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The Offering
Is it possible to hold onto hope when you lose everything else?
Tariq Abbassi, hospitalized and disoriented, has trouble reconciling the life he imagined with the one that greets him upon waking in a trauma center. Soon enough, he realizes the reason behind his current both of his beloved sons died after a horrific act of negligence. Struggling to face the dark truth, no matter the cost, he must sift through his confused memories to resolve how he got here.
With ravishing beauty and uncanny profundity, Salah el Moncef’s internationally acclaimed novel tells a stunning story of loss, hope, and the sometimes insurmountable obstacles we face on the road to redemption. The Offering is powerful testament that there is beauty in everything—even in that which destroys us.
Tariq Abbassi, hospitalized and disoriented, has trouble reconciling the life he imagined with the one that greets him upon waking in a trauma center. Soon enough, he realizes the reason behind his current both of his beloved sons died after a horrific act of negligence. Struggling to face the dark truth, no matter the cost, he must sift through his confused memories to resolve how he got here.
With ravishing beauty and uncanny profundity, Salah el Moncef’s internationally acclaimed novel tells a stunning story of loss, hope, and the sometimes insurmountable obstacles we face on the road to redemption. The Offering is powerful testament that there is beauty in everything—even in that which destroys us.
- GenresFiction
448 pages, Hardcover
First published May 19, 2015
6 people are currently reading
651 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 42 reviews
October 30, 2022
Esthetic elegance and insight
A novel of immense incisiveness and esthetic elegance. The whole book is a stirring, poetic meditation on loss, grief, and endurance as we contemplate them through the tragic destiny of Tariq Abbassi,, the narrator of Salah el Moncef's "The Offering."I read a lot of fiction, and yet I was unaware of this book – until a colleague recommended it!
A novel of immense incisiveness and esthetic elegance. The whole book is a stirring, poetic meditation on loss, grief, and endurance as we contemplate them through the tragic destiny of Tariq Abbassi,, the narrator of Salah el Moncef's "The Offering."I read a lot of fiction, and yet I was unaware of this book – until a colleague recommended it!
October 29, 2022
A perfect example of literary fiction
This book is a perfect example of literary fiction. El Moncef's writing is superb, meticulous, and highly pictorial. It's important to read this novel slowly to enjoy the prose, but also to be able to figure out the different flashbacks and shifts in space. Once you adjust to the fragmentation and the conception of time in "The Offering," you will enjoy the sheer delight of this book's flow and poetic elegance. The narrator, Tariq, is a poet and an immigrant who is discriminated against and excluded repeatedly. He tells his story with tremendous sensibility and a painter's sensitivity to detail. I found myself empathizing with the tragic loss of this hypersensitive man right from the start. This is not an easy read, but it's absolutely unique, and I say this without exaggeration. I've never read any novel like it. I would recommend it to anyone who loves a challenging and novel reading experience.
This book is a perfect example of literary fiction. El Moncef's writing is superb, meticulous, and highly pictorial. It's important to read this novel slowly to enjoy the prose, but also to be able to figure out the different flashbacks and shifts in space. Once you adjust to the fragmentation and the conception of time in "The Offering," you will enjoy the sheer delight of this book's flow and poetic elegance. The narrator, Tariq, is a poet and an immigrant who is discriminated against and excluded repeatedly. He tells his story with tremendous sensibility and a painter's sensitivity to detail. I found myself empathizing with the tragic loss of this hypersensitive man right from the start. This is not an easy read, but it's absolutely unique, and I say this without exaggeration. I've never read any novel like it. I would recommend it to anyone who loves a challenging and novel reading experience.
October 30, 2023
The Offering (2015) by Salah el Moncef is a book that covers much ground—at one level it involves a mystery which is the broad frame around which the story is set, but it is also a story of family and relationships, of loss and grief, of an immigrant living in a society which stereotypes and casts suspicion, and of a mind struggling to recover memories of a hazy period where a horrific loss was suffered.
And while there is indeed a mystery around which the story is set, the death of the narrator’s two young sons, this isn’t framed as a whodunit but rather a first-person narrative of a man who has lost all memory of what has befallen him and is trying to dig back in to his mind, to perceptions of moments experienced which left an impression and to his introspective diary entries from various points prior to the dreadful events which he is trying to reconstruct and recover. Tarik Abbassi is a man of Tunisian origin living in France. He has studied at the Sorbonne and is a philosopher/writer and poet but his writings haven’t led to much so far (that is, in terms to published works and so on, though he does write) and he runs a fairly successful Middle Eastern restaurant in Bourdieu. Here he has been living with his German wife Regina and two sons, Haroon and Shams. But one day, things change all of a sudden causing Tariq to re-evaluate his life and relationships. As he is coming to grips with what has unfolded and trying to connect with his sons, his changed situation and a visit to his home country and family with the boys brings him face to face with further questions—the implications of his identity and ethnicity in the face of things as they stand at present.
Navigating through these events, memories and diary entries, we gradually learn about different events that took place and the feelings they evoked in Tarik as also the various people in his life—fraught relationships with his mother and siblings, the dynamics he shares with his friends and coworkers, and the different women he was in love with at different times in his life. And with these we are also piecing together events as they took place leading to the devastating point in Tarik’s life of which we also know no details, just the fact.
The Offering is a beautifully written book which through a personal story of loss, grief and a journey to recover lost memories and answers, addresses aspects both personal and at the broader social level. The structure of the book is in a sense different, moving between narrative and diary entries from different points in time, both setting out events and facts as also the narrator’s feelings and reflections. One consequence is that this does become a slow-moving read—even though it never felt stretched out or dragging at any point while actually reading, it does take a fair while to read.
Being in the first person, everything we learn and every person we see whether it is Tarik’s friends, family or children, it is through his eyes and perception. While one doesn’t get the feeling of him being an unreliable narrator, and at least in the initial sections, it seems as if he is straightforwardly telling things, somewhere about half way or so in, we actually realise where he is and is telling the tale from, and the haziness associated with things especially with the crucial day does come through (as also perhaps, some doubt). Also while he narrates, there are aspects that one notices, the relevance of which one does wonder about in terms of the mystery thread of the story, but one realises their import only later. It is through his actions and reactions also, that one can try to make sense of his character, and how he copes with the gamut of emotions including pain, confusion and questions that each relationship triggers. Of the other characters, we can’t gauge as much, as we only see them through his eyes and perception (of his sister Heend though, also a writer, we get a glimpse of her writings as well), and one does wonder what their side of things is.
The mystery element in the book was one which had me guessing—the solutions or possible lines of inquiry that Tarik seems to be exploring (at one point even supported by the investigating police officer) seem a little beyond plausibility (the police officer seems to suggest a better alternative alongside), yet one reads on till one reaches the answer in the final pages—an answer that one doesn’t really see coming, and which while so different from what one expects (despite some hints) is also surprisingly satisfying (even though what is the truth of the events is never spelled out, and one is left with a few questions as well).
The book is set in France and Tunisia—the first where Tarik lives and the other his home country which we visit, and we get a good sense of both places—there are facets of place and places within them that we can see his fondness for and memories attached with but also relationships and past activities/events which bring in elements of complication.
Being Tunisian, identity and racism are matters that come to the fore in several ways, the book also exploring racist attitudes, discrimination, and ghettoization of immigrants (in this thread the book reminded me of Shumona Sinha’s Down With the Poor which I read a few months ago), as well as stereotyping which prevents the pursuit of certain careers or taking of certain paths or simply confines them to a certain type of life.
