emotive reading about the violence, trauma and devastation the war has on them.

Sumia Sukkar does not pull any punches and has spectacularly captured the plight of the Syrian refugees. This is not a feel good read. As depressing and gut wrenching as it is to see the horror and devastation of war through the eyes of a child, it is an invaluable fictional reportage of current events. Even if we are ourselves powerless to help, the least we can do is try to understand and not belittle the plight of a war ravaged people and to remember that they are just like us. This book does that in a non political narrative of an innocent child.

I wholeheartedly recommend, even implore, that you read this book. A great debut offering from a talented writer, The Boy From Aleppo Who Painted the War is simply outstanding.

Disclaimer: A complimentary copy of The Boy From Aleppo Who Painted the War was provided by NewBooks Magazine in exchange for an honest unbiased review.

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Recensione a cura di Rachel Sandman Author Blog

Adam è l’indiscusso protagonista che descrive, attraverso la delicatezza e la purezza che lo caratterizzano e che sono dovute sia alla sua giovane età sia alla malattia da cui è affetto (la sindrome di Asperger), la situazione del mondo in cui vive.
La narrazione scorre sintetica e semplice, attraverso toni delicati, in una parabola che parte da un inizio quasi idilliaco e poi, piano piano, a poco a poco, si avvolge, cade, preda degli eventi, in un vortice di polvere e buio.
La storia viene descritta attraverso una lente d’ingrandimento, parzialmente distorta dalla visione assolutamente personale di Adam, che vede, da un giorno all’altro, il suo mondo e la realtà che lo circonda completamente stravolti e capovolti.
Ho enormemente apprezzato questo romanzo che racconta in modo delicato ma senza sconti, senza censurare nulla, una realtà attuale che però, volente o nolente, è davvero poco conosciuta e poco chiara agli occhi del mondo.
La visione vista attraverso gli occhi di Adam è unica, essenziale e, a tratti, assolutamente adorabile, anche e soprattutto nelle sue fragilità, nel suo non comprendere, nel suo spaziare come nel suo chiudersi in se stesso. L’accostamento tra le emozioni e i colori è poi una pennellata di delicatezza e poesia che, nel mondo distrutto che degenera, pagina dopo pagina, davanti agli occhi del lettore, dà quel tocco di innocenza particolare e onnipresente insieme.
Una nota a parte sono invece i capitoli raccontati attraverso la voce di Yasmine, la sorella di Adam. Grazie al contrasto netto rispetto alle parole del fratello, questi brevi e pochi attimi affidati a lei sono una secchiata d’acqua fredda, sono la descrizione vivida e agghiacciante della situazione reale, esposta senza filtri, senza censure ma con l’immancabile tatto che caratterizza la penna della Sukkar.
In conclusione, non perdetevi questo romanzo. Un libro vero, che trasuda polvere e rottami, speranza e colori, vita e morte, senza risparmiare nulla a nessuno, nemmeno al lettore più asettico. Leggetelo e poi fatemi sapere. Fidatevi. Lasciatevi accompagnare da Adam e riflettete, pensate, ascoltate.
© Rachel Sandman

[Radek Gabinek · Rating 5 out of 5]

Osinskipoludzku.blogspot.com

Jakoś tak po cichu, bez echa przemknęła ta książka na naszym rynku wydawniczym. Swego czasu rzuciła mi się w oczy okładka, ale zwyczajnie nie wczułem się w klimat i nie zwróciłem wtedy większej uwagi na tę pozycję. Szczerze mówiąc, pomimo tego iż ostatecznie bardzo przypadła mi do gustu ta historia to wciąż nie jestem przekonany do projektu okładki, która moim zdaniem bardziej zniechęca niż intryguje.

