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31 Hours
A woman in New York awakens knowing, as deeply as a mother’s blood can know, that her grown son is in danger. She has not heard from him in weeks. His name is Jonas. His girlfriend, Vic, doesn’t know what she has done wrong, but Jonas won’t answer his cell phone. We soon learn that Jonas is isolated in a safe-house apartment in New York City, pondering his conversion to Islam and his experiences training in Pakistan, preparing for the violent action he has been instructed to take in 31 hours. Jonas’s absence from the lives of those who love him causes a cascade of events, and as the novel moves through the streets and subways of New York we come to know intimately the lives of its characters. We also learn to feel deeply the connections and disconnections that occur between young people and their parents not only in this country but in the Middle East as well.
Carried by Hamilton’s highly-lauded prose, this story about the helplessness of those who cannot contact a beloved young man who is on a devastatingly confused path is compelling on the most human level.
Carried by Hamilton’s highly-lauded prose, this story about the helplessness of those who cannot contact a beloved young man who is on a devastatingly confused path is compelling on the most human level.
240 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2009
9 people are currently reading
318 people want to read
About the author
Masha Hamilton
10 books84 followersMasha Hamilton is the author of five novels: Staircase of a Thousand Steps, (2001) a Booksense pick by independent booksellers and a Barnes & Noble Discover Great New Writers selection; The Distance Between Us, (2004) named one of the best books of the year by Library Journal, The Camel Bookmobile, (2007) also a Booksense pick, and 31 Hours, named by the Washington Post as one of the best books of 2009. Her latest novel, What Changes Everything, comes out in May 2013.
Currently serving as the Director of Communications and Public Diplomacy at the U.S. Embassy in Kabul, she worked as a foreign correspondent for The Associated Press for five years in the Middle East, where she covered the intefadeh, the peace process and the partial Israeli withdrawal from Lebanon. She also spent five years in Moscow, where she was a correspondent for the Los Angeles Times, wrote a newspaper column, “Postcard from Moscow,” and reported for NBC/Mutual Radio. She reported from Afghanistan in 2004 and in 2006, she traveled in Kenya to research The Camel Bookmobile and to interview street kids in Nairobi and drought and famine victims in the isolated northeast.
She has founded two non-profits, the Camel Book Drive to supply books to children in northeastern Kenya, and the Afghan Women's Writing Project, to support the voices of Afghan women. A Brown University graduate, she has been awarded fiction fellowships from Yaddo, Blue Mountain Center, Squaw Valley Community of Writers and the Arizona Commission on the Arts. She has taught for Gotham Writers’ Workshop, at the 92nd Street Y in New York City, and in numerous other settings. She is a licensed shiatsu practitioner and is currently studying nuad phaen boran, Thai traditional massage.
Currently serving as the Director of Communications and Public Diplomacy at the U.S. Embassy in Kabul, she worked as a foreign correspondent for The Associated Press for five years in the Middle East, where she covered the intefadeh, the peace process and the partial Israeli withdrawal from Lebanon. She also spent five years in Moscow, where she was a correspondent for the Los Angeles Times, wrote a newspaper column, “Postcard from Moscow,” and reported for NBC/Mutual Radio. She reported from Afghanistan in 2004 and in 2006, she traveled in Kenya to research The Camel Bookmobile and to interview street kids in Nairobi and drought and famine victims in the isolated northeast.
She has founded two non-profits, the Camel Book Drive to supply books to children in northeastern Kenya, and the Afghan Women's Writing Project, to support the voices of Afghan women. A Brown University graduate, she has been awarded fiction fellowships from Yaddo, Blue Mountain Center, Squaw Valley Community of Writers and the Arizona Commission on the Arts. She has taught for Gotham Writers’ Workshop, at the 92nd Street Y in New York City, and in numerous other settings. She is a licensed shiatsu practitioner and is currently studying nuad phaen boran, Thai traditional massage.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 122 reviews
August 12, 2009
31 Hours by Masha Hamilton is a story that will haunt readers long after the covers are closed. Carol Meitzner wakes up suddenly one night with a mother's intuition that something is incredibly wrong with her twenty-one year old son, Jonas. She hasn't heard from him in over a week, which is unusual for the close pair, but this goes beyond the normal worries of a mother. For the next 31 hours, she will try to find him before something, she doesn't know what, goes irrevocably wrong. While Carol looks for Jonas, he is secreted in a small basement apartment preparing to take an action that will force the entire nation to rethink its violent nature. Hamilton's provocative book is a stunning read. Despite Jonas' terrible intentions, Hamilton has made him sympathetic to readers. He's not a brainwashed automaton or frenzied monster; his intent is clear (at least to him) and while he goes through periods of fear, he never considers backing out or changing his mind. It's Jonas' realism that makes him so frightening; he could be any college student who feels disenfranchised with the United States. Hamilton keeps the suspense drawn so tightly that there were entire chapters where I forgot to breathe, only catching a breath with the blank page at the end of a chapter. Brilliantly written, this is a book that won't let the reader go easily.
December 14, 2009
Following the event, I promised myself I would never read "a 9/11 book," fiction or not. Having admitted that, I can't explain what exactly led me to almost eagerly pick up John Updike's Terrorist in the year it was published, save for the vague hope that this was a writer who could help make some sense out of a senseless situation. As long as I was breaking my vow, lifting the corner of Pandora's box long enough to peak in, I wanted assurance the hands of the author were skilled, strong hands - hands experienced enough to explain the unexplainable.
Ironically, it turned out Terrorist was abysmal, almost cartoonish in its depiction of the "kind of" person who willingly sacrifices his own life in an attempt to advance the cause of Muslim extremism. Instead of a moment of enlightenment, I received a disappointment so great it achieved the same effect I'd originally hoped for, failing to come anywhere near invoking the same degree of terror as 9/11 itself.
Having failed once makes it all the more surprising that, when offered dozens of choices, I actively chose to review Masha Hamilton's 31 Hours —a book with a very similar theme. Only this time, the premise hit much closer to home. Hamilton's novel is told through the lens of a close relationship between a mother and son, a relationship I know times two. The theoretical suddenly became personal.
The plot itself is simple. Thirty-one hours is both how long a mother has to reach her son—whom she knows to be in dire straits—and the length of time her son has to prepare himself to die. In this time frame each goes through eerily similar situations. First, the initial phase of realization: the mother (Carol) that something is terribly wrong and the son (Jonas) that what he'd worked for since training in Pakistan was imminent. Next, the preparation: the mother, in desperation, following all known leads and the son purifying himself, as he's been taught by his mentor. Finally, the act of magnetic repulsion, as the mother tries to reach her son in time, and the son she raised slips out of her hands.
Meanwhile, the other two major characters orbit, providing the context in which the rest of the story plays out. There is Vic, Jonas' neglected girlfriend, who is too caught up in her own ambition to become a dancer to be an effective deterrent, and Sonny, a homeless man with the preternatural ability to smell evil in a person, a character interesting in premise, though poorly executed through the author's inability to create believable dialogue.
The novel capitalizes on a post-9/11 world in which acts of brutality are a daily reality. It brings to the surface the terrifying realization some terrorists are homegrown, produced from the same soil as patriots, and hell-bent on bloodshed in order to right the balance of the world. Unfortunately for the reader, the book falters. A fast-paced thriller promising in its concept, in many ways it lacks in execution. 31 Hours hovers midway between mass market and literary fiction, unable to quite hit the literary mark due to its off-target attempts at a lyrical writing style, as well as passages of dialogue that clunk in the ear.