This is a differently structured but well written book which while time-taking and intense does make for a rather interesting and satisfying read.
4.25 stars
And while there is indeed a mystery around which the story is set, the death of the narrator’s two young sons, this isn’t framed as a whodunit but rather a first-person narrative of a man who has lost all memory of what has befallen him and is trying to dig back in to his mind, to perceptions of moments experienced which left an impression and to his introspective diary entries from various points prior to the dreadful events which he is trying to reconstruct and recover. Tarik Abbassi is a man of Tunisian origin living in France. He has studied at the Sorbonne and is a philosopher/writer and poet but his writings haven’t led to much so far (that is, in terms to published works and so on, though he does write) and he runs a fairly successful Middle Eastern restaurant in Bourdieu. Here he has been living with his German wife Regina and two sons, Haroon and Shams. But one day, things change all of a sudden causing Tariq to re-evaluate his life and relationships. As he is coming to grips with what has unfolded and trying to connect with his sons, his changed situation and a visit to his home country and family with the boys brings him face to face with further questions—the implications of his identity and ethnicity in the face of things as they stand at present.
Navigating through these events, memories and diary entries, we gradually learn about different events that took place and the feelings they evoked in Tarik as also the various people in his life—fraught relationships with his mother and siblings, the dynamics he shares with his friends and coworkers, and the different women he was in love with at different times in his life. And with these we are also piecing together events as they took place leading to the devastating point in Tarik’s life of which we also know no details, just the fact.
The Offering is a beautifully written book which through a personal story of loss, grief and a journey to recover lost memories and answers, addresses aspects both personal and at the broader social level. The structure of the book is in a sense different, moving between narrative and diary entries from different points in time, both setting out events and facts as also the narrator’s feelings and reflections. One consequence is that this does become a slow-moving read—even though it never felt stretched out or dragging at any point while actually reading, it does take a fair while to read.
Being in the first person, everything we learn and every person we see whether it is Tarik’s friends, family or children, it is through his eyes and perception. While one doesn’t get the feeling of him being an unreliable narrator, and at least in the initial sections, it seems as if he is straightforwardly telling things, somewhere about half way or so in, we actually realise where he is and is telling the tale from, and the haziness associated with things especially with the crucial day does come through (as also perhaps, some doubt). Also while he narrates, there are aspects that one notices, the relevance of which one does wonder about in terms of the mystery thread of the story, but one realises their import only later. It is through his actions and reactions also, that one can try to make sense of his character, and how he copes with the gamut of emotions including pain, confusion and questions that each relationship triggers. Of the other characters, we can’t gauge as much, as we only see them through his eyes and perception (of his sister Heend though, also a writer, we get a glimpse of her writings as well), and one does wonder what their side of things is.
The mystery element in the book was one which had me guessing—the solutions or possible lines of inquiry that Tarik seems to be exploring (at one point even supported by the investigating police officer) seem a little beyond plausibility (the police officer seems to suggest a better alternative alongside), yet one reads on till one reaches the answer in the final pages—an answer that one doesn’t really see coming, and which while so different from what one expects (despite some hints) is also surprisingly satisfying (even though what is the truth of the events is never spelled out, and one is left with a few questions as well).
The book is set in France and Tunisia—the first where Tarik lives and the other his home country which we visit, and we get a good sense of both places—there are facets of place and places within them that we can see his fondness for and memories attached with but also relationships and past activities/events which bring in elements of complication.
Being Tunisian, identity and racism are matters that come to the fore in several ways, the book also exploring racist attitudes, discrimination, and ghettoization of immigrants (in this thread the book reminded me of Shumona Sinha’s Down With the Poor which I read a few months ago), as well as stereotyping which prevents the pursuit of certain careers or taking of certain paths or simply confines them to a certain type of life.
This is a differently structured but well written book which while time-taking and intense does make for a rather interesting and satisfying read.
4.25 stars
November 1, 2022
Atypical, challenging
This is a book that will challenge you greatly at first. You need to adjust to the author's timeline and the dense introspective moments. If you can get past the conception of time and the narrator's obsessive self-contemplation, you will find this atypical novel spellbinding as you get drawn into this enthralling story about a man determined to analyze the most nightmarish taboos on his journey from denial to the truth.
This is a book that will challenge you greatly at first. You need to adjust to the author's timeline and the dense introspective moments. If you can get past the conception of time and the narrator's obsessive self-contemplation, you will find this atypical novel spellbinding as you get drawn into this enthralling story about a man determined to analyze the most nightmarish taboos on his journey from denial to the truth.
October 31, 2022
The thriller at its absolute best
Salah el Moncef 's "The Offering " is a novel narrated in the first person. It is a psychological mystery revolving around an immigrant poet living in France whose mind becomes unstable and unreliable after a traumatic brain injury. The exquisite literary style and complexity of this book make it highly stimulating reading.
Tariq Abbassi, the narrator of "The Offering," is a Tunisian poet and philosopher turned restaurateur who, due to repeated failures in his career as a poet, becomes alienated from his German wife, who leaves him for her native country, taking their two young sons with her.
The story is his attempt to piece together the various events that led up to a horrific family tragedy – the death of Tariq’s two young sons – followed by his brain injury. How exactly did the boys die? And what specific events took place during the week that preceded their demise? These two related questions are at the center of this stunning narrative in which mental illness and dissociative amnesia are used by the author as the key storytelling tools that keep us completely spellbound. Of course, it is extremely important not to give away too many of the facts of this mystery-based thriller. Suffice it to say that the plot of "The Offering" is so brilliantly crafted that 1) the mystery of the death of the two boys is revealed only at the very end of the novel – after hundreds of pages of suspense; 2) the revelation is a plot twist so powerful it left me dumbfounded for days.
I could go on and on describing the greatness of this unique novel: the epic scope of a story that spans two continents and dazzles the reader with gorgeously described settings; the lush prose; the hauntingly complex characters... A must-read! 📕
Salah el Moncef 's "The Offering " is a novel narrated in the first person. It is a psychological mystery revolving around an immigrant poet living in France whose mind becomes unstable and unreliable after a traumatic brain injury. The exquisite literary style and complexity of this book make it highly stimulating reading.
Tariq Abbassi, the narrator of "The Offering," is a Tunisian poet and philosopher turned restaurateur who, due to repeated failures in his career as a poet, becomes alienated from his German wife, who leaves him for her native country, taking their two young sons with her.
The story is his attempt to piece together the various events that led up to a horrific family tragedy – the death of Tariq’s two young sons – followed by his brain injury. How exactly did the boys die? And what specific events took place during the week that preceded their demise? These two related questions are at the center of this stunning narrative in which mental illness and dissociative amnesia are used by the author as the key storytelling tools that keep us completely spellbound. Of course, it is extremely important not to give away too many of the facts of this mystery-based thriller. Suffice it to say that the plot of "The Offering" is so brilliantly crafted that 1) the mystery of the death of the two boys is revealed only at the very end of the novel – after hundreds of pages of suspense; 2) the revelation is a plot twist so powerful it left me dumbfounded for days.
I could go on and on describing the greatness of this unique novel: the epic scope of a story that spans two continents and dazzles the reader with gorgeously described settings; the lush prose; the hauntingly complex characters... A must-read! 📕
November 2, 2022
Salvation in truth
"The Offering" is the story of a man, Tariq Abbassi, who tries to make sense of a crucial part of his life after a family tragedy and a severe brain injury. Using his diary, photos, and videos to reconstruct the past, his recollections evolve into a breathtaking epic fresco that gives us the most vivid scenes of intense romances, loss, and the most hopeless forms of grief and regret.
