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A Road to Damascus
A CINEMATIC DEBUT OF A PROMISING YOUNG NOVELIST FROM LEBANON--A FAUX-THRILLER ABOUT A RECLUSIVE BOTANIST WHO WITNESSES A POLITICAL MURDER AND IS DRAWN INTO A PERSONAL INVESTIGATION--A captivating thriller that reveals a family’s intergenerational secrets, a nation’s deepest fears, and an underground world of politics, religion, and society. Beirut at dawn. A bus leaves the Charles Helou station en route to Damascus. Seven passengers are on board, one of whom is a prominent Lebanese politician. Before crossing the border, the bus is accosted and derailed. All seven passengers are gunned down. A botanist studying a rare occurrence of acacias nearby witnesses the horror. While the nation around him plunges into conspiracy theories and chaos, the botanist realizes he holds the only clue to the his injured Acacia. This sends him on a quest for answers, through a minefield of national fears and family secrets, deep into a private underworld.
- GenresFiction
460 pages, Paperback
Published July 1, 2020
3 people are currently reading
53 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
June 24, 2019
(4.5/5)
Impressive thriller debut by Meedo Taha… A brilliant storyteller, outdid other contemporary Lebanese novelists (attempts) breaking free from the cliché.
As the (nameless) professor/ botanist witnesses a bus attack on the road from Beirut to Damascus killing the Lebanese Former head of parliament, first-hand clues lure him into a personal investigation journey: a search for truth. The Truth about the murder, the torn country, the identity, the social struggles and himself.
From page one you get hooked with a captivating narration style and a hint of surrealism… As the story unfolds, the author uses great balance of events, character depth, cultural references and substantial load of information; you can tell the amount of research/ knowledge behind this work on topics such as Botany, Astronomy, History and Philosophy… not often you get a mention of Kierkegaard in a thriller.
Enjoyed symbolism, among those:
1- “Road to Damascus” title with the connotation to a dramatic transformation, that of Paul the Apostle in the New Testament, and that of the country after the assassination of PM in 2005
2- The endangered Acacia plant that the professor was trying to save… does it represent the Lebanese torn cedar tree? Was he trying to save what is left of our heritage/culture/ identity?
3- Lebanese search for identity: The nameless professor that we don’t get to know much about beyond his work and girlfriend
4- Lebanese political scene: a bus trigger, death, disorder, false promises, demonstrations and disappointment
5- (spoiler alert)
Acacia flourishes with blood, does Lebanon as a nation have to bleed forever to preserve its culture identity alive?
Of the few things that are not to my liking is the overuse of Lebanese references (landmarks, slang, etc.). I would have preferred a smaller dose that appeals optimally to a non-Lebanese reader. In addition, there was a slower pace section (70 pages) after the trip to Nabatiyeh.
Impressive thriller debut by Meedo Taha… A brilliant storyteller, outdid other contemporary Lebanese novelists (attempts) breaking free from the cliché.
As the (nameless) professor/ botanist witnesses a bus attack on the road from Beirut to Damascus killing the Lebanese Former head of parliament, first-hand clues lure him into a personal investigation journey: a search for truth. The Truth about the murder, the torn country, the identity, the social struggles and himself.
From page one you get hooked with a captivating narration style and a hint of surrealism… As the story unfolds, the author uses great balance of events, character depth, cultural references and substantial load of information; you can tell the amount of research/ knowledge behind this work on topics such as Botany, Astronomy, History and Philosophy… not often you get a mention of Kierkegaard in a thriller.
Enjoyed symbolism, among those:
1- “Road to Damascus” title with the connotation to a dramatic transformation, that of Paul the Apostle in the New Testament, and that of the country after the assassination of PM in 2005
2- The endangered Acacia plant that the professor was trying to save… does it represent the Lebanese torn cedar tree? Was he trying to save what is left of our heritage/culture/ identity?
3- Lebanese search for identity: The nameless professor that we don’t get to know much about beyond his work and girlfriend
4- Lebanese political scene: a bus trigger, death, disorder, false promises, demonstrations and disappointment
5- (spoiler alert)
Acacia flourishes with blood, does Lebanon as a nation have to bleed forever to preserve its culture identity alive?