What Hamilton does achieve is edge-of-your-seat action in a book slim enough to be consumed in a day, taking the wait out of discovering the abrupt—and some would say breathtaking—denouement. Her premise is also a good one, coming at a now well-worn genre from a unique angle of the relationship between a mother and a child raised to know right, yet going terribly wrong.
31 Hours is not a great book. Nor is it the sort of book to perch near the top of the bestseller lists. Yet, it presents an original approach to a difficult subject and story threads that, though not always tied up satisfactorily, at least venture into new territory. And in these days of cookie-cutter bestsellers, sometimes that is enough.
Review by Lisa Guidarini
Ironically, it turned out Terrorist was abysmal, almost cartoonish in its depiction of the "kind of" person who willingly sacrifices his own life in an attempt to advance the cause of Muslim extremism. Instead of a moment of enlightenment, I received a disappointment so great it achieved the same effect I'd originally hoped for, failing to come anywhere near invoking the same degree of terror as 9/11 itself.
Having failed once makes it all the more surprising that, when offered dozens of choices, I actively chose to review Masha Hamilton's 31 Hours —a book with a very similar theme. Only this time, the premise hit much closer to home. Hamilton's novel is told through the lens of a close relationship between a mother and son, a relationship I know times two. The theoretical suddenly became personal.
The plot itself is simple. Thirty-one hours is both how long a mother has to reach her son—whom she knows to be in dire straits—and the length of time her son has to prepare himself to die. In this time frame each goes through eerily similar situations. First, the initial phase of realization: the mother (Carol) that something is terribly wrong and the son (Jonas) that what he'd worked for since training in Pakistan was imminent. Next, the preparation: the mother, in desperation, following all known leads and the son purifying himself, as he's been taught by his mentor. Finally, the act of magnetic repulsion, as the mother tries to reach her son in time, and the son she raised slips out of her hands.
Meanwhile, the other two major characters orbit, providing the context in which the rest of the story plays out. There is Vic, Jonas' neglected girlfriend, who is too caught up in her own ambition to become a dancer to be an effective deterrent, and Sonny, a homeless man with the preternatural ability to smell evil in a person, a character interesting in premise, though poorly executed through the author's inability to create believable dialogue.
The novel capitalizes on a post-9/11 world in which acts of brutality are a daily reality. It brings to the surface the terrifying realization some terrorists are homegrown, produced from the same soil as patriots, and hell-bent on bloodshed in order to right the balance of the world. Unfortunately for the reader, the book falters. A fast-paced thriller promising in its concept, in many ways it lacks in execution. 31 Hours hovers midway between mass market and literary fiction, unable to quite hit the literary mark due to its off-target attempts at a lyrical writing style, as well as passages of dialogue that clunk in the ear.
What Hamilton does achieve is edge-of-your-seat action in a book slim enough to be consumed in a day, taking the wait out of discovering the abrupt—and some would say breathtaking—denouement. Her premise is also a good one, coming at a now well-worn genre from a unique angle of the relationship between a mother and a child raised to know right, yet going terribly wrong.
31 Hours is not a great book. Nor is it the sort of book to perch near the top of the bestseller lists. Yet, it presents an original approach to a difficult subject and story threads that, though not always tied up satisfactorily, at least venture into new territory. And in these days of cookie-cutter bestsellers, sometimes that is enough.
Review by Lisa Guidarini
September 15, 2009
This is a devastatingly good read about a group of loosely-connected people in New York City over a period of (you guessed it) thirty-one hours. We meet three families and learn how they overlap: Sonny and his sister; Jonas and his parents; the sisters Vic, Mara and their parents, all pretty regular folks traveling a Manhattan and Brooklyn landscape that is quite familiar (and more familiar to me than the settings of Hamilton's earlier, terrific, novels). Jonas is a boy like I can imagine one of my boys might be when he's in his twenties: smart, worried about the world, wanting to make a difference. His mom has a hunch that his passion and sensitivity have gotten him into trouble.
I inhaled the novel, reading with increasing tension as the clock ticks toward the end of the thirty-one hours and beginning to wonder to myself how I wanted the book to end. I couldn't decide. Hamilton's conclusion is uncompromising, somehow both shocking and satisfying.
I inhaled the novel, reading with increasing tension as the clock ticks toward the end of the thirty-one hours and beginning to wonder to myself how I wanted the book to end. I couldn't decide. Hamilton's conclusion is uncompromising, somehow both shocking and satisfying.
July 12, 2009
This book is so beautifully written it nearly took my breath away. The tension grows so slowly as the reader gradually learns of the life of Jonas Meitzner and the "assignment" he has undertaken, the important people in his life, and a most likeable homeless man who haunts the subways of New York. Hamilton creates some of the most beautiful metaphors I've ever read. I love this book, and it is so timely, so relevant to our troubled times.
September 21, 2009
This review was originally posted on my review blog : Falling Off The Shelf.
When I first read the synopsis of this book, I was immediately interested, and just knew that I had to know what was going to happen in this novel. Within reading the first few pages I was already intrigued, and had a hard time putting the book down. I was also confused, to think that a person as young as Jonas could let such thoughts flow through his brain. I was, and am still angry with the character of Jonas for thinking that one act of violence can change the way of the world, and the people in it.
In my honest opinion, violence will never change anything, except the amount of people that still stand after the final boom. War and fighting will only cause pain and destruction, and those that think otherwise baffle me. I wanted to wring Jonas's neck with his constant philosophy on life. How much does he think he is supposed to know at the age of 21? He is nothing more than a child just coming into his adulthood, and your not supposed to know everything at this point in your life.
Here is a quote from 31 Hours that I think we should all take a second to think about :
"We're all terrorists," he'd told her a few weeks ago in what had been their last real conversation. "Every single one of us. The only difference is, some of us recognize it and others don't."
I honestly don't understand how Jonas can say this. I personally am not a terrorist, and I think that people who think this way need to seek immediate attention. Hurting others will not make the world a better place, it will just cause more danger for the children of our future.
I didn't really like Jonas's mother either. Her name was Carol, and her life depended on whether Jonas or some other person was paying close attention to her. I understand that she is a mother, and that she loves her son, but to go crazy with worry because of not hearing from him for a little over a week, is a little over the top. In the case with this novel, she was right to worry, but other than that she seemed like a very selfish character. She needed the comfort of her son in order to be happy. There was one quote from the book that really had me thinking though, and although I am not a mother, this is exactly how I feel a love between a mother and child should be.
This is the way mother-love works. There's no controlling it, and there's nothing like it, not the way a cleri loves his God or a soldier loves his country or a man his wife. This baby emerges, and that's it--you're sucked into a maelstrom so profound you never get out, and so you worry, you overreact sometimes, all you want is to protect you baby. Even if he's shaving now.
The one character that I liked the most was young Mara. She's only a child, yet all she wants in the world is for her mother to be happy. She's not selfish, and doesn't put her emotions out there for the world to see. She's the tough one, the mortar, the one holding it all together. For a child, she knew too much, things only an adult should have to go through, and for this I respected her as a character.
I can say that I liked this novel, but didn't love it. I will more than certainly be reading more by Masha Hamilton in the future, because this novel really touched me at an emotional level. There was a lot packed intot his novel, at 229 pages. I'd like to thank Caitlin Hamilton Summie from Unbridled Books for allowing me to read and review this book, it's been a pleasure.
When I first read the synopsis of this book, I was immediately interested, and just knew that I had to know what was going to happen in this novel. Within reading the first few pages I was already intrigued, and had a hard time putting the book down. I was also confused, to think that a person as young as Jonas could let such thoughts flow through his brain. I was, and am still angry with the character of Jonas for thinking that one act of violence can change the way of the world, and the people in it.