The deeper Tariq delves into his past thanks to words and images, the more he yearns for some form of redemption. Will a letter guide him on the path of truth and salvation?
"The Offering" is the story of a man, Tariq Abbassi, who tries to make sense of a crucial part of his life after a family tragedy and a severe brain injury. Using his diary, photos, and videos to reconstruct the past, his recollections evolve into a breathtaking epic fresco that gives us the most vivid scenes of intense romances, loss, and the most hopeless forms of grief and regret.
The deeper Tariq delves into his past thanks to words and images, the more he yearns for some form of redemption. Will a letter guide him on the path of truth and salvation?
October 31, 2022
Not my kind of story
The flashbacks were too confusing, the mood was too pessimistic and gloomy. Not my kind of story!
The flashbacks were too confusing, the mood was too pessimistic and gloomy. Not my kind of story!
November 2, 2022
Salah El Moncef creates through this unique novel a labyrinthine tale of radical marginalization, pathological denial to the point of a total disconnect from reality, and grief so deep it cuts one off from humanity. Sounds unbearably "heavy," right? Wrong. Because the ravishing prose and the redemption that beauty promises (for the narrator as well as for the reader) makes this novel a strangely beautiful read – a mix of sensuality and stoic elation as the narrator of Moncef's novel manages to rise above his tragic fate through the beauty he creates, sharing with us the ultimate "offering" of the novel's perfectly chosen epigraph.
November 3, 2022
An enchanting escape
With its fluid temporalities fluctuating between past and present, with its complex yet hauntingly poetic sense of evocation, "The Offering" presents the reader with a world of enchanting escape – a reality far more profound and evocative than the shallow world of our daily existence. If you enjoy the rhythms of Faulknerian prose, you are going to love escaping into Moncef’s world!
With its fluid temporalities fluctuating between past and present, with its complex yet hauntingly poetic sense of evocation, "The Offering" presents the reader with a world of enchanting escape – a reality far more profound and evocative than the shallow world of our daily existence. If you enjoy the rhythms of Faulknerian prose, you are going to love escaping into Moncef’s world!
November 3, 2022
Tariq Abbassi is a poet living in France. He has encountered immense tragedies and losses: the death of his two sons, his amnesia, and his incapacity to speak and to function independently. These events are relayed from the perspective of an unreliable narrator who is trying to run away from the unbearable truths of his past as much as he is trying to unearth them.
These contradictions within the narrator create an irresistible mood of mystery as the novel evolves into a detective story in which a horrible truth is at stake: how did Tariq’s children really die?
Besides the splendors of his masterful prose, Moncef presents us with captivating explorations of the human consciousness, and even the workings of the brain itself (the sections on traumatic brain injury). Philosophically speaking, Moncef's novel challenges the reader with stimulating questions on the nature of truth, human motives and relationships, as well as the possibility of self-redemption and self-healing when all relationships seem to have failed and disintegrated.
These contradictions within the narrator create an irresistible mood of mystery as the novel evolves into a detective story in which a horrible truth is at stake: how did Tariq’s children really die?
Besides the splendors of his masterful prose, Moncef presents us with captivating explorations of the human consciousness, and even the workings of the brain itself (the sections on traumatic brain injury). Philosophically speaking, Moncef's novel challenges the reader with stimulating questions on the nature of truth, human motives and relationships, as well as the possibility of self-redemption and self-healing when all relationships seem to have failed and disintegrated.
November 3, 2022
✍️✍️✍️ Expect the unexpected ✍️✍️✍️
When I opened this book, I didn’t know what to expect in terms of its genre and its style. But the more I read, the more I fell in love with the prose and the enchanting descriptions: the parks, the north African architecture and the Mediterranean beaches, the lovely backstreets of the Latin Quarter... The sensuality of the prose and the way it encompasses every detail of these lush scenes is breathtaking. Then there are the psychological thriller/detective story aspects of "The Offering," where Moncef keeps the reader enthralled with his stunning plot twists and his mastery of the art of suspense. 🏆 🏆🏆
The friend who recommended this book described it as a masterpiece. I agree.❤️❤️❤️
When I opened this book, I didn’t know what to expect in terms of its genre and its style. But the more I read, the more I fell in love with the prose and the enchanting descriptions: the parks, the north African architecture and the Mediterranean beaches, the lovely backstreets of the Latin Quarter... The sensuality of the prose and the way it encompasses every detail of these lush scenes is breathtaking. Then there are the psychological thriller/detective story aspects of "The Offering," where Moncef keeps the reader enthralled with his stunning plot twists and his mastery of the art of suspense. 🏆 🏆🏆
The friend who recommended this book described it as a masterpiece. I agree.❤️❤️❤️
October 31, 2022
Enigmatic, philosophically rich
Salah el Moncef's "The Offering" is a carefully thought out, thoroughly researched book with interesting forays into psychiatry, the psychology of trauma and grief, and even the social causes of ethnic extremism. Still, the author manages to keep his story focused on the enigma of its key characters and its key events. The labyrinth of the story keeps going and going, from mystery to mystery, and we keep reading and reading, plunging deeper into the maze until the truth is revealed and we find ourselves breathless with awe and amazement.
Salah el Moncef's "The Offering" is a carefully thought out, thoroughly researched book with interesting forays into psychiatry, the psychology of trauma and grief, and even the social causes of ethnic extremism. Still, the author manages to keep his story focused on the enigma of its key characters and its key events. The labyrinth of the story keeps going and going, from mystery to mystery, and we keep reading and reading, plunging deeper into the maze until the truth is revealed and we find ourselves breathless with awe and amazement.
October 28, 2022
A lot of emotional depth, conceptual sophistication, and sheer thrill in this novel from Salah el Moncef. The structure of "The Offering" is well put together, and the prose of the traumatized and unreliable narrator is elegantly poetic without being too florid. In conclusion, this is a carefully thought out, well-balanced book. If you're looking for an innovative, challenging novel, you're going to love "The Offering."
November 5, 2022
Endless Offerings
"The Offering" is a novel that "offers" everything: the beauty of nature, the bewitching charms of Paris, the dazzling landscapes of the Mediterranean and Breton coasts. As if that weren't enough, El Moncef's book is a spellbinding journey into the meanders and mysteries of love betrayed, of relationships shattered, of loss unmitigated – including the loss of one's most cherished memories.
I could go on and on singing the praises of this gem of a novel, but I shouldn't. I'll just say, go ahead and grab this book. You will never regret it.
"The Offering" is a novel that "offers" everything: the beauty of nature, the bewitching charms of Paris, the dazzling landscapes of the Mediterranean and Breton coasts. As if that weren't enough, El Moncef's book is a spellbinding journey into the meanders and mysteries of love betrayed, of relationships shattered, of loss unmitigated – including the loss of one's most cherished memories.
I could go on and on singing the praises of this gem of a novel, but I shouldn't. I'll just say, go ahead and grab this book. You will never regret it.
November 6, 2022
El Moncef and the mystery of language
Tariq, the key protagonist of El Moncef's "The Offering," is a driven man, torn between commitment to his role as a father (his love for his sons Haroon and Shams), and his obsession with all the beauty out there that must be captured through words and images.