"Chłopiec z Aleppo, który namalował wojnę" to debiut, ale ten z rodzaju gdzie czytelnik ( tudzież ja) rozdziawia japę i wydaje okrzyk "Wow!". Jest to powieść bardzo emocjonalna, poruszająca ważny temat i myślę, że powinni go wziąć pod uwagę przede wszystkim Ci, którym tak łatwo przychodzi ocena uchodźców i ich motywacji przy próbie osiedlenia się w Europie. Piekło wojny w Syrii zostało w książce Sukkar oddane w sposób bardzo sugestywny, a specyficzny punkt widzenia narratora, którym jest autentyczny chłopiec jeszcze dodaje grozy całej historii. 14-letni Adam wprowadza nas w wydarzenia, które położyły piętno na jego kraju poczynając od pierwszych sygnałów wzbudzających niepokój, a na ucieczce w ochronie resztek godności i przede wszystkim życia kończąc. Wraz z nim poznajemy jego rodzinę, której wszyscy członkowie bez wyjątku, czy to kobiety czy mężczyźni przejdą prawdziwą gehennę zanim zaczną salwować się ucieczką.

Dla dorastającego chłopca wydawać by się mogło, że nic bardziej nie jest w stanie zaburzyć jego świata niż śmierć kogoś kto najlepiej go rozumiał, to jest jego matki. Tym bardziej jeżeli ma on duże trudności w zyskaniu tegoż zrozumienia i akceptacji że strony rówieśników, co z kolei wynika z jego trudności poznawczych. Wprawdzie siostra Adama stara się wypełnić pustkę po śmierci matki i opiekuje się nim jak tylko potrafi, ale trudno jest zapewnić poczucie bezpieczeństwa w przypadku takiej właśnie traumy. Jakby tego było mało wybucha powstanie. Jak to zwykle bywa przy wszelkiego rodzaju przewrotach, na początku jest bardzo romantycznie o powietrze przepełnia nadzieja i atmosfera uniesienia. Szybko jednak ustępują one krwawemu terrorowi reżimu, który próbuje ten przewrót zdławić, a najbardziej poszkodowanymi będą niestety cywile.

Jak odnaleźć się w sytuacji kiedy nie ma co jeść? Jak odróżnić przyjaciół od wrogów? Jak poradzić sobie z kolejnymi stratami i jak pojąć to co tak naprawdę z założenia jest niepojęte? Z takimi dylematami przyszło się zmierzyć bohaterowi książki "Chłopiec z Aleppo, który namalował wojnę". Sumia Sukkar pozwala nam wczuć się w sytuację dziecka, które wraz ze swoimi bliskimi przeżywa gehennę. Ktoś może powie, że takich książek jest wiele, ale chyba jednak ciągle za mało jeśli obserwować reakcje choćby w naszym kraju na ewentualność udzielenia schronienia imigrantom między innymi z terenów objętych wojną. Wojna dotyka każdego bez wyjątku, dzieci, kobiety i mężczyzn. Wobec jej okrucieństwa nikt nie pozostaje bezpieczny stąd też dziwić może wybiórczość w kwestii komu należy się a komu nie należy pomoc i schronienie. Taką właśnie prawdę wyniosłem ja z książki którą popełniła Sumia Sukkar, a zrobiła to w taki sposób jakby sama była naocznym świadkiem przedstawionych tu wydarzeń. Może tak jak jej główny bohater malował wojnę, tak i ona swoją powieścią namaluje empatię w sercach tych najbardziej zatwardziałych.

[nana aisha · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5- 4 stars : read this for school

this was overall an enjoyable read, this is actually the first war book based in Arab countries i've read that actually shows someone living with a disorder, and i also appreciate how the author didn't do it as an afterthought, but as a major plot line in the book. Adam was just soo cute and heartwarming and frustrating at the same time, but damn. he really went through a lot.

Yasmine , oh Yasmine shish malak. she was just such a caring and loving soul. she was absolutely the glue holding the family together and how she just kept going not just for herself, was just inspiring.

here are the reasons why it wasn't a 5 star read :
• there were random black outs. i thought the book was written in a double pov. why is it that there are some significant things that happened in the book, i we never found out why, how or when it happened???i get that Adam fainted a lot and all those reasons, but what's the use of Yasmine having a pov if we can't see what she's seeing?

this book was set in a very Muslim area, and some things about the religion are just uh... where is this author getting her info from? (btw i'm Muslim and I just want clear things up).
• for starters, typically in the religion it is makruh for women to go to the cemetery i.e. it is not forbidden, but advised against for women.
• secondly, it is not a necessity to wear black for a funeral in Islam. it is not even a part of the religion at all.
anywayss, enjoyed this book so big up the school library i guess xx

[Czytatnik · Rating 4 out of 5]