In my honest opinion, violence will never change anything, except the amount of people that still stand after the final boom. War and fighting will only cause pain and destruction, and those that think otherwise baffle me. I wanted to wring Jonas's neck with his constant philosophy on life. How much does he think he is supposed to know at the age of 21? He is nothing more than a child just coming into his adulthood, and your not supposed to know everything at this point in your life.
Here is a quote from 31 Hours that I think we should all take a second to think about :
"We're all terrorists," he'd told her a few weeks ago in what had been their last real conversation. "Every single one of us. The only difference is, some of us recognize it and others don't."
I honestly don't understand how Jonas can say this. I personally am not a terrorist, and I think that people who think this way need to seek immediate attention. Hurting others will not make the world a better place, it will just cause more danger for the children of our future.
I didn't really like Jonas's mother either. Her name was Carol, and her life depended on whether Jonas or some other person was paying close attention to her. I understand that she is a mother, and that she loves her son, but to go crazy with worry because of not hearing from him for a little over a week, is a little over the top. In the case with this novel, she was right to worry, but other than that she seemed like a very selfish character. She needed the comfort of her son in order to be happy. There was one quote from the book that really had me thinking though, and although I am not a mother, this is exactly how I feel a love between a mother and child should be.
This is the way mother-love works. There's no controlling it, and there's nothing like it, not the way a cleri loves his God or a soldier loves his country or a man his wife. This baby emerges, and that's it--you're sucked into a maelstrom so profound you never get out, and so you worry, you overreact sometimes, all you want is to protect you baby. Even if he's shaving now.
The one character that I liked the most was young Mara. She's only a child, yet all she wants in the world is for her mother to be happy. She's not selfish, and doesn't put her emotions out there for the world to see. She's the tough one, the mortar, the one holding it all together. For a child, she knew too much, things only an adult should have to go through, and for this I respected her as a character.
I can say that I liked this novel, but didn't love it. I will more than certainly be reading more by Masha Hamilton in the future, because this novel really touched me at an emotional level. There was a lot packed intot his novel, at 229 pages. I'd like to thank Caitlin Hamilton Summie from Unbridled Books for allowing me to read and review this book, it's been a pleasure.
April 4, 2010
In 2006, I read and reviewed The Attack by Yasmina Khadra, a book that came to mind after I finished reading Masha Hamilton's 31 Hours. That particular book is about the aftermath of a suicide bombing, a doctor discovering he had not known his troubled wife as well as he thought he had only after her death. He goes on a mission to find out why she became a suicide bomber. Masha Hamilton offers a similar perspective in 31 Hours, only she captures the hours when a young man, 21 year old Jonas, is contemplating his own act of violence, before his scheduled detonation.
The novel is told from several different perspectives, opening with a mother awakened in the wee hours of the morning with a feeling that something is terribly wrong. She has not heard from her son, Jonas, in several days and is worried about him. He has become more withdrawn with increased mood swings. Jonas, for his part, is consumed by his passion and anger over the immoralities of the world and is determined to make a statement. He believes that only a violent act will precipitate change for the better. Jonas is not a monster. He is a human being with fears and vulnerabilities like each of us. While he is opposed to the injustices in the world, he is so focused on the ideals he is supporting that I am not sure he really considered the people who might be hurt by his actions. He claims to have clarity, but in reality is confused, lost even, seeking something missing from his life but of which he isn't sure what it is.
The author also introduces readers to Jonas' friend, Vic, who has been so busy rehearsing for an upcoming state performance that she has not had much time for her friend or family. Her young sister, Mara, feels the weight of the family's burdens on her shoulder, caring for a grief stricken mother after Mara and Vic's father walked out. I couldn't help but think of Mara as a young Jonas, with their similar backgrounds at such a young age and with their strong desire to set things right, or, at least, what they perceive as right. Jonas himself identifies with Mara on some level.
The subway system in New York is its own character, the location of where the terrorist act is supposed to take place. As a result, the reader gets to know a few of the regulars who spend much of their time underground, in particular Sonny Hirt, a homeless man who makes his living pan handling. It is through him, that the subway itself feels alive, pulsing with people from all walks of life going or coming from somewhere. A myriad of emotion and experience fills the subway at any hour. It made the story all the more powerful, knowing the impact a terrorist attack on the subway would cause.
What was most powerful for me was seeing Jonas through his mother's eyes. Jonas is everything to Carol and her pain and concern is palpable. I ached for her and for Jonas' father. I also felt for Vic, who had just found love and so suddenly could lose it. It is through their eyes, their memories of him and their love for him, that I came to care for Jonas, as misguided as he was, and even in spite of not agreeing with his logic or choice of resolution.
31 Hours is an intense and beautifully written novel. The countdown continues with every new chapter. And with each narrative by the various characters, the tension grows. The fate of all the characters hangs in the balance as the author weaves their stories together. Masha Hamilton succeeds at putting the reader into the minds and hearts of the characters, making this all too frightening story all the more real.
The novel is told from several different perspectives, opening with a mother awakened in the wee hours of the morning with a feeling that something is terribly wrong. She has not heard from her son, Jonas, in several days and is worried about him. He has become more withdrawn with increased mood swings. Jonas, for his part, is consumed by his passion and anger over the immoralities of the world and is determined to make a statement. He believes that only a violent act will precipitate change for the better. Jonas is not a monster. He is a human being with fears and vulnerabilities like each of us. While he is opposed to the injustices in the world, he is so focused on the ideals he is supporting that I am not sure he really considered the people who might be hurt by his actions. He claims to have clarity, but in reality is confused, lost even, seeking something missing from his life but of which he isn't sure what it is.
The author also introduces readers to Jonas' friend, Vic, who has been so busy rehearsing for an upcoming state performance that she has not had much time for her friend or family. Her young sister, Mara, feels the weight of the family's burdens on her shoulder, caring for a grief stricken mother after Mara and Vic's father walked out. I couldn't help but think of Mara as a young Jonas, with their similar backgrounds at such a young age and with their strong desire to set things right, or, at least, what they perceive as right. Jonas himself identifies with Mara on some level.
The subway system in New York is its own character, the location of where the terrorist act is supposed to take place. As a result, the reader gets to know a few of the regulars who spend much of their time underground, in particular Sonny Hirt, a homeless man who makes his living pan handling. It is through him, that the subway itself feels alive, pulsing with people from all walks of life going or coming from somewhere. A myriad of emotion and experience fills the subway at any hour. It made the story all the more powerful, knowing the impact a terrorist attack on the subway would cause.
What was most powerful for me was seeing Jonas through his mother's eyes. Jonas is everything to Carol and her pain and concern is palpable. I ached for her and for Jonas' father. I also felt for Vic, who had just found love and so suddenly could lose it. It is through their eyes, their memories of him and their love for him, that I came to care for Jonas, as misguided as he was, and even in spite of not agreeing with his logic or choice of resolution.
31 Hours is an intense and beautifully written novel. The countdown continues with every new chapter. And with each narrative by the various characters, the tension grows. The fate of all the characters hangs in the balance as the author weaves their stories together. Masha Hamilton succeeds at putting the reader into the minds and hearts of the characters, making this all too frightening story all the more real.
February 19, 2010
31 Hours offers disturbing insight into a world few people know much about.
Right from the start, this quick read creates a fantastic sense of urgency - Carol's son Jonas is missing and she senses something is not right with him. Her intuition proves true, although she does not know it yet, as Jonas is preparing himself to carry out an extreme mission for the Islam faith. The chapters rotate through points of view from a number of characters, most of which we learn deeply care for Jonas. Among the many voices are Jonas' parents, his long-time friend Victoria, his mentor Masoud, even the homeless man working the same subway morning after morning. With so many different people involved in the story, the reader can sometimes tend to feel a little overwhelmed. I did not find that to be the case with 31 Hours- instead finding an engaging beauty in how the separate stories were more intertwined than could be known at the time.