In his attempt to fully dissect this man for us, the author achieves a stunning artistic feat. He does so through a prose which is an art form it its own right, fully independent from the story. There is depth and intensity in El Moncef’s use of language; there is also an imagination full of vividness and originality; there is stunning evocation of scenes and situations that become so vivid, you feel as if you were inside the fictional world of the book. How can a writer, using abstract words, be able to conjure up reality in such intense ways that keep you completely immersed page after page? Beyond the story and its mesmerizing mysteries, this is the real mystery of "The Offering."
Tariq, the key protagonist of El Moncef's "The Offering," is a driven man, torn between commitment to his role as a father (his love for his sons Haroon and Shams), and his obsession with all the beauty out there that must be captured through words and images.
In his attempt to fully dissect this man for us, the author achieves a stunning artistic feat. He does so through a prose which is an art form it its own right, fully independent from the story. There is depth and intensity in El Moncef’s use of language; there is also an imagination full of vividness and originality; there is stunning evocation of scenes and situations that become so vivid, you feel as if you were inside the fictional world of the book. How can a writer, using abstract words, be able to conjure up reality in such intense ways that keep you completely immersed page after page? Beyond the story and its mesmerizing mysteries, this is the real mystery of "The Offering."
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December 12, 2022Get ready for a literary tale of sadness, sorrow and grief told by a poet in THE OFFERING by Salah el Moncef!
Read the full review on Booktrib.com
Read the full review on Booktrib.com
October 2, 2018
Truth in Poetry:
Observations on Salah el Moncef’s The Offering
Salah el Moncef’s remarkable novel The Offering is narrated by Tariq Abbassi, an Arab, an aspiring poet with a Ph.D. in philosophy from the Sorbonne, and a restaurateur in Bordeaux—a principal setting along with Paris, Tunis and its environs, and the coast of Brittany. The novel constitutes Tariq’s struggles to piece together his past while institutionalized for mental trauma and amnesia. Through the process of writing he gradually reconstructs, or in some cases perhaps only imagines, the last couple years of his life entailing both experiences of horrific loss and interludes of great beauty. El Moncef—educated in Tunisia, France, and America and presently a professor of English literature at The University of Nantes—clearly draws on some elements of his own background in this instance of Arab diasporic fiction that, for reasons perhaps suggested in the novel itself, is unusual for that genre in that it is written in English. It could also be called a first-person retrospective novel, a psychological novel, a philosophical novel, or a mystery. Ultimately it is something powerfully unique that resists easy classification.
The Offering begins with a foreword written by one of its characters, Sami Mamlouk, who explains that the first-person narrative to follow is "the work of a dead poet," his friend Tariq Abbassi, who committed suicide and left behind the typescript of what Sami refers to as a "novel." In his actual narrative, however, Tariq presents his writing not as fiction but rather as an attempt to distil truth from his mind’s welter of sometimes confused, often painful, and occasionally ecstatic remembrances: the impossible ideal of grasping the past exactly as it was. Hence the novel's challenges to its claims of factuality—for example, some of Tariq’s recollected experiences resemble those in a novel he has been trying to write—reflect, not postmodern game playing for its own sake, but the elusiveness of realty for a man traumatized by circumstances yet obsessed with truth, which becomes inseparable in his mind from his poetic strivings and ideals. The quest for truth (however idiosyncratic, however constructivist—call it truth in poetry) occurs in both the overall narrative, which he reconstructs at some temporal distance from most of the events recounted, and the inclusion of emotionally tinged excerpts from his diary that Tariq’s later understandings variously support and belie. He also incorporates thematically and psychologically apposite poems, song lyrics, letters, and other documents including a hilarious magic-realist short story written by his sister.
Out of these materials arises an overall chronological storyline punctuated by gaps, mostly but not entirely filled in later, and by Tariq’s delvings into his past. At first the protagonist’s story focuses on the breakup of his marriage and its consequences. Without warning, his German wife leaves him, taking their two young sons, and later, after suffering from an impersonal justice system and eventual divorce, he guiltily tries to overcome his boys’ estrangement during their court-mandated visits to him that his friend Zoé helps facilitate. Tariq’s situation, which might appear commonplace enough, is deepened, as is the entire novel, by his powerfully rendered inner life, by the gradual unveiling of an intriguing past, and by his ability at times to largely forget himself in his immaculate descriptions of places and events. There is also sheer strangeness as, casting a new and sinister light on what has come before, half way through the novel Tariq’s story makes a head spinning plunge into matters of insanity, ritualistic human sacrifice, and criminal investigation.
As if to establish bedrock under what he recognizes might be a suspect narrative, Tariq near its beginning simply lists as facts key elements of what is to follow: “the monstrous death of my children,” “brain trauma,” his stay at a “holistic institution,” his work with a psychiatrist and a “hypnotherapy team,” his friend Sami’s “providential” involvement in his life, the “ambiguous role” of a police commissioner, his mother’s letter to him of love and redemption, and his relationship with Zoé that has led to as yet unspecified consequences. The significance of these factors for Tariq only slowly emerges, and the letter in question appears at the very end of the novel, where it can be read, on the one hand, as enhancing the mystery surrounding the death of Tariq’s sons or, on the other, as pulling together the novel’s narrative strands into a coherent whole.
His father’s long-ago abandonment of his family has scarred Tariq, as it has in various ways his mother and siblings. That he is an Arab, self-exiled after his failure in Tunisia as an activist for social justice and democracy, becomes increasingly important when European prejudice, which he had tried to ignore much as he had come to ignore politics after moving to France, is fully brought home to him. Following his divorce, in a visit to his extended family in the upscale suburb of Tunis named after the ancient city of Carthage, Tariq finds himself “searching the rubble of my own secret Carthage” and unable to make sense of the confused love, loss, and alienation that mark his life. Making sense, however, is what he attempts in his compilation of the “copious documents” that constitute the novel.
Such are the bare bones of The Offering—a title both elusive and rich in possible meanings—but they take on artistic substance through language that is often lapidary in its renderings of people, places, events, and ideas. I chose this passage at random: “Although the tide was out, there were only a few clam diggers in the distance—scattered across the anthracite shimmer of the sandbars; stooping in the tidal pools and in the long shadows of the furry rocks, like ragged monochrome forms in rubber boots.” The adjective “furry” is precise, describing what the wet vegetation on the exposed rocks looks like seen from a middle distance; other details intimate Tariq’s mental condition at the time of these observations. You can open the novel anywhere and find passages, long and short, as precise, polished, and evocative. There are descriptions of food preparation, lovingly detailed. The prose sometimes becomes indistinguishable from a particularly controlled, sharp-edged form of poetry hinting at the narrator’s emotional investments in what he perceives. He loves language, its beauty and the truths it can impart, though his truth-telling struggles, as he sometimes recognizes, against the temptation to use words for evasion and self-protection.
Tariq says he writes in English because it offers objectivity, freeing him from the cultural associations and vexed personal resonances of Arabic and French. English thus resembles what France once meant for him: freedom from his fraught Tunisian background coupled with freedom to develop his gifts and thereby defeat a deeply felt sense of insufficiency and guilt. Unfortunately, as Tariq comes to realize, his search for truth and self-validity through art bolstered a self-absorption that helped motivate his wife’s abandonment and loss of the two sons whom he desperately loves despite his preoccupations. A genius caught in the inner labyrinth of a complex and destabilized mind, Tariq experiences moments of great love, much as he can shift from intense internal processing to clear-eyed, sensually exact depictions of external reality. It is love for a woman from Paris whose path suddenly and mysteriously intersects his life that offers hope. Exemplifying the contingency Tariq sees woven throughout his past, she is one of the novel’s instances of “the twist that will take us into the territory of the utterly new.”