Of the few things that are not to my liking is the overuse of Lebanese references (landmarks, slang, etc.). I would have preferred a smaller dose that appeals optimally to a non-Lebanese reader. In addition, there was a slower pace section (70 pages) after the trip to Nabatiyeh.
November 30, 2020
*Score: 7.5/10*
Summary: A thriller focusing on a botany university professor who gets involved in a mystery that has political implications across syria and lebanon, along with family matters that go back since many years passed.
Pros:
- Good plot and narrative
- Balanced coverage on all key characters, keeping the attention on the professor while fleshing out the side characters
- Infuses good family drama into the mystery, making the reader care about the relations while avoiding cliche elements in such stories
- Good connection between botany and the main themes of the book, being clear about it without missing subtelty
- Superb amount of topics being covered with lots of research from author, covering wide range of topics such as religion, botany, politics, music, and even video games! (Zelda and street fighter ❤)
Cons:
- Way too long (460 p) for such kind of book, with the writer sometimes over explaining things that are clear, leading to an occasional sense of reader wanting to move on from a plot point
- Writing style is not always consistent, with some parts clearly written more strongly than others (chess match section had superb charactarization and back and forth on match and conversation, such clever interplay was missing in other areas like certain discussions with Nancy)
- This is a very personal point, but Nancy (one of 2 female leads) was very annoying and I was not able to feel the chemistry between her and professor. This reduced slightly my enjoyment on sections focusing on her.
Overall: This is a very good and strong debut work. While there are some rough spots and areas needing more polish, the overwhelming research and strong plot really carry this book forward, with some good balance between family drama and mystery aspects. Recommended for those seeking to follow and support a new Arab author (even if he writes in English), who has a strong foundation to build on with potential to be a real standout on international level.
Summary: A thriller focusing on a botany university professor who gets involved in a mystery that has political implications across syria and lebanon, along with family matters that go back since many years passed.
Pros:
- Good plot and narrative
- Balanced coverage on all key characters, keeping the attention on the professor while fleshing out the side characters
- Infuses good family drama into the mystery, making the reader care about the relations while avoiding cliche elements in such stories
- Good connection between botany and the main themes of the book, being clear about it without missing subtelty
- Superb amount of topics being covered with lots of research from author, covering wide range of topics such as religion, botany, politics, music, and even video games! (Zelda and street fighter ❤)
Cons:
- Way too long (460 p) for such kind of book, with the writer sometimes over explaining things that are clear, leading to an occasional sense of reader wanting to move on from a plot point
- Writing style is not always consistent, with some parts clearly written more strongly than others (chess match section had superb charactarization and back and forth on match and conversation, such clever interplay was missing in other areas like certain discussions with Nancy)
- This is a very personal point, but Nancy (one of 2 female leads) was very annoying and I was not able to feel the chemistry between her and professor. This reduced slightly my enjoyment on sections focusing on her.
Overall: This is a very good and strong debut work. While there are some rough spots and areas needing more polish, the overwhelming research and strong plot really carry this book forward, with some good balance between family drama and mystery aspects. Recommended for those seeking to follow and support a new Arab author (even if he writes in English), who has a strong foundation to build on with potential to be a real standout on international level.
April 20, 2020
My purpose was to learn more about the country and culture of Lebanon and I did that.
November 23, 2020
A scientist in Beirut witnesses the brutal murder of people on a bus on the road to Damascus. One is a prominent public figure, another a young man from Damascus. The young man's last words send the scientist back and forth between Syria and Lebanon, exploring the connections between families, religions, politics, in a region once united now divided by civil war. Fascinating mystery. Good read.
December 26, 2021
There is much to like about this layered novel that takes place in modern Beirut but harkens back to older times and the fist of tension between families, between tribes, between Lebanon and Syria. A botanist professor just happens to witness a bus crash and the events that spool out from that engulf him and his girlfriend in a multigenerational story that ends in an ultimately satisfying way. It didn't take long to get into this well-written book, and I am hopeful that the writer eventually does make his film adaptation, because there's a lot here that worth spending time with.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews