Huset i Damaskus : en fortelling om Syria

by Diana Darke, Lene Stokseth (Translator)

Hvordan har revolusjonen i Syria endt opp på verst tenkelig vis? Denne boken setter søkelys på Syrias mørke historie, politikk og samfunn. Den arabisktalende britiske kvinnen Diana Darke ble dypt forankret i der syriske samfunnet når hun kjøpte og restaurerte et hus i gamlebyen i Damaskus. I september 2012, da kampene ble intensivert og millioner tvunget til å flykte, tilbød hun huset sitt som et tilfluktssted for venner og kjente. Dianas erfaringer i det krigsherjede landet skal gi leseren en klarere forståelse av hvorfor Syria forblir fastlåst i en konflikt og hvorfor de fleste vanlige syrere er fanget mellom en undertrykkende regjering og en splittet opposisjon. Omtalen er utarbeidet av BS.

Genres: Nonfiction, Middle East, History, Politics, Memoir, Biography Memoir, Biography

403 pages, Hardcover

First published January 28, 2014

Reviews

[Paddy · Rating 5 out of 5]

With Syria, you might easily argue there's little reason to be optimistic. But Diana Darke's book is full of hope.

It's a story of one woman's love affair with the country, a relationship that goes so deep that she decided to buy a run-down Ottoman house in the Old City of Damascus.

The purchase brought her into contact with ordinary Syrians - her housekeeper, lawyer, local fixer and bank manager. Gentle, accepting and easy-going, they are living embodiments of a uniquely Syrian approach to life, which Darke contrasts with the extremes of the regime and IS jihadis.

Through them, we discover how the civil war has really affected people - families torn apart and uprooted, children tramatised, lives lost. It makes for deeply upsetting reading at times.

But despite the tragedies and tales of despair, Darke is adamant that Syria can survive. She examines the country's long tradition of religious tolerance and respect - and talks of how differences and divisions have been been exaggerated and inflamed by the regime.

In the end, she believes that ordinary Syrians have what it takes to construct a just and democratic state. Like her house, Syria can be rebuilt. One can only hope she's right.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

Having recently met quite a few displaced Syrians and heard their gruelling stories of social destruction and complete breakdown of society's texture, this book really struck a chord with me. Darke's love of Syria and its people lie behind this piece of work, which as she admits herself has more of a social cultural and philosophical perspective than political. The country's war and the history behind it are seen through the prism of a house she buys and renovates in Damascus' Old City. The story of how she refurbishes it to its former glory and Syria's entry into turmoil are inextricably intertwined, love hate betrayal and melancholy all have a part in the lead up to the war. A lost generation of Syrians are now in Turkey, Lebanon, and the rest of the world. This book is a testimony and a cry out for help for drastic action in Syria and raises awareness of the complex and dire situation in this country.

[Martin · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very readable account about Syria, its people and society, in the run up to the revolution that started in 2011. Diana Darke knows the Levant intimately and describes beautifully how she got to buy a house in the old city of Damascus and restored it. The story she tells is mostly about that and the people she got to know in the process. She has woven that story into a wider picture of Syria and its society, and I think the result gives an intimate look into what it was like in Syria prior to the revolution. How people lived with and in an authoritarian state, how they coped and eventually were fed up. Most of her characters (those who helped her restore the house) represent the decent and and respectful Syrians who were/are trapped in the tragedy and have lost family, friends, jobs, houses, careers, history, and a future. They represent those who wanted reforms but not war, those who believe in an inclusive and just Syrian state, but have no agency in a conflict where there is no room for the silent majority. They are caught between extremes on both sides.

What I liked best about the book is her description of the old city of Damascus. Having lived there for a while many years ago, I too have felt the atmosphere of the old city. I can understand why such a crazy idea as buying and restoring an old house makes perfect sense.

If you want a more Syrian personal view of the (beginning of) the conflict I would recommend Samar Yazbek's book "The Crossing. Read that with "My House in Damascus", and you have sense of why the Syrian civil war is such a great disaster and why the Syrian people deserve so much better.

[Mozammel Toha · Rating 4 out of 5]

গৃহযুদ্ধ চলাকালীন সময়ে এক মহিলার সিরিয়াতে গিয়ে রিয়েল স্টেটে ইনভেস্ট করার কাহিনী। বাড়ি কিনতে গিয়ে সে কী কী সমস্যার মুখোমুখি হয়, পরবর্তীতে বাড়ি হাতছাড়া হয়ে গেলে কীভাবে ফিরে পাওয়ার চেষ্টা করে, সেগুলো বর্ণনার ফাঁকে ফাঁকে লেখিকা সিরিয়ার ইতিহাস, আমলাতান্ত্রিক জটিলতা এবং দুর্নীতির চিত্র সফলভাবে তুলে ধরেছে।

[Debalina · Rating 5 out of 5]

I haven't spent more time reading a book than Diana Darke's 'My House in Damascus', and the time spent was well worth it.