Readers who welcome challenges I believe will be captured by The Offering—by Tariq’s intelligence, his fight to surmount his sufferings, his linguistic magic, and his moments of grace in the midst of confusions that envelop readers too as they try to understand what has happened. Ultimately, however, perhaps the real point is not what did or did not occur. The novel articulates poignant commonalities of the human condition shaped by a unique individual seeking, through the mysterious alchemy of writing, a coherent self confident in facing reality however bleak. The novel’s “offering” and payoff is emotional truth. At least that is what Tariq feels he finally achieves.
It is uncertain why he would kill himself. Perhaps he experiences renewed guilt over his sons’ deaths and his other perceived failures. Or it might signify desire to complete his story definitively, his life a textual offering whose meaning would be muddied by its continuance. His mother’s letter, which concludes the novel, applies a turn of the screw to Tariq’s story, a final twist that allows the reader either a tidy explanation for what has occurred or more mystery. In either event, it beautifully articulates what Tariq himself feels he has learned, and I will leave it to readers to discern what that is and to decide if it suffices.
Observations on Salah el Moncef’s The Offering
Salah el Moncef’s remarkable novel The Offering is narrated by Tariq Abbassi, an Arab, an aspiring poet with a Ph.D. in philosophy from the Sorbonne, and a restaurateur in Bordeaux—a principal setting along with Paris, Tunis and its environs, and the coast of Brittany. The novel constitutes Tariq’s struggles to piece together his past while institutionalized for mental trauma and amnesia. Through the process of writing he gradually reconstructs, or in some cases perhaps only imagines, the last couple years of his life entailing both experiences of horrific loss and interludes of great beauty. El Moncef—educated in Tunisia, France, and America and presently a professor of English literature at The University of Nantes—clearly draws on some elements of his own background in this instance of Arab diasporic fiction that, for reasons perhaps suggested in the novel itself, is unusual for that genre in that it is written in English. It could also be called a first-person retrospective novel, a psychological novel, a philosophical novel, or a mystery. Ultimately it is something powerfully unique that resists easy classification.
The Offering begins with a foreword written by one of its characters, Sami Mamlouk, who explains that the first-person narrative to follow is "the work of a dead poet," his friend Tariq Abbassi, who committed suicide and left behind the typescript of what Sami refers to as a "novel." In his actual narrative, however, Tariq presents his writing not as fiction but rather as an attempt to distil truth from his mind’s welter of sometimes confused, often painful, and occasionally ecstatic remembrances: the impossible ideal of grasping the past exactly as it was. Hence the novel's challenges to its claims of factuality—for example, some of Tariq’s recollected experiences resemble those in a novel he has been trying to write—reflect, not postmodern game playing for its own sake, but the elusiveness of realty for a man traumatized by circumstances yet obsessed with truth, which becomes inseparable in his mind from his poetic strivings and ideals. The quest for truth (however idiosyncratic, however constructivist—call it truth in poetry) occurs in both the overall narrative, which he reconstructs at some temporal distance from most of the events recounted, and the inclusion of emotionally tinged excerpts from his diary that Tariq’s later understandings variously support and belie. He also incorporates thematically and psychologically apposite poems, song lyrics, letters, and other documents including a hilarious magic-realist short story written by his sister.
Out of these materials arises an overall chronological storyline punctuated by gaps, mostly but not entirely filled in later, and by Tariq’s delvings into his past. At first the protagonist’s story focuses on the breakup of his marriage and its consequences. Without warning, his German wife leaves him, taking their two young sons, and later, after suffering from an impersonal justice system and eventual divorce, he guiltily tries to overcome his boys’ estrangement during their court-mandated visits to him that his friend Zoé helps facilitate. Tariq’s situation, which might appear commonplace enough, is deepened, as is the entire novel, by his powerfully rendered inner life, by the gradual unveiling of an intriguing past, and by his ability at times to largely forget himself in his immaculate descriptions of places and events. There is also sheer strangeness as, casting a new and sinister light on what has come before, half way through the novel Tariq’s story makes a head spinning plunge into matters of insanity, ritualistic human sacrifice, and criminal investigation.
As if to establish bedrock under what he recognizes might be a suspect narrative, Tariq near its beginning simply lists as facts key elements of what is to follow: “the monstrous death of my children,” “brain trauma,” his stay at a “holistic institution,” his work with a psychiatrist and a “hypnotherapy team,” his friend Sami’s “providential” involvement in his life, the “ambiguous role” of a police commissioner, his mother’s letter to him of love and redemption, and his relationship with Zoé that has led to as yet unspecified consequences. The significance of these factors for Tariq only slowly emerges, and the letter in question appears at the very end of the novel, where it can be read, on the one hand, as enhancing the mystery surrounding the death of Tariq’s sons or, on the other, as pulling together the novel’s narrative strands into a coherent whole.
His father’s long-ago abandonment of his family has scarred Tariq, as it has in various ways his mother and siblings. That he is an Arab, self-exiled after his failure in Tunisia as an activist for social justice and democracy, becomes increasingly important when European prejudice, which he had tried to ignore much as he had come to ignore politics after moving to France, is fully brought home to him. Following his divorce, in a visit to his extended family in the upscale suburb of Tunis named after the ancient city of Carthage, Tariq finds himself “searching the rubble of my own secret Carthage” and unable to make sense of the confused love, loss, and alienation that mark his life. Making sense, however, is what he attempts in his compilation of the “copious documents” that constitute the novel.
Such are the bare bones of The Offering—a title both elusive and rich in possible meanings—but they take on artistic substance through language that is often lapidary in its renderings of people, places, events, and ideas. I chose this passage at random: “Although the tide was out, there were only a few clam diggers in the distance—scattered across the anthracite shimmer of the sandbars; stooping in the tidal pools and in the long shadows of the furry rocks, like ragged monochrome forms in rubber boots.” The adjective “furry” is precise, describing what the wet vegetation on the exposed rocks looks like seen from a middle distance; other details intimate Tariq’s mental condition at the time of these observations. You can open the novel anywhere and find passages, long and short, as precise, polished, and evocative. There are descriptions of food preparation, lovingly detailed. The prose sometimes becomes indistinguishable from a particularly controlled, sharp-edged form of poetry hinting at the narrator’s emotional investments in what he perceives. He loves language, its beauty and the truths it can impart, though his truth-telling struggles, as he sometimes recognizes, against the temptation to use words for evasion and self-protection.
Tariq says he writes in English because it offers objectivity, freeing him from the cultural associations and vexed personal resonances of Arabic and French. English thus resembles what France once meant for him: freedom from his fraught Tunisian background coupled with freedom to develop his gifts and thereby defeat a deeply felt sense of insufficiency and guilt. Unfortunately, as Tariq comes to realize, his search for truth and self-validity through art bolstered a self-absorption that helped motivate his wife’s abandonment and loss of the two sons whom he desperately loves despite his preoccupations. A genius caught in the inner labyrinth of a complex and destabilized mind, Tariq experiences moments of great love, much as he can shift from intense internal processing to clear-eyed, sensually exact depictions of external reality. It is love for a woman from Paris whose path suddenly and mysteriously intersects his life that offers hope. Exemplifying the contingency Tariq sees woven throughout his past, she is one of the novel’s instances of “the twist that will take us into the territory of the utterly new.”