Hamilton has taken a scary, sensitive topic and written a stunning book about it. Her prose flows off the page with ease, pulling you along with it's immediacy. I could barely take a breath until the last page was turned.
Right from the start, this quick read creates a fantastic sense of urgency - Carol's son Jonas is missing and she senses something is not right with him. Her intuition proves true, although she does not know it yet, as Jonas is preparing himself to carry out an extreme mission for the Islam faith. The chapters rotate through points of view from a number of characters, most of which we learn deeply care for Jonas. Among the many voices are Jonas' parents, his long-time friend Victoria, his mentor Masoud, even the homeless man working the same subway morning after morning. With so many different people involved in the story, the reader can sometimes tend to feel a little overwhelmed. I did not find that to be the case with 31 Hours- instead finding an engaging beauty in how the separate stories were more intertwined than could be known at the time.
Hamilton has taken a scary, sensitive topic and written a stunning book about it. Her prose flows off the page with ease, pulling you along with it's immediacy. I could barely take a breath until the last page was turned.
August 20, 2011
Masha Hamilton’s 31 Hours is a fascinating look at the life of Jonas, a home-grown terrorist, and focuses on the last 31 hours of his life. His sudden disappearance from his normal life, and lack of communication with his family and friends, panics his mother, and she enlists an ever-widening circle of people to help locate him. Meanwhile, the reader is aware of the purification rites that Jonas is undertaking, and a few of the steps that led to this mission. For me, the story is lacking in two crucial areas. First, we don’t know enough about Jonas to know why he has chosen to become a terrorist. While his life seems to lack some direction as well as religious beliefs, it seems unlikely that he would have turned to Islam and embraced the terrorists’ credo. Second, the ending is abrupt and does not finish the storyline. This thriller, though rich is certain details, is lacking in other crucial ones, and tends to be tedious at times.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 20, 2009
I'm very impressed with this book. Hamilton is a sophisticated, talented writer who has created characters worth knowing, and whose inner conflicts drive the story, rather than a manipulated plot. The book is horrific in the sense of how her characters perceive the world, not in any blatant, bloody way. And it could have gone that route, but Hamilton was wise to end the story where she did. We've already seen the terror once we've read the last page.
I loved the character of Sonny, feel like I've met him on the street numerous times. I like his ideas juxtaposed against those of a comfortable middle-class who view success and happiness under a totally different rubric. And Carol's love for her son is a tangible thing itself, and one most mothers carry in their hearts, so her terror is more affecting than any other.
I loved the character of Sonny, feel like I've met him on the street numerous times. I like his ideas juxtaposed against those of a comfortable middle-class who view success and happiness under a totally different rubric. And Carol's love for her son is a tangible thing itself, and one most mothers carry in their hearts, so her terror is more affecting than any other.
June 30, 2016
A beautifully written story about a disillusioned young American man, drawn to the moral righteousness of Islam as introduced to him by a terrorist organizer. As Jonas secretly prepares for the terrorist act he has committed to taking in 31 hours, a vivid picture of New York City emerges in alternating chapters about Jonas's mother, his best friend and her sister, and a homeless man who works the subway and observes its unique "life". Hamilton's portrayal of a home-grown but very human terrorist is thought-provoking and troubling. One plot line seems superfluous and the ending will spur much debate among readers, but the novel is hard to put down and the overall effect is haunting.
September 19, 2012
I thought the author did a great job of developing charachters and got you into them, even Jonas which was a hard character to understand how he felt. Up until the end you felt for him and wanted him to change his mind, call Vic and his mother and settle down into a happy life. I felt for the mother, having a premonition and not knowing what to do. I felt for Maya being on the subway. The only thing I didn't like about this book was the ending...or lack thereof. Seriously...that isn't the way to end a book that you did such a good job developing the characters for. I don't know what happened to any of them.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 1, 2009
Going to try something new...I've been invited to preview this one on NetGalley. I enjoyed Hamilton's Camel Bookmobile, and adored Staircase of a Thousand Steps.
This is Masha Hamilton's best work since Staircase of a Thousand Steps. I enjoyed it in the same way as Ann Patchett's Run with its compat time frame and small cast of well-defined characters. I enjoyed Hamilton's quietly insistent use of parallels and repeating themes and even irony. Not all readers will appreciate the open ending, but I found it jaw dropping and thought provoking.
This is Masha Hamilton's best work since Staircase of a Thousand Steps. I enjoyed it in the same way as Ann Patchett's Run with its compat time frame and small cast of well-defined characters. I enjoyed Hamilton's quietly insistent use of parallels and repeating themes and even irony. Not all readers will appreciate the open ending, but I found it jaw dropping and thought provoking.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 12, 2009
This book gradually became more and more annoying to me. By the time I had about 100 pages left to read, I just wanted it to be over. I'll give it two stars because the writing itself was pretty decent. The one redeeming thing about it is the part dealing with Sonny Hirt. I liked him, and I liked getting a glimpse of subway/street life for the homeless in NYC. Other than that, the book mostly just irritated me, and it never became clear what the author was trying to say with a story that ultimately goes nowhere.
August 5, 2009
This book is centered around Jonas and his disappearance and assignment that he thinks will change the world. Much of this takes place around the New York subway system and the tension builds throughout the book towards the convergence of events and people. We are introduced to the important people in Jonas' life and the effect his disappearance has on all of them. This is a compact book that will leave you gasping.
April 11, 2021
***NOVEL THOUGHTS***
2.5
I know that by my rating you would think I didn't like this book. That's not it. I thought the book was well written, thoughtful, with meaningful characters that a reader could get behind. What I didn't like was the fact that the book felt incomplete.
Carol, Jonas' mother wakes up one day and "has a feeling." Mothers sometimes know this about their kids, that something is off. She hasn't heard from him and even before that, felt a distance from him. He was aloof, melancholy and irritable. That could happen with a 21 year old son though, right? But he's always been so open with her, shared with her, so what could it mean that he is so not answer her calls? And then there's Vic, his on and off again girlfriend, a dancer also busy with her life. But until Carol asks her about Jonas, it doesn't occur to her that he's been out of touch.
When Carol finally reaches out to Jonas' father Jake, from whom she's been divorced for some while with her anxious mother-hen feelings, he doesn't brush it off and finds out after searching Jonas' apartment, that maybe there are things they need to worry about with their son. Especially his recent visit to Pakistan.
Then the author introduces you to Mara who is Vic's younger sister, who lives with their mother suffering from a broken heart after their father has left. The mother has emotional outbursts and locks herself for hours in her bedroom, sobbing and this is more than little 9 yr old Mara can manage all by herself. Vic comes by from time to time but she's not equipped to take care of her sister. Mara thinks that if she can get her dad to talk to her mom, then maybe it will be okay and makes a plan to take the subway to get him to agree to come work things out.
Then we meet Sonny Hick who is a homeless panhandler with a glint in his eye and a way of looking at life that makes you like him. He knows the choices he made years before have landed him to look for handouts in the subway system of NYC but he doesn't seem in the least bit bothered by that. It is, what it is. He likes his life in the chaos of the subway. It would seem that of all the characters, he would have the most to complain about and yet, he is content.