Adam to czternastoletni chłopak mieszkający z rodziną w Aleppo. Kontakt ze światem znacząco utrudnia mu zespół Aspergera – to, co dla zwykłego człowieka wydaje się być oczywiste, Adamowi sprawia wiele kłopotu. Ma on jednak niezwykły talent i swoją wrażliwość na wyraża w obrazach. Obecnie najczęściej są to smutne sceny przedstawiające rozpoczynającą się wojnę. W ten sposób nie tylko odreagowuje przeżywane emocje, ale również pokazuje światu swój punkt widzenia. Często w sposób dość drastyczny, jednak otaczająca go rzeczywistość zdecydowanie nie zapewnia mu komfortowego dzieciństwa.

Całość recenzji dostępna pod adresem: http://zapach-ksiazek.pl/chlopiec-z-a...

[Maria do Socorro Baptista · Rating 4 out of 5]

Uma narrativa em que as cores se misturam aos sentimentos do jovem protagonista. Sensível, envolvente, muitas vezes doloroso, este livro nos mostra a visão de um mundo em guerra a partir do ponto de vista de um adolescente com Síndrome de Asperger. Muito bom.

[Kelly Alves · Rating 2 out of 5]

Quando vi a sinopse desse livro, fiquei me perguntando como um garoto poderia mover o mundo através de suas pinturas, e como, com as mesmas pinturas ele poderia despertar a bondade nas pessoas? E foi essa curiosidade que me levou a leitura, mas infelizmente esse livro não retrata bondade, e sim guerra, fé inabalável e um amor capaz de mover montanhas. Vem comigo.

"Guerra significa perder o que você ama. Paz é o que sobra quando a guerra acaba."

Adam tem 14 anos e sofre do mal de Asperger, ( Síndrome de Asperger (SA), também conhecida por Transtorno de Asperger ou simplesmente Asperger é uma condição psiquiátrica do espectro autista caracterizada por dificuldades significativas na interação social e comunicação não-verbal, além de padrões de comportamento repetitivos e interesses restritos.) ou seja, Adam tem começo de autismo e o mundo para ele funciona de forma diferente. E tudo estaria normal se não fosse a explosão da guerra na Síria que acaba alcançando a cidade de Alepo e colocando toda a normalidade de Adam a prova.

Apesar de Adam ter 14 anos, seu raciocínio e sua “fala” parecem de uma criança de menos idade, e isso pode tornar a leitura um pouco complicada se você não tem o hábito de acompanhar um narrador infantil, como tive minha primeira experiência com Jack, até aqui estava tudo perfeito. Mas presenciar a guerra pelos olhos de Adam pode deixar as coisas um tanto quanto confusas.

Seu mundo esta sendo revirado, e isso aos olhos de Adam é um crime hediondo, sua família será separada e cada irmão passará por um trauma diferente no meio do contexto, quando enfim os que restaram se juntam é hora de partir, pois já não há mais o que esperar nas terras da família. O pai de Adam em meio ao caos começa a enlouquecer, e no meio de sangue, bombas e gente morta, a única coisa que não muda, é a forma com que Adam vê o mundo, puro, inocente e colorido.

"Eu ficava perguntando a Baba o que o médico quis dizer com "minha condição", mas Baba não respondia. Sei que sou diferente porque falo diferente. Só não sei qual é a minha condição."

Quando me propus a ler O menino de Alepo, eu esperava algo no contexto de A cidade do Sol ou A pérola que rompeu a concha, dois livros dramáticos e históricos que tem seu enredo no meio da guerra, mas não foi isso que encontrei, e talvez essa decepção tenha sido o motivo de eu ter me arrastado pelas páginas do livro.

Adam tem asperger, sua narrativa é confusa, e apesar dele ser um menino extremamente inteligente, coisa que você percebe conforme ele vai narrando algumas coisas do cotidiano, em outros momentos ele se perdia, ou se desligava e fazia coisas insanas que eu sinceramente não conseguia entender ou sequer aceitar, como roubar sangue de um morto para pintar um quadro. No meio desse caos, acompanhamos a vida de vários personagens que rodeiam Adam, e a mais importante é Yasmine, a irmã que é praticamente uma irmã para ele.

Yasmine é sequestrada no meio da obra, e por alguns momentos podemos acompanhar alguns acontecimentos pela narrativa dela, o que trás um pouco de normalidade ao leitor, mas ainda sim são momentos de terror e violência, onde Yasmine se torna o exemplo da fé, uma fé que eu admirei, pois jamais a teria em tais condições.

A guerra fica escondida, assistindo o desenrolar pelos olhos de Adam, a coisa se torna as vezes intensa e as vezes confusa. O título condiz ao fato de que Adam vê as coisas com cores, ele capta os sentimentos das pessoas vendo auras coloridas, e assim cada capitulo terá como título uma cor, que dependendo da intensidade já lhe mostra o que esperar dos acontecimentos.

A leitura foi arrastada, tanto pela narrativa de Adam que deixa confuso, quanto pela escrita da autora que não me instigou o suficiente para me manter presa, mas ainda sim, missão dada é missão cumprida, então segue o baile.

Para quem curte livros com narrativas infantis, cenários de guerra, e conteúdo histórico e realista, O menino de Alepo pode ser para você, lembre-se essa é minha opinião, e o que não rolou para mim, pode te levar bem longe!!!

[Wilcza Dama · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Chłopiec z Aleppo, który namalował wojnę" to przykład książki, która trzyma serce czytelnika w garści od samego początku do szarego - a może nie? - końca. Boleśnie realna historia łamiąca serce, gdzie gorycz łączy się z radością, a rozpacz z nadzieją. Ta powieść to wzruszające przedstawienie realiów wojny, która naprawdę trwa i codziennie niszczy ludzkie życia.

Adam nie jest typowym głównym bohaterem. Jak na swój czternastoletni wiek, wydaje się dość dziecinny, a jego zachowanie może być lekko irytujące - spowodowane jest to Zespołem Aspergera, którego objawy ma chłopiec. Oprócz tego, widzi on świat inaczej, barwniej, przez synestezję - ludzi oraz ich emocje postrzega jako konkretne kolory, co daje mu możliwość wierniejszego oddania uczuć na swoich obrazach. Patrzenie na błyskawicznie rozwijającą się wokół niego wojnę jest niesamowicie silnym doświadczeniem, które czuje się bardzo dotkliwie i zapada w pamięć na długi czas.

Sumia Sukkar - niesamowita pisarka, której pióro mnie oczarowało, a umysł kompletnie rozbroił emocjonalnie. Swój debiut, czyli właśnie "Chłopiec z Aleppo, który namalował wojnę" napisała w wieku - o ile się nie mylę - dwudziestu dwóch lat, czyli dość młodo. Kobieta ta ma wielki talent, ponieważ opisać masakrę wojny oczami dziecka, w dodatku niezwykłego nastolatka, musi być nie lada wyzwaniem, a Sukkar zrobiła to z taką pasją i delikatnością, że aż brak mi słów - po prostu niesamowite...

Po dłuższą opinię na temat tej wspaniałej książki zapraszam na bloga: http://slademwilka.blogspot.com/2017/... ♥

[safiyareads · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story is told from the perspective of Adam, a 14 year old boy living in Syria as the war breaks out. Adam has Asperger Syndrome and so his understanding of what is happening, or lack thereof, becomes the readers understanding. Not only is this novel about the war in Syria and how it completely destroyed countless lives, it is also witnessed from the perspective of an innocent child who struggles even more to understand what is happening around him because of his Asperger’s Syndrome.

Adam has four older siblings and we learn early on in the story that his mother passed away recently so it falls to his older sister, Yasmine, to look after him. Throughout this book each member of Adam’s family goes through a traumatic ordeal, each unimaginable and different from one another and they all witness heartbreaking events.

As a reader, this is even more difficult to take in knowing that although this is a fictional story, the war in Syria is real and is still going on. The only thing which helps Adam deal with his Asperger’s and the difficult things he sees is to paint them, so he does and even when he can’t physically paint, he does it in his mind.

This is such an important book, not only for its direct and personal insight into the war in Syria but also for its insight and portrayal of Asperger Syndrome.

8/10

[Alicja Górska · Rating 5 out of 5]

http://krytyk.com.pl/literatura/recen...