Readers who welcome challenges I believe will be captured by The Offering—by Tariq’s intelligence, his fight to surmount his sufferings, his linguistic magic, and his moments of grace in the midst of confusions that envelop readers too as they try to understand what has happened. Ultimately, however, perhaps the real point is not what did or did not occur. The novel articulates poignant commonalities of the human condition shaped by a unique individual seeking, through the mysterious alchemy of writing, a coherent self confident in facing reality however bleak. The novel’s “offering” and payoff is emotional truth. At least that is what Tariq feels he finally achieves.
It is uncertain why he would kill himself. Perhaps he experiences renewed guilt over his sons’ deaths and his other perceived failures. Or it might signify desire to complete his story definitively, his life a textual offering whose meaning would be muddied by its continuance. His mother’s letter, which concludes the novel, applies a turn of the screw to Tariq’s story, a final twist that allows the reader either a tidy explanation for what has occurred or more mystery. In either event, it beautifully articulates what Tariq himself feels he has learned, and I will leave it to readers to discern what that is and to decide if it suffices.
November 27, 2022
With a lyrical, evocative style, Salah el Moncef expertly pulls on the reader's feelings and leaves them somewhat stunned at the end. Told through the eyes of Tariq Abassis, a poet bound in introspection, this mystery asks many questions of the inquiring, patient reader. Places come alive through gorgeous prose. A twist waits tauntingly until the very last pages.
The point of view character is fascinating, a study into the plunging abyss of mental illness and the merciless cruelty of life, The Offering pulls no punches and compels you to turn the page. Poignant flashes of hope intersperse the grief. Although I come from a jaded perspective, the rewards of pushing back against the weight of all-consuming despair resonate deeply at the story's conclusion.
This book is not a light read but it is an excellent read. Be prepared to delve deeply and come out gasping for air.
The point of view character is fascinating, a study into the plunging abyss of mental illness and the merciless cruelty of life, The Offering pulls no punches and compels you to turn the page. Poignant flashes of hope intersperse the grief. Although I come from a jaded perspective, the rewards of pushing back against the weight of all-consuming despair resonate deeply at the story's conclusion.
This book is not a light read but it is an excellent read. Be prepared to delve deeply and come out gasping for air.
November 22, 2015
One of the best in really good literature that I have read in a long time. The writing is superb and so well done. it is a somewhat complicated story being fragmented from one place in time to another, but if read slowly and deliberately easy to decipher. Feeling for this man who has lost his two sons and all the security in his life, written in beautiful prose, is a wonderful novel. The poetry and flow of the novel, as long as it is, is pure joy to read. Tariq is such a sensitive man who seems to find such tragedy in his life with little joy, it pulls at your heart strings all along the way. I would recommend the book to most anyone that loves a deep, touching read.
I received a free copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
I received a free copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
October 30, 2023
My first impression, as I started reading this, was that I found this protagonist intriguing, and I wanted to know whatever story they had to tell.
I found the writing rich, elegant and very pretty. I felt there was a lot of emphasis on emotions, and I found the way the protagonist talked about emotions quite thought-provoking - in particular, the way he talked about loneliness. There was also something about the relationships between the characters that I found heart-warming and comforting, and I found the book in general quite comforting to read.
October 25, 2022
I am grateful to have received this book from Booktasters. Please dig in to know how I felt about the book!
Genre:
Fiction
Plot:
Tariq Abbassi, a Tunisian philosopher poet, after a lot of career struggles, shifts to France along with his wife Regina. Over a period of six years in Bordeaux, Tariq struggles to get recognized as a writer and makes a living as a restaurateur. Fed up with his aloofness and anger, Regina takes their children and leaves.
What started as dealing with aftermath of divorce soon spirals into something worse than Tariq had ever imagined… Something he needs to face and accept…
Review:
When I read the first few pages and the Foreword – I didn’t expect what was waiting for me in the book. Right from the beginning, my attention was hooked. Written in first person narrative, the book moves between present and flashbacks. After a long time, I read something which was poetic and rich in literature. The words used to describe everything feel very nuanced and beautiful.
Through Tariq’s struggles and inner battles, the book explores various issues which a person faces in life, especially an immigrant. The initial struggles, the betrayal, and the emotional turmoil which Tariq faces after his wife’s exit feels familiar. The bonding between the kids and the father was heart-warming to read. What caught my attention was the dysfunctional relationship which Tariq shared with his siblings and mother. There were certain incidents such as having to which felt relatable. The prejudices, moral superiority, the uncomfortable silences, Tariq’s craving to be understood and hope for support – felt truly touching. I did feel exasperated to drill some sense into his extended family. Throughout the book it felt like although Tariq had many people in his life, he was completely lonely. That loneliness can be felt throughout his journey.
Underlying these emotional moments there is a mystery which builds curiosity as to what exactly happened to his sons and what exactly is happening to Tariq himself. That ensured I scrolled page after page to find out what happens next!
However, the book is a heavy read. There’s lot going on and needed my attention fully. The switch between past and present could have been better.
The ending left me with lot more questions. It felt like an open-ended journey, open to interpretation and understanding of the reader.
Overall, I truly enjoyed reading this book. The author is truly amazing. An emotional rollercoaster with sprinkling of light-hearted moments, this book is truly worth reading. It truly lingers in your mind after you finish reading. I do recommend this book. Please do watch out for the poem titled “Night Owl”. It’s beautiful, poignant yet felt slightly hopeful!
Genre:
Fiction
Plot:
Tariq Abbassi, a Tunisian philosopher poet, after a lot of career struggles, shifts to France along with his wife Regina. Over a period of six years in Bordeaux, Tariq struggles to get recognized as a writer and makes a living as a restaurateur. Fed up with his aloofness and anger, Regina takes their children and leaves.
What started as dealing with aftermath of divorce soon spirals into something worse than Tariq had ever imagined… Something he needs to face and accept…
Review:
When I read the first few pages and the Foreword – I didn’t expect what was waiting for me in the book. Right from the beginning, my attention was hooked. Written in first person narrative, the book moves between present and flashbacks. After a long time, I read something which was poetic and rich in literature. The words used to describe everything feel very nuanced and beautiful.
Through Tariq’s struggles and inner battles, the book explores various issues which a person faces in life, especially an immigrant. The initial struggles, the betrayal, and the emotional turmoil which Tariq faces after his wife’s exit feels familiar. The bonding between the kids and the father was heart-warming to read. What caught my attention was the dysfunctional relationship which Tariq shared with his siblings and mother. There were certain incidents such as having to which felt relatable. The prejudices, moral superiority, the uncomfortable silences, Tariq’s craving to be understood and hope for support – felt truly touching. I did feel exasperated to drill some sense into his extended family. Throughout the book it felt like although Tariq had many people in his life, he was completely lonely. That loneliness can be felt throughout his journey.
Underlying these emotional moments there is a mystery which builds curiosity as to what exactly happened to his sons and what exactly is happening to Tariq himself. That ensured I scrolled page after page to find out what happens next!
However, the book is a heavy read. There’s lot going on and needed my attention fully. The switch between past and present could have been better.
The ending left me with lot more questions. It felt like an open-ended journey, open to interpretation and understanding of the reader.