Review coming this weekend! :)
Happy reading! :D

[Susanne Burge · Rating 5 out of 5]

A deeply moving, spiritual, interesting and enlightening read.
Through the story of her acquisition and renovation of a historic house in Old Damascus, the author succeeds in sharing her insight into and love for Syria, its people and Arabic culture, as well as explaining the reasons behind the tragedy that has, once again, engulfed its ancient civilisation.
But as well as deepening our understanding of why the country remains locked in deadly conflict with most Syrians caught between a repressive Government and a splintering opposition - through the stories of the people she meets, she also shows us why we can hold out hope for its future after all.

[Katherine Evans · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a great introduction to understanding the current conflict in Syria, but definitely allow it to be a jumping off point to dig in even deeper. As a person who desperately wants to go to Syria but likely never will, this book did an excellent job of letting me "see" it in its pre-revolution beauty. My favorite thing is how Darke's love of Syrians and Syria is palpable. She will make you love them too, and the world needs that right now.

[Jonathan Fryer · Rating 4 out of 5]

A completely different angle on the past five tragic years of Syria's civil war by a British woman who bought and lovingly restored an Ottoman house in the Old City of Damascus -- and who still bravely visits from time to time. You feel her love of the place and the people, as well as the frustration at how things have fallen apart. Highly recommended.

[Matthew · Rating 3 out of 5]

All I'll say is that my experiences in Damascus and Quneitra differed substantially from hers, and that I wasn't exactly sure what the point of the book was. Generally hostile to Assad, yet writes at length how none of the rebel groups will do any better. Did enjoy the chapter on Syrian Christians and their monastic traditions - hadn't known about the long tradition of meditation / etc in caves that's such a part of that, and the Europeans and Americans who would go there to meditate. Think the primary problem is that this was slated to go to press in 2011/2012, and then was quickly updated with surface level materials from the revolution that are already outdated.

[Deen Sharp · Rating 3 out of 5]

A heartfelt account of an English women buying a house and renovating it just before Syria was engulfed in its current brutal conflict. This is a good alternative contemporary introduction to Syria and Damascus. Interesting at points, cliched at others, with some bizarre tangents (a couple of very odd references to Steve Job's Syrian roots), overall a decent read but not comparable to the similar type of tale by the late Anthony Shadid in his masterful book, House of Stone (based in Lebanon, however).

[Chantal Ladias · Rating 4 out of 5]

I only like books I can identify with because they speak to my soul or the souls of my predecessors ... there is an element of grace and intimacy with nature in the Otoman culture that Diana Darke is drawn to. I understand her love for this house . She gives us an inside knowledge of the humanitarian crisis and also her journey to Damascus. How did we let this drama and these horrors take place ? It seems that this journey to and from Damascus has also led to an enlightened experiences

[Lucine Van Stappen Gevorgyan · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderfully written book, which gives a detailed description of the situation in Syria.
What makes this book more than just a well-documented text, is the passion with which Diana Dark describes her love for this country, her 'kaleidoscope courtyard' and the people of Syria. Thanks to her imaginative words, Syria rises from dust and war like a queen in all its glory.

[Emily]

This was a fascinating book that intensified my sadness that I will likely never be able to see the places and sites in and around Syria, but I was a little put off by the author's claim to be telling "the true story behind the Syrian Revolution" and by her apparent blindness to her own potentially privileged position in Syria.

[Alastair Lack · Rating 4 out of 5]

A first class account of the recent troubles in Syria up to 2013, by an English lady who bought a house in the old part of Damascus, and restored it to its former glory. A superbly written book that is well worth reading

[Nadia · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a book that really needed to be written... Non political and just shows the love an outsider can have for the people, the beauty and the culture of Syria. This lady has my respect... Shukran!

[Ross Chambers · Rating 4 out of 5]

An inside view of the Syrian Revolution, says it all really. A great insight and just a small taster of life in Syria. The sun will shine on Syria once again in time, but before that can happen more horror must endure. Brilliant read.

[Julie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Learned a lot about the Syrian conflict and different aspects of Islamic and Syrian culture through the eyes of a Brit who has long been enthralled by the country. Very complicated issues. Written in a rather episodic way. Not a breezy read. Left me deeply sad.

[Mina Fossum · Rating 5 out of 5]

For alle som vil forstå den nesten umulige situasjonen i Syria og bli kjent med menneskene som lider under den. Darke har skrevet et fantastisk kjærlighetsbrev det syriske folket som kjemper seg gjennom med håp om bedre tider. En utrolig historie formidlet gjennom et utrolig hus. 10/10.