Jonas has become disillusioned with the morality of the world around him. Like many young people of his age, he questions and is challenged by what is considered right and wrong. Are people just complacent or just selfish? His religious belief systems are rewound when he joins a class about religions around the world and finds some comfort in the teachings of Islam and by the rhetoric of Masoud, a middle eastern young man grieving the death of his brother that he blames the USA for. He has a purpose for Jonas, a blond, white American man who has had a comfortable life. The reader has a hard time hating Jonas the way Hamilton writes him but she does not make it clear why he wants to follow this act of terrorism. He is just lost for some reason. We already know the devastation that happened after 9/11, so when Jonas makes preparations to leave the little room and head to the subway, we almost cringe with discomfort and want him to wake up and change his mind.
This is an action driven book. The problems that each family face will possibly lead to a great loss though we don't know exactly because we don't know how the book will end. We think we do but the author leaves it to the reader to decide. This is what makes me feel the book is not finished. We don't know if Jonas goes through with the mission and who will lose their lives? What happens, if anything, to Masoud? Will the FBI be able to thwart the ominous mission in time? Will this be another 9/11? It also bugged me that all of a sudden, after not being in touch with him, Carol reaches out to Jake.
Hamilton tackles subjects of effects of divorce on a family and depression, terrorism, indoctrination and radicalization, Islamic tenets for "eye for an eye," homelessness. It's a very short book, easily read in a day.
2.5
I know that by my rating you would think I didn't like this book. That's not it. I thought the book was well written, thoughtful, with meaningful characters that a reader could get behind. What I didn't like was the fact that the book felt incomplete.
Carol, Jonas' mother wakes up one day and "has a feeling." Mothers sometimes know this about their kids, that something is off. She hasn't heard from him and even before that, felt a distance from him. He was aloof, melancholy and irritable. That could happen with a 21 year old son though, right? But he's always been so open with her, shared with her, so what could it mean that he is so not answer her calls? And then there's Vic, his on and off again girlfriend, a dancer also busy with her life. But until Carol asks her about Jonas, it doesn't occur to her that he's been out of touch.
When Carol finally reaches out to Jonas' father Jake, from whom she's been divorced for some while with her anxious mother-hen feelings, he doesn't brush it off and finds out after searching Jonas' apartment, that maybe there are things they need to worry about with their son. Especially his recent visit to Pakistan.
Then the author introduces you to Mara who is Vic's younger sister, who lives with their mother suffering from a broken heart after their father has left. The mother has emotional outbursts and locks herself for hours in her bedroom, sobbing and this is more than little 9 yr old Mara can manage all by herself. Vic comes by from time to time but she's not equipped to take care of her sister. Mara thinks that if she can get her dad to talk to her mom, then maybe it will be okay and makes a plan to take the subway to get him to agree to come work things out.
Then we meet Sonny Hick who is a homeless panhandler with a glint in his eye and a way of looking at life that makes you like him. He knows the choices he made years before have landed him to look for handouts in the subway system of NYC but he doesn't seem in the least bit bothered by that. It is, what it is. He likes his life in the chaos of the subway. It would seem that of all the characters, he would have the most to complain about and yet, he is content.
Jonas has become disillusioned with the morality of the world around him. Like many young people of his age, he questions and is challenged by what is considered right and wrong. Are people just complacent or just selfish? His religious belief systems are rewound when he joins a class about religions around the world and finds some comfort in the teachings of Islam and by the rhetoric of Masoud, a middle eastern young man grieving the death of his brother that he blames the USA for. He has a purpose for Jonas, a blond, white American man who has had a comfortable life. The reader has a hard time hating Jonas the way Hamilton writes him but she does not make it clear why he wants to follow this act of terrorism. He is just lost for some reason. We already know the devastation that happened after 9/11, so when Jonas makes preparations to leave the little room and head to the subway, we almost cringe with discomfort and want him to wake up and change his mind.
This is an action driven book. The problems that each family face will possibly lead to a great loss though we don't know exactly because we don't know how the book will end. We think we do but the author leaves it to the reader to decide. This is what makes me feel the book is not finished. We don't know if Jonas goes through with the mission and who will lose their lives? What happens, if anything, to Masoud? Will the FBI be able to thwart the ominous mission in time? Will this be another 9/11? It also bugged me that all of a sudden, after not being in touch with him, Carol reaches out to Jake.
Hamilton tackles subjects of effects of divorce on a family and depression, terrorism, indoctrination and radicalization, Islamic tenets for "eye for an eye," homelessness. It's a very short book, easily read in a day.
January 29, 2017
Would have given it 3 stars if the ending would have had an actual, concluding, ending.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 22, 2019
Interesting to get the perspective of a potential terrorist.
January 31, 2010
When Carol Meitzner wakes up in the middle of the night she is as sure as anything that her son, Jonas, is in danger. Even though she tries to keep calm and give her 21-year old a healthy amount of space in which to live his life and make his own decisions, in the back of her mind she knows that it’s not like him to be out of touch with her. She just knows that she has to get to him. Carol does the best she can to keep her fear in check and to make discrete inquiries into Jonas’ possible whereabouts, but what she doesn’t know is that she only has 31 hours to find him. Or else…
Jonas has always been reserved and sensitive; even as a child he was observant and deeply affected by his interactions with the world. Now, in some undisclosed location in New York City, Jonas is preparing to make a statement in a manner that he believes is the only way to make a difference in a world that is too callous, cruel and hypocritical to meet the needs of its citizens.
There is really something to be said for opening up a book when you are able to give it your full attention. When I first cracked this one open I was in a hotel room in Washington, DC for the National Book Festival, whooping it up with roomies Trish and Amy and definitely not in the frame of mind for a book that would require my full attention. Unfocused, I read the first few pages and saw wolves howling and Manhattan traffic and thought, “Huh? Don’t know if I will like this.” Boy was I wrong.
I picked this book back up once I had returned to NYC and could concentrate, started again from the beginning and I could not put this one down! I would try to move on to something else but somehow just a short time later I would find myself with book in hand. It’s a little novel that through snapshot portrayals examines 31 hours in the lives of not only Jonas and his mother, but also those most likely to be affected by his final acts- his girlfriend Vic, and her sister Mara among them. The novel powerfully moves right into the heart of each character in the present moment and reveals their dreams, aspirations and fears, all the while giving a glimpse into the history they have with each other and how it is has shaped their lives.
The characterizations are some of the strongest I have seen, and for this particular novel they were heart wrenching. Hamilton does an excellent job of portraying Jonas’s parents- one struggling between what might be irrational fear or intuition, and the other believing that their son is growing into a man and just needs his space. The book does an excellent job of exploring different issues facing the characters without being judgmental or preachy. Troubled marriages and questions of faith and religion are put forth to be examined, but are not framed as indictments so much as they are presented as the facts of each family’s situation. I loved seeing the nuances and complexities in all their situations. The character of Sonny Hirt in particular opened me up to a different perspective on freedom and the incredible assumptions that we make about the way all of us should live and function. It was very interesting to see another way.
31 Hours, by Masha Hamilton is a wonderfully written book examining the possibilities behind some of the unknowable facets which drive human behavior and how much we can truly know about one another and the actions of which we are capable. Ultimately it is a haunting reminder of how much each moment and hour of the act of living is an act of trust, and how the fragility of our existence is so quickly and easily unraveled.
Jonas has always been reserved and sensitive; even as a child he was observant and deeply affected by his interactions with the world. Now, in some undisclosed location in New York City, Jonas is preparing to make a statement in a manner that he believes is the only way to make a difference in a world that is too callous, cruel and hypocritical to meet the needs of its citizens.
There is really something to be said for opening up a book when you are able to give it your full attention. When I first cracked this one open I was in a hotel room in Washington, DC for the National Book Festival, whooping it up with roomies Trish and Amy and definitely not in the frame of mind for a book that would require my full attention. Unfocused, I read the first few pages and saw wolves howling and Manhattan traffic and thought, “Huh? Don’t know if I will like this.” Boy was I wrong.
I picked this book back up once I had returned to NYC and could concentrate, started again from the beginning and I could not put this one down! I would try to move on to something else but somehow just a short time later I would find myself with book in hand. It’s a little novel that through snapshot portrayals examines 31 hours in the lives of not only Jonas and his mother, but also those most likely to be affected by his final acts- his girlfriend Vic, and her sister Mara among them. The novel powerfully moves right into the heart of each character in the present moment and reveals their dreams, aspirations and fears, all the while giving a glimpse into the history they have with each other and how it is has shaped their lives.
The characterizations are some of the strongest I have seen, and for this particular novel they were heart wrenching. Hamilton does an excellent job of portraying Jonas’s parents- one struggling between what might be irrational fear or intuition, and the other believing that their son is growing into a man and just needs his space. The book does an excellent job of exploring different issues facing the characters without being judgmental or preachy. Troubled marriages and questions of faith and religion are put forth to be examined, but are not framed as indictments so much as they are presented as the facts of each family’s situation. I loved seeing the nuances and complexities in all their situations. The character of Sonny Hirt in particular opened me up to a different perspective on freedom and the incredible assumptions that we make about the way all of us should live and function. It was very interesting to see another way.
31 Hours, by Masha Hamilton is a wonderfully written book examining the possibilities behind some of the unknowable facets which drive human behavior and how much we can truly know about one another and the actions of which we are capable. Ultimately it is a haunting reminder of how much each moment and hour of the act of living is an act of trust, and how the fragility of our existence is so quickly and easily unraveled.
February 22, 2010
Masha Hamilton's "31 Hours" is a powerful novel that spares nothing to discuss terrorism, American society, growing up, letting go, first love, and standing up for what you believe in, even if no one you love will understand.
The novel chronicles the 31 hours leading up to the main character Jonas' scheduled detonation of the explosive vest he is wearing in the New York City subway system. The events of the 31 hours are divided by chapters that represent Jonas, his best friend/love interest Vic (Victoria), his parents Carol and Jake, Vic's younger sister Mara, and a homeless man who panhandles on the subway named Sonny Hirt.
Even though the novel is barely 230 pages, author Masha Hamilton is able to create deep and three dimensional characters whose pain, passions, and convictions are believable and genuine. Jonas' character gives an inside glimpse into what could possibly be going through the mind of someone who knows that he or she will die in an orchestrated terrorist attack in the name of religion. She even touches upon the racial profiling Muslims face because of the few who believe that the acts of terrorism are the only way to get their point across.
This short, suspenseful, novel packs quite a punch and it is definitely worth the couple of hours it will take to read it. I would have given it more stars, but I was quite unhappy with the ending. I held the book upside down, then put it right side up, hoping that a few more pages would miraculously emerge to finish telling the story. I'm not sure why the author chose to end the story where she did, but I have the opportunity to attend her reading and book signing at a local book store next weekend. I definitely plan on attending so I can ask her!
The novel chronicles the 31 hours leading up to the main character Jonas' scheduled detonation of the explosive vest he is wearing in the New York City subway system. The events of the 31 hours are divided by chapters that represent Jonas, his best friend/love interest Vic (Victoria), his parents Carol and Jake, Vic's younger sister Mara, and a homeless man who panhandles on the subway named Sonny Hirt.
Even though the novel is barely 230 pages, author Masha Hamilton is able to create deep and three dimensional characters whose pain, passions, and convictions are believable and genuine. Jonas' character gives an inside glimpse into what could possibly be going through the mind of someone who knows that he or she will die in an orchestrated terrorist attack in the name of religion. She even touches upon the racial profiling Muslims face because of the few who believe that the acts of terrorism are the only way to get their point across.
This short, suspenseful, novel packs quite a punch and it is definitely worth the couple of hours it will take to read it. I would have given it more stars, but I was quite unhappy with the ending. I held the book upside down, then put it right side up, hoping that a few more pages would miraculously emerge to finish telling the story. I'm not sure why the author chose to end the story where she did, but I have the opportunity to attend her reading and book signing at a local book store next weekend. I definitely plan on attending so I can ask her!
Read
February 15, 2012"Terrorism did not begin with 9-11. Even before that horrifying day, people had blown themselves up in cafes and markets. But those were foreign tragedies, they happened in far-flung places, and did not seize our attention like 9-11. The story of September 11th is our own spectacular narrative, and several American novelists have made their bids to respond, among them Masha Hamilton, who creates a home-grown bomber in her latest novel, 31 Hours.
"This is the story of Jonas, a 21-year-old American boy who has trained in Pakistan and converted to Islam. As the novel opens, we find him hiding in a safe-house apartment in New York City and preparing for the violent act his handlers have instructed him to take in exactly 31 hours. We are led into his increasingly strange world, and his terrifying isolation from the people he loves: "He punched the number . . . and heard nothing. He tried the speed dial for his mother, and then for his father, and then, staving off desperation, he tried to call a couple of friends...." Jonas realizes that his handlers have disconnected the phone.
"31 Hours is also the story of Jonas' mother, Carol. We find her in another part of the city, awake and knowing intuitively that something is terribly wrong with her son -- she hasn't seen or heard from him in weeks. "She massaged her scalp for a moment and then squeezed her eyes closed, trying to picture Jonas in his Greenwich Village apartment. She failed. She tried to envision him in a lecture hall at NYU. That didn't work, either. A hospital bed in Midtown? Sunk to the bottom of the East River?"
Read the rest of Marian Berges' review at Literary Mama
"This is the story of Jonas, a 21-year-old American boy who has trained in Pakistan and converted to Islam. As the novel opens, we find him hiding in a safe-house apartment in New York City and preparing for the violent act his handlers have instructed him to take in exactly 31 hours. We are led into his increasingly strange world, and his terrifying isolation from the people he loves: "He punched the number . . . and heard nothing. He tried the speed dial for his mother, and then for his father, and then, staving off desperation, he tried to call a couple of friends...." Jonas realizes that his handlers have disconnected the phone.
"31 Hours is also the story of Jonas' mother, Carol. We find her in another part of the city, awake and knowing intuitively that something is terribly wrong with her son -- she hasn't seen or heard from him in weeks. "She massaged her scalp for a moment and then squeezed her eyes closed, trying to picture Jonas in his Greenwich Village apartment. She failed. She tried to envision him in a lecture hall at NYU. That didn't work, either. A hospital bed in Midtown? Sunk to the bottom of the East River?"
Read the rest of Marian Berges' review at Literary Mama
September 8, 2009
Jonas Meitzer is isolated from his family, friends, and girlfriend. He is preparing for a mission that could be the next 9/11. While he awaits his next set of orders, he applies the training he learned while in Pakistan. For someone who is about to sacrifice everything, Jonas has a very Zen like attitude about him.
Carol Meitzner has not heard from her son in a while. This is unusual as her relationship with her son is a good one. Mrs. Meitzner wakes up from a dead sleep at about three am. Call it a mother’s intuition. She feels something is wrong and Jonas needs her help. Mrs. Meitzner goes on a search; calling Jonas’s girlfriend, Vic and everyone she possible can to help her locate her son.
What I liked about this book is that there were only a few characters in this story. This made it nice, because I really got to get a sense about who they were and what they were experiencing. I found it very intriguing how entertaining a story could be, where the main character pretty much stays in an one bedroom apartment and never really leaves. 31 Hours painted a vivid portrait of just how real something like what Jonas experienced could become reality. In fact it has happened before. Here Jonas is preparing to give up everything for his new faith and I couldn’t help but feel sorry for him. He was like a lost sleep, who got herded by the wrong shepard. The only problem I had with this book is the ending. I had to read it twice and I am still an undecided on if I liked how it ended. Why don’t you read 31 Hours for yourself? I do guarantee that it won’t take you 31 Hours to finish it; in fact it may only take you a couple of hours!
Carol Meitzner has not heard from her son in a while. This is unusual as her relationship with her son is a good one. Mrs. Meitzner wakes up from a dead sleep at about three am. Call it a mother’s intuition. She feels something is wrong and Jonas needs her help. Mrs. Meitzner goes on a search; calling Jonas’s girlfriend, Vic and everyone she possible can to help her locate her son.
What I liked about this book is that there were only a few characters in this story. This made it nice, because I really got to get a sense about who they were and what they were experiencing. I found it very intriguing how entertaining a story could be, where the main character pretty much stays in an one bedroom apartment and never really leaves. 31 Hours painted a vivid portrait of just how real something like what Jonas experienced could become reality. In fact it has happened before. Here Jonas is preparing to give up everything for his new faith and I couldn’t help but feel sorry for him. He was like a lost sleep, who got herded by the wrong shepard. The only problem I had with this book is the ending. I had to read it twice and I am still an undecided on if I liked how it ended. Why don’t you read 31 Hours for yourself? I do guarantee that it won’t take you 31 Hours to finish it; in fact it may only take you a couple of hours!
October 13, 2009
Twenty-one year old Jonas is a college student living away from home. He can’t seem to find his place in the world and his search for answers has led him to explore different religions.
Ever since his parents divorced, Jonas has been pretty close to his mother, Carol, and usually keeps in touch with her. Carol awakens in the middle of the night with a sense of dread, and realizes she hasn’t heard from him in a while. She realized that lately
"Jonas had seemed so trouble. Too vulnerable, too raw, even for him. Too prone to anger that would rise like a wind gust and then die swiftly. Too distant – perhaps that most of all."
Carol can’t get hold of Jonas – he’s not returning her phone calls and he doesn’t answer his door – so she eventually turns to his girlfriend, his father and then the police.
It’s hard to say too much about this book without giving anything away, but 31 HOURS by Masha Hamilton takes place over the course of 31 hours. It is thought provoking and scary and will leave you breathless. I could relate to much of the book since my own son is close to Jonas’s age. Not that my son has done what Jonas did, but I know how little they communicate at that age and how much parents worry. I thought the depiction of Carol and Jake, Jonas’s parents was exactly right – they behaved in much the same way Carl and I do – I worry and he tells me I’m blowing things out of proportion. This book will leave you with as many questions as answers. 31 HOURS is a real page-turner and I highly recommend it!
Ever since his parents divorced, Jonas has been pretty close to his mother, Carol, and usually keeps in touch with her. Carol awakens in the middle of the night with a sense of dread, and realizes she hasn’t heard from him in a while. She realized that lately
"Jonas had seemed so trouble. Too vulnerable, too raw, even for him. Too prone to anger that would rise like a wind gust and then die swiftly. Too distant – perhaps that most of all."
Carol can’t get hold of Jonas – he’s not returning her phone calls and he doesn’t answer his door – so she eventually turns to his girlfriend, his father and then the police.
It’s hard to say too much about this book without giving anything away, but 31 HOURS by Masha Hamilton takes place over the course of 31 hours. It is thought provoking and scary and will leave you breathless. I could relate to much of the book since my own son is close to Jonas’s age. Not that my son has done what Jonas did, but I know how little they communicate at that age and how much parents worry. I thought the depiction of Carol and Jake, Jonas’s parents was exactly right – they behaved in much the same way Carl and I do – I worry and he tells me I’m blowing things out of proportion. This book will leave you with as many questions as answers. 31 HOURS is a real page-turner and I highly recommend it!
September 15, 2014
This book was really interesting to me. The author really tries hard to make Jonas a sympathetic character even though he's been trained to blow up the NYC subway system. I learned a lot from the book about Islam, and in many places the religion is painted in a good light (for instance, in Mahmoud's phone call with his father). Jonas seems to feel that he takes part in ALL religions, but at the same time, in none.
I did not like Jonas' mother character. Too much "motherly intuition" and plus she was annoying. I don't know, I didn't really like -any- of the characters, to be honest, except maybe the homeless guy "Sonny Hirt". He was a neat guy.
I really enjoyed the format of the book, with the two time zones at the top of each page. I liked that the point of view shifted between characters, and that Jonas' parents seemed to be coming together while Vic's were moving apart.
I must say that I am almost offended by a comment on the back of the book saying that "women in particular will devour this book" or something to that effect (I'll fix the quote if I get home and find it is drastically different).
I wish there had been some kind of ending. I guess it is left up to us to decide what happens. Was Jonas successful? If so, did Mara and Aaron make it home before-hand? How does his family react, and Vic (and this applies whether or not he is successful)? What happens to Mahmoud?
I think this book is worth reading once. It's not your typical book, and it did keep me reading. I'd love to know what other people think about it!
I did not like Jonas' mother character. Too much "motherly intuition" and plus she was annoying. I don't know, I didn't really like -any- of the characters, to be honest, except maybe the homeless guy "Sonny Hirt". He was a neat guy.
I really enjoyed the format of the book, with the two time zones at the top of each page. I liked that the point of view shifted between characters, and that Jonas' parents seemed to be coming together while Vic's were moving apart.
I must say that I am almost offended by a comment on the back of the book saying that "women in particular will devour this book" or something to that effect (I'll fix the quote if I get home and find it is drastically different).
I wish there had been some kind of ending. I guess it is left up to us to decide what happens. Was Jonas successful? If so, did Mara and Aaron make it home before-hand? How does his family react, and Vic (and this applies whether or not he is successful)? What happens to Mahmoud?
I think this book is worth reading once. It's not your typical book, and it did keep me reading. I'd love to know what other people think about it!
November 22, 2009
"A woman in New York awakens knowing, as deeply as a mother’s blood can know, that her grown son is in danger. She has not heard from him in weeks. His name is Jonas. His girlfriend, Vic, doesn’t know what she has done wrong, but Jonas won’t answer his cell phone. We soon learn that Jonas is isolated in a safe-house apartment in New York City, pondering his conversion to Islam and his experiences training in Pakistan, preparing for the violent action he has been instructed to take in 31 hours."
Masha draws you into the story throughout each chapter. As I read, I felt as if I were there on the streets of New York City, dancing in the studio with Vic, or agonizing with the characters. I found it difficult to put the book down, being propelled chapter after chapter wanting to know what was going to happen next.
I found the subject of this book fascinating as it has truly become a reality in today's world for someone to get involved in the violent action Muslim terrorists are taught to do. The author helps you to see the people who plan these things as the real and vulnerable people they are. You get to know the worried and loving mother, the girlfriend and those who know and love Jonas.
A short, but powerful read -31 Hours was an excellently novel. Thank you to Rachel j. k. Grace at Unbridled Books for sending me this book to review. It's been a pleasure.
Masha draws you into the story throughout each chapter. As I read, I felt as if I were there on the streets of New York City, dancing in the studio with Vic, or agonizing with the characters. I found it difficult to put the book down, being propelled chapter after chapter wanting to know what was going to happen next.