Overall, I truly enjoyed reading this book. The author is truly amazing. An emotional rollercoaster with sprinkling of light-hearted moments, this book is truly worth reading. It truly lingers in your mind after you finish reading. I do recommend this book. Please do watch out for the poem titled “Night Owl”. It’s beautiful, poignant yet felt slightly hopeful!
April 15, 2023
“If you’re holding this book in your hands, if you’re thinking of reading it, you need to know up front that it is the work of a dead poet.”
This is how Salah el Moncef kicks off “The Offering.” It’s similar to the opening of the film noir classic “Double Indemnity,” which immediately gives away the plot climax, turning the movie into a “whydunit” instead of a “whodunit.” You know what’s going to happen, but you’re intrigued to find out how.
But el Moncef adds a meta element to the mix, creating a bit of a book-within-a-book scenario, with Sami Mamlouk, one of the main characters, talking directly to the reader in the foreword about the novel. Tariq Abbassi, the main character of the fictional autobiography, had taken his life, leaving a rough draft of the work on his computer. Because Mamlouk believed Abbassi meant it to be consumed by the public, he chooses to publish it.
“The Offering” is a difficult read. Not stylistically speaking; it’s well-written. But in terms of subject matter, it’s depressing. Abbassi’s wife suddenly leaves him, leading him to become estranged from his young sons. And he has to deal with that unexpected wrinkle while trying to keep his restaurant in afloat along with his dreams of becoming a poet. He’s stuck in no man’s land, with a culture in France wary of the Tunisian immigrant and a family back home none too pleased at his life choices, with the divorce only adding to the familial tension.
And it’s far from the worst part, but to discuss that unfathomable tragedy would require a spoiler alert. Similar to the foreword, it’s discussed early on, with Abbassi spending the rest of the book trying to discover why it happened.
“The Offering” jumps around chronologically, geographically and stylistically. At times it’s a familial drama, others a detective story, still others an existential reckoning. Woven into the narrative are entries from Abbassi’s journal, adding yet another layer to the onion, essentially making it a journal within an autobiography within a novel.
The last pages add one final gut-punch of a twist, which alters everything that came before it while simultaneously giving the novel some satisfying closure.
“The Offering” is an enjoyable, twisty journey. Don’t expect a feel-good story, but do expect to be satisfied.
This is how Salah el Moncef kicks off “The Offering.” It’s similar to the opening of the film noir classic “Double Indemnity,” which immediately gives away the plot climax, turning the movie into a “whydunit” instead of a “whodunit.” You know what’s going to happen, but you’re intrigued to find out how.
But el Moncef adds a meta element to the mix, creating a bit of a book-within-a-book scenario, with Sami Mamlouk, one of the main characters, talking directly to the reader in the foreword about the novel. Tariq Abbassi, the main character of the fictional autobiography, had taken his life, leaving a rough draft of the work on his computer. Because Mamlouk believed Abbassi meant it to be consumed by the public, he chooses to publish it.
“The Offering” is a difficult read. Not stylistically speaking; it’s well-written. But in terms of subject matter, it’s depressing. Abbassi’s wife suddenly leaves him, leading him to become estranged from his young sons. And he has to deal with that unexpected wrinkle while trying to keep his restaurant in afloat along with his dreams of becoming a poet. He’s stuck in no man’s land, with a culture in France wary of the Tunisian immigrant and a family back home none too pleased at his life choices, with the divorce only adding to the familial tension.
And it’s far from the worst part, but to discuss that unfathomable tragedy would require a spoiler alert. Similar to the foreword, it’s discussed early on, with Abbassi spending the rest of the book trying to discover why it happened.
“The Offering” jumps around chronologically, geographically and stylistically. At times it’s a familial drama, others a detective story, still others an existential reckoning. Woven into the narrative are entries from Abbassi’s journal, adding yet another layer to the onion, essentially making it a journal within an autobiography within a novel.
The last pages add one final gut-punch of a twist, which alters everything that came before it while simultaneously giving the novel some satisfying closure.
“The Offering” is an enjoyable, twisty journey. Don’t expect a feel-good story, but do expect to be satisfied.
February 28, 2023
The Offering by Salah El Moncef is a beautifully written novel that transports the reader to a different time and place. The story is set in 1950s Tunisia and follows the life of a young girl named Aziza, who is forced to confront the cultural and societal norms that dictate her life.
One of the things I appreciated most about this book was the way in which the author captures the essence of Tunisia and its people. From the descriptions of the bustling marketplace to the traditions of the local community, the reader is able to fully immerse themselves in the world of the novel.
The character development in the book is also excellent. Aziza is a complex and multifaceted character, and the reader is able to fully understand her motivations and struggles throughout the book. The other characters in the novel are also well-developed and contribute to the overall richness of the story.
Overall, The Offering is a beautifully written novel that offers a unique glimpse into Tunisian culture and society. The story is engaging and the characters are memorable, making it a book that I would highly recommend to anyone looking for a thought-provoking and emotionally resonant read.
One of the things I appreciated most about this book was the way in which the author captures the essence of Tunisia and its people. From the descriptions of the bustling marketplace to the traditions of the local community, the reader is able to fully immerse themselves in the world of the novel.
The character development in the book is also excellent. Aziza is a complex and multifaceted character, and the reader is able to fully understand her motivations and struggles throughout the book. The other characters in the novel are also well-developed and contribute to the overall richness of the story.
Overall, The Offering is a beautifully written novel that offers a unique glimpse into Tunisian culture and society. The story is engaging and the characters are memorable, making it a book that I would highly recommend to anyone looking for a thought-provoking and emotionally resonant read.
March 20, 2023
The Offering is a truly in-depth novel focusing on the pain of the narrator, Tariq. But, it's not just about pain; it's about grief, heartbreak, mystery and how much tragedy and tumultuous relationships can befall one man.
If you're not a fan of flashbacks, like me, then be wary of reading this novel.I don't like them in films or books; they're a fast track to confusing me and there are better ways of relaying information to your audience, also. However, if they are used, it's imperative that they are done well to avoid the risk of losing your reader.
That said, I can't take the skill of storytelling completely away from the author. He can weave a complicated plot when required and is able to provoke so many emotions on huge amount of levels. What Tariq feels, you feel, in short. Mind-blowing.
If you're not a fan of flashbacks, like me, then be wary of reading this novel.I don't like them in films or books; they're a fast track to confusing me and there are better ways of relaying information to your audience, also. However, if they are used, it's imperative that they are done well to avoid the risk of losing your reader.
That said, I can't take the skill of storytelling completely away from the author. He can weave a complicated plot when required and is able to provoke so many emotions on huge amount of levels. What Tariq feels, you feel, in short. Mind-blowing.
March 28, 2023
The Offering by Salah El Moncef is a different read from my usual ones. I received this book in my mix circumstances and moods and many events (some good and some bad ) happening in my life.
So I had read this book twice to get in to it to give an impartial review. I would give 5 stars to the plot, the turn of events from a simple story to dark end, the eclectic mix of prose and poetry ( some of the verses just hit you deep ) .
But over all 3.5 stars - ( maybe I am biased due my current mood as the story has very darker tones)
It seemed like too many events and too many people were in the story and constant back and now confused a little as somewhere the story seemed unfinished.
But still I would recommend this book for the poetry lovers and who love complex story told in simple words. Thanks @Booktasters for giving me the pleasure to read and review this book.