[Teresa Luckhurst · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really good book about Syria, the country, the people and the war.

[Bill · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautiful love letter to a country torn apart by revolution and an oppressive regimes.

[Rashid · Rating 3 out of 5]

A sweeping overview of life on the eve of the tragic events that have changed the face of that beautiful nation, Syria.

[Denise · Rating 4 out of 5]

Part declaration of love for a country, its culture and its people, and part examination of cause and effects of the ongoing Syrian civil war - an excellent, insightful read.

[Anne Morgan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this book, yet it took me months to read it. I borrowed it from the library and renewed it about 10 times. I kept getting other books that were quick to read or reserved by another reader and so I had to prioritise them. And 'My House in Damascus' by Diana Darke is the sort of book where every chapter really is a separate chapter and so I didn't feel the urge to move on with it straight away. Also the story of how she buys one of the old Ottoman palaces in the old city of Damascus and renovates it takes place over years. The parallel story of Syria's crisis and descent into civil war takes place alongside it. So the slower pace of reading gave me more a feeling of 'real time' than binging everything in one go. As well as enjoying the story of the house it was a really useful reminder of everything that has happened in Syria over the last decade and the whys and hows. It's sad, frustrating and at times horrific, but there are also glimmers of hope. I was glad I read it over such a long time as it gave me time to absorb and reflect on each chapter before I moved onto the next phase of the house renovation and the next phase of the war. I liked this book so much I couldn't bear to part with it, so I ordered myself a copy from Amazon and it arrived this week. Now it can sit on my shelves ready to be dipped into whenever I want to remind myself of something.

[Ayman Al Malki · Rating 5 out of 5]

Although I am Syrian, from Damascus, I enjoyed reading every chapter of this book. The book describes the inside life in Syria generally and Damascus particularly before and at the beginning of the Syrian uprise in 2011 in a narrative way.

I was a little bit confused about the timeline of some events, and I disagree with a few mentioned facts in the book. However, I strongly recommend this book to any non-Syrian who wants to learn about Damascene -and Syrian- community away from extremism news and propaganda.

As another reviewer wrote: "such a book needed to be written" so thank you Diana Darke.

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SPOILER (don't read if you haven't read the book yet):

What Nazir and his lawyer did to Diana is really shameful. That part of the book was very stressful. It will be great if Diana adds the updates of her story with Nazir in the next prints.

[Fabio Diglio · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book offers a beautiful, and not too much political, point of view on Syria and its current situation.
It tells also the love story between the author and the country, a story full of anecdotes and peculiar people. One of the main characters is, of course, a beautiful traditional Arab house (at least, that is how I imagined it through her descriptions 😀), that Diane bought before the war

I was looking for something that could make me understand better what is going on in this part of the world, too often on the news nowadays and this novel has been very helpul, providing me with the right insight. Easy to read and well written, I really enjoyed it.

[Trudy Jaskela · Rating 5 out of 5]

A gift from my friend Anne. She thought I would like it and she guessed correctly.
Book is a story that includes history and current (up to 2016) on the current situation in Syria. Because it is in a story form, author purchasing and renovating a house in Damascus, igt is a very interesting read What we get from TV and newspapers is so different than what you get by the author who gets to know the country and its peoples. .
Author is British with no Syrian roots. Her major in university was Arabic studies. She became fluent in the language.

[C E Montgomery · Rating 5 out of 5]

A heartfelt and fascinating read

What a gem of a book- a deeply personal and beautifully written account of the people, culture and politics of Syria from a Westerner's viewpoint but by someone who has studied Islam, speaks Arabic fluently and who clearly cares deeply for Syria. Extremely moving with one of the clearest explanations of the reasons for the tragic civil war that I have read.Highly recommended.

[John Benson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Diana Darke, an Arabic-speaking Englishwoman knows Syria well from having explored it for many years and written several guidebooks about the region. Hearing that she might be able to buy a home in the Old City of Damascus, she described the process of buying and setting up her home once she had possession of it. Diana Darke tells of Syrians who became dear friends of hers and what the Syrian Crisis did to many of her friends. It gives an interesting insider picture of Damascus and Syria.

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

With the style of a novel, Diana Darke takes the reader into the complexities of the current situation and conflict in Syria . Her love for the country and it's people shines strongly through the text as well as her understanding of the complex situation of the wider Middle East and western involvement or not.

[bbbrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrttttt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting perspective on Syrian culture from an outsider's perspective. Not so much a story on the civil war, more so on attitudes leading up to it and the effects on the authors friends in the early days.