"Obraz, który wyłania się z takiego emocjonalnie chłodnego (według ustandaryzowanych poglądów) podejścia do wojny przeraża podwójnie. Z jednej strony uświadamiamy sobie, że za zdjęciami z wiadomości kryje się coś więcej niż tylko słowo „wojna”, a z drugiej strony – choć „rozgrzeszamy” od początku Adama i jego sposób postrzegania rzeczywistości – że jesteśmy tak okrutnie beznamiętni i egoistyczni jak pozornie główny bohater tej powieści. Jednak podczas, gdy emocjonalność protagonisty jest uzasadniona wrodzonym, odmiennym sposobem patrzenia na świat i znajduje inne ujście, to za naszą stoi wyłącznie postmedialna znieczulica".

[Gretel · Rating 3 out of 5]

A decent debut novel by a new young author. Sumia Sukkar writes well about the devastating effects of war on innocent people and the tensions that take place within a family under extreme pressure and the struggles they face to stay alive in their country's conflict. Sukkar has done a great job of portraying the ugliness and brutality of war. What I wasn't so keen on was Adam, and his Asperger's. The chapters about his sister were definitely the stronger chapters. I feel as if the book would actually be improved without the Asperger's in it, as it felt pretty superficial and as if the author was just ticking off symptoms from a Wikipedia list.

[Emina Karisik · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was a nice idea for a book, but unfortunately the writing wasnt that great as it could have been. To be honest it was quite mediocre. It was very unfortunate that the surroundings of Aleppo weren't described that well and I often wondered about the details of their house, neighborhood, school, hospital etc. Also some things like the burial/kidnapping/attacks were written very poorly. It seemed so rushed, which was disappointing because I could not really grasp the emotions of the main characters of the book. Detail is key. It was an okay read, it made me think about Syria and the suffering that these people see everyday.

[Christopher Lewis · Rating 5 out of 5]

"There is no more colour in Aleppo. Everything is grey, even we are."

This is an incredibly powerful look into the war in Syria through the eyes of a 14 year old boy with Asperger Syndrome. It is a graphic window into the situation so many people face in Aleppo. As I have a lot friends from Aleppo, I found it difficult to read....but I am glad I did. I have never read anything else that so vividly portrays the world from which so many refugees have been forced to flee.

Positively heartbreaking. This is a book I will never be able to forget.

[Manila Cappelletti · Rating 4 out of 5]

Veramente molto bello! A parte le scende di torture mi è piaciuto moltissimo, il rapporto tra Adam e Yasmine è qualcosa di magnifico. Il mondo secondo Adam mi stupiva pagina dopo pagina, il suo modo di dare un colore a tutto, i suoi dipinti! Per non parlare di Yasmine, lei è probabilmente il tipo di donna che vorrei diventare: forte, intelligente, sicura di se, protettiva, responsabile e con i suoi obbiettivi! Sono veramente soddisfatta di questo libro.

[Blanka · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wojna jako sprawdzian człowieczeństwa. Widziana oczami dziecka, które nigdy nie powinno zostać poddane takiej próbie. Mocny i potrzebny debiut, zwłaszcza w obliczu obecnego w Europie kryzysu migracyjnego.

https://blankakatarzynadzugaj.wordpre...

[Rish · Rating 3 out of 5]

gripping, heart-wrenching and an epic tale of survival.

nothing is more depressing than seeing the consequences and implications of a war through the eyes of a child.

wars are fought over big ideals but does it remember the lives it changes?

[Laura · Rating 2 out of 5]

The curious incident of the dog in the night time meets the kite runner, but unfortunately it is not written in a style I can appreciate. I did not feel any connection with the characters and found the story to be lacking.

[Richard Kurti · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very powerful and moving story, and a heartfelt humanitarian plea.

[World Literature Today]

This book was featured in the Nota Benes section of the March/April 2015 issue of World Literature Today Magazine.

http://www.worldliteraturetoday.org/2...

[Linda Price · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty good

[Tara · Rating 4 out of 5]

A harrowing story of the Syrian war.

[Dhana McIver · Rating 5 out of 5]

Deeply moving.

[Margaret · Rating 3 out of 5]

The novel gives a strong insight into the war experience and into the mind of a young boy with autism. There is some confronting content, so I think it's more suited to middle and upper secondary.