So I had read this book twice to get in to it to give an impartial review. I would give 5 stars to the plot, the turn of events from a simple story to dark end, the eclectic mix of prose and poetry ( some of the verses just hit you deep ) .
But over all 3.5 stars - ( maybe I am biased due my current mood as the story has very darker tones)
It seemed like too many events and too many people were in the story and constant back and now confused a little as somewhere the story seemed unfinished.
But still I would recommend this book for the poetry lovers and who love complex story told in simple words. Thanks @Booktasters for giving me the pleasure to read and review this book.
September 7, 2015
Memory, Trauma, Confabulation, and Narrative Identity Play: An Unsettling Puzzle
Tariq Abbassi, a French experimental poet of Tunisian origin, has lost his children, his memories, as well as his ability to speak and function on his own. As an odd after-effect of his brain injury, he can now express himself fully, by his own account, only in 'a perfectly fluent but excessively formal and florid English,' and only in writing. He refuses to see most of his friends and family members for reasons vacillating between suspicion and guilt, and he provides convoluted and contradictory clues concerning the real cause of his brain injury. The Offering opens with Tariq's friend Sami Mamlouk's presentation of his role in the publishing of Tariq's typescript after Tariq's suicide and ends with a letter supposedly written by Tariq's mother ' but these framing devices, traditionally used to add clarity to an unreliable protagonist-narrator's account, in fact render the narrative more disquieting and perplexing. Sami describes the letter as a 'self-addressed email' appended to the typescript, and throughout the introduction, his general attitude and writing style are at odds with his portrayal in Tariq's text. Moreover, subtle clues in Tariq's typescript frame the letter as the product of Tariq's therapeutic appropriation of the voice of the imaginary mother -- infinitely loving and fully capable of expressing that love. Nonetheless, Sami did mediate between Tariq and the publishers, so he might have altered (parts of) the typescript, in spite of his claims to authenticity, in which case Sami's approach of Tariq's tragedy would have to be read as deeply self-involved and self-serving.
The mystery novel structure suggested by these details (many of which emerge fairly early in the novel) is complicated in the most enticing manner by Salah el Moncef's skillfully deceptive writing style. The typescript presumably left behind by Tariq is difficult to elucidate not just because Tariq's recovery of his writing 'voice' is a painful and meandering process, but also because Tariq seems to be struggling to hide (from) the reality of his past about as much as he claims to be struggling to uncover it. At first, he appears childishly self-centered, naive, and confused -- both in the way he is patching together veiled memories, photos, and journal entries and in the way he comments on past events. In a cringe-worthy episode, as he recounts the events following his wife's departure with his sons, he expresses gratitude for the kindness and encouragement received from a deputy mayor (a client of his restaurant) while failing to notice the man's crassly sexist remarks (an attitude that resonates with his initial inability to acknowledge the reasons for his wife's decision to leave him). Later in the novel, as the writing style parallels Tariq's recovery in displaying increasing stylistic and structural sophistication, the narrative becomes both more thrilling and more elusive. Even the stunningly beautiful evocations of beloved places and people in Tunisia and France are dominated by an undercurrent of mystery and dread, as the protagonist-narrator always appears to be withholding something. It remains difficult to ascertain if what Tariq continues to defer is mere factual information or something to do with his ever-morphing perception and evaluation of events. A dizzying film of authentic pain mixed with rather repulsive righteousness and self-pity stretches over Tariq's prose. At times, the narrative invites the reader to connect with the protagonist, only to circumvent the very possibility of a connection seconds later with a swift reminder that representation is always, for multiple reasons and at multiple levels, little more than deceit.
Both the truth of representation and that of perception are subjected to scrutiny in this fascinating excursion into the depths of the mind. According to Lacan, in order to truly understand repetition compulsion, one needs to acknowledge that patients often lie about the facts as a way to tell the truth about trauma. Tariq's (re)constructed recollection and vivid re-living of the death of his sons at the hands of heinous conspirators may appear hideously implausible and egomaniacal from an objective viewpoint but constitutes an authentic approximation of Tariq's real pain and crushing inability to tackle his feelings of guilt. The pages leading to the closing letter offer several clues that Tariq is no longer able or willing to fuel his confabulation. The letter recreates the protagonist as an infinitely resourceful son capable of overcoming his ordeal and ready to start a new, more creative and rewarding life -- a mother's loving projection, and a more consistent and autonomous human being than the writing protagonist had ever been or could ever become. Perhaps this very realization drove Tariq to suicide. Perhaps, on the contrary, it determined him to run away from prosecution for negligent homicide, and Sami is lying to protect him. Or perhaps Tariq does not even exist -- he is entirely Sami's invention.
Salah el Moncef's novel offers the reader productive questions concerning truth, relationships, the possibility of healing, and ultimately the nature of reality rather than easy, comfortable answers. The narrative voice intricacies and the identity play in el Moncef's textual enterprise constitute an important ethical gesture. In an age of full immersion into texts, developing resistance to textual manipulation qualifies as a survival skill -- and books that contribute to that training in a disquieting and consequential manner are not just fascinating but necessary.
October 21, 2022
Wow!
This book was plot-rich. Never a dull moment, I was dying to unravel the mystery of Tariq’s memories and backstory.
He’s a very interesting character, with deep, relatable thought processes. The pacing was good, too!
My only complaint is that the writing style was hard to catch onto, but that’s it. The book was well thought-out, with gripping characters and an even more riveting plotline. Although, it takes a turn for the darker side of literature towards the second half, and the plot twist at the end had my jaw on the floor. It deals with deep, heart twisting topics but it’s handled and written well in this novel. :)
This book was plot-rich. Never a dull moment, I was dying to unravel the mystery of Tariq’s memories and backstory.
He’s a very interesting character, with deep, relatable thought processes. The pacing was good, too!
My only complaint is that the writing style was hard to catch onto, but that’s it. The book was well thought-out, with gripping characters and an even more riveting plotline. Although, it takes a turn for the darker side of literature towards the second half, and the plot twist at the end had my jaw on the floor. It deals with deep, heart twisting topics but it’s handled and written well in this novel. :)
November 5, 2022
This is a book requiring time to appreciate the prose poetry of the author. While going off on long discussions of the bigotry directed at Arabic peoples, there is a lingering look at how introversion destroyed a marriage and what it takes to establish a bond between that introvert and his two very young sons. I now want to go back to Paris and then on to Tunisia because of the detailed excursions the characters make. The last tiny bit of the book deals with the death of those boys and two possibilities for their deaths. Then the book closes with the mother’s letter. . . Now what should one think?
November 26, 2022
I thought this book was well written and beautifully detailed, with vivid imagery. I do think that in order to make sense of it, one does need to devote a great deal of time and focus to reading it; the time jumps / flashbacks are confusing and difficult to follow if one is not truly focused. It was also difficult to determine whether the narrator's story is a product of his grief-stricken imagination or if it is what actually happened to him, and the story is a bit dark and gloomy. However, if you enjoy stories of a more somber nature - I do - and you are able to devote time and focus to it, you will likely find it to be a truly rewarding read.
November 2, 2022
I really enjoyed this story of a father who had to live through a horrible tragedy. It flows through the memories as he tries to reconcile what happened to his children. It was complex and an emotional rollercoaster for me since being a parent the thought of such tragedy is nightmare inducing. There is a story within the story that I loved. I can't say much about the actual storyline due to spoilers. And spoilers with this story would be a greater tragedy than the death of the sons.
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