I found the subject of this book fascinating as it has truly become a reality in today's world for someone to get involved in the violent action Muslim terrorists are taught to do. The author helps you to see the people who plan these things as the real and vulnerable people they are. You get to know the worried and loving mother, the girlfriend and those who know and love Jonas.
A short, but powerful read -31 Hours was an excellently novel. Thank you to Rachel j. k. Grace at Unbridled Books for sending me this book to review. It's been a pleasure.
September 17, 2009
I'd expected 31 Hours to be high on the action. The action wasn't physical, it was all inside the character's heads.
I found it to be highly compelling reading. I was amazed at how real all of the characters were. I felt like I got to know all of them.
This isn't to say I never got confused by the book. I'd frequently have to pause at the beginning of a chapter to orient myself as to who I was dealing with-- each chapter featured a different character, out of a very large cast.
As I jumped from character to character, I understood how they were feeling.
This is really a big deal. Certainly, understanding the worried mother, the confused girlfriend, her unhappy younger sister are people I'd expect to understand. Even the subway panhandler is someone I could imagine getting to know in another book.
I felt I understood the feelings Jonas had as he was preparing to become a terrorist. I didn't agree, of course. However, I think that we will be far more successful in stopping acts like this if we understand why the individuals involved make the choices they do. Not the organizations, but the individuals.
A great read, and very much worth thinking about.
I found it to be highly compelling reading. I was amazed at how real all of the characters were. I felt like I got to know all of them.
This isn't to say I never got confused by the book. I'd frequently have to pause at the beginning of a chapter to orient myself as to who I was dealing with-- each chapter featured a different character, out of a very large cast.
As I jumped from character to character, I understood how they were feeling.
This is really a big deal. Certainly, understanding the worried mother, the confused girlfriend, her unhappy younger sister are people I'd expect to understand. Even the subway panhandler is someone I could imagine getting to know in another book.
I felt I understood the feelings Jonas had as he was preparing to become a terrorist. I didn't agree, of course. However, I think that we will be far more successful in stopping acts like this if we understand why the individuals involved make the choices they do. Not the organizations, but the individuals.
A great read, and very much worth thinking about.
January 23, 2010
Masha Hamilton said 'you either love or hate her endings'. In the Camel Bookmobile I accepted the ending but for 31 hours I was disappointed. I wanted more!! I enjoyed the book, although felt it could have been developed much more.
The story is about a 20 yr old man, Josh (?), who is preparing to become a suicide bomber, blowing up a subway in New York. The story tells a bit about how he met Masoud, went to Pakistan and got caught up in a feeling of community which then caused him to agree to be a suicide bomber. The book covers the 31 hours before the bombing, his feelings, doubts, physical preparations necessary.
His mother and father, who are divorced, are searching for him since he has stopped conact with all friends and family for about 2 weeks. They find out that the friend he has started hanging out with, Masoud, is being watched for possible terrorist connections.
His girlfriend has also been trying to contact him, with no luck.
It's an interesting story but like I said I think it could have been much more developed, for instance with more time spent concentrating on what happened when Josh was in Pakistan and the ending was cut short too early for my liking.
December 16, 2009
Carol Meitzner wakes with a feeling of dread. She knows in her heart that her 21 year old son, Jonas, is in trouble. She doesn’t know what kind of trouble or how much, but he has not been returning her calls. Carol soon learns that his girlfriend, Vic, has not seen or heard from him recently, either. Jonas’s father doesn’t think they should be so worried. Wrong. In 31 hours, their son Jonas and 6 others are planning to walk into key terminals of the NYC subway system and detonate explosive vests strapped to their bodies. Blond haired, white, and from a privileged background, Jonas is set to become the new face of terrorism.
Jonas’s radical mentor has disabled his phone to keep him completely isolated from the people who care about him the most. Throughout this gripping novel we meet some of the potential victims of this terrifying act, many of whom Jonas knows and loves. As we watch Jonas prepare for his martyrdom, without the fanaticism one would expect, it becomes clear that this could really happen. This possibility makes 31 Hours all the more chilling.
Jonas’s radical mentor has disabled his phone to keep him completely isolated from the people who care about him the most. Throughout this gripping novel we meet some of the potential victims of this terrifying act, many of whom Jonas knows and loves. As we watch Jonas prepare for his martyrdom, without the fanaticism one would expect, it becomes clear that this could really happen. This possibility makes 31 Hours all the more chilling.
April 16, 2013
This was a nail-biter. It had all the tension one could ask for in a thriller, but also some very beautiful, literate writing that one might not usually find in a thriller.
This book tackles such a frustrating and timely and far-reaching subject. Terrorism. Specifically, domestic terrorism carried out by a native born American.
I think the book does a great job of showing what a selfish, self-centered act terrorism is. Jonas wants to feel important, and he's too lazy and lacking in creativity to find a way of becoming as important as he wants to be - so he allows himself to be used for revenge by an angry man who's brother was senselessly killed in Afghanistan.
I was glad that time was spent on a few of the subway travelers . The young girl and her friend - and the homeless man will all likely be in the train Jonas is setting out to destroy -they will likely become some of his many victims - but, we are left to wonder if their presence on the train might stop him from completing his awful deed.
This book tackles such a frustrating and timely and far-reaching subject. Terrorism. Specifically, domestic terrorism carried out by a native born American.
I think the book does a great job of showing what a selfish, self-centered act terrorism is. Jonas wants to feel important, and he's too lazy and lacking in creativity to find a way of becoming as important as he wants to be - so he allows himself to be used for revenge by an angry man who's brother was senselessly killed in Afghanistan.
I was glad that time was spent on a few of the subway travelers . The young girl and her friend - and the homeless man will all likely be in the train Jonas is setting out to destroy -they will likely become some of his many victims - but, we are left to wonder if their presence on the train might stop him from completing his awful deed.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 13, 2011
ebook.
this is an extremely tough book to review. it's disturbing, sad, thought provoking...and then the ending. it blew me away. i know i will be thinking about this story for a long time. it's one of those books that won't leave me alone for quite a while.
i loved mara. she was my favorite character. i felt so horrible for her from the first moment we met her. and because i loved her so much, i ended up disliking vic because she basically walks away from mara...leaving her to clean up a family mess that no 11 year old should have to deal with alone.
i find it interesting how Hamilton wrote the character of jonas...he is sympathetic. he is someone you know. your next door neighbor's son. and he is a terrorist. it's an amazing portrayal of what could happen and what does happen with home grown terrorism.
honestly, i think this book was amazing and upsetting and i couldn't put it down.
this is an extremely tough book to review. it's disturbing, sad, thought provoking...and then the ending. it blew me away. i know i will be thinking about this story for a long time. it's one of those books that won't leave me alone for quite a while.
i loved mara. she was my favorite character. i felt so horrible for her from the first moment we met her. and because i loved her so much, i ended up disliking vic because she basically walks away from mara...leaving her to clean up a family mess that no 11 year old should have to deal with alone.
i find it interesting how Hamilton wrote the character of jonas...he is sympathetic. he is someone you know. your next door neighbor's son. and he is a terrorist. it's an amazing portrayal of what could happen and what does happen with home grown terrorism.
honestly, i think this book was amazing and upsetting and i couldn't put it down.
April 9, 2016
3.25 stars
21-year old Jonas has been missing for a few days and his mother, Carol, is getting worried. Little does she know that Jonas has retreated from everyone he knows and loves because he has something planned in 31 hours.
That's the main plot in the book. We meet other characters as we go: Jonas's girlfriend, Vic and her family - her younger sister, Mara, and their parents, who have recently gotten divorced. Sonny is a homeless man, who spends all his time on the New York subway. He has a sister, though, who he visit on occasion, and has a shower while he's there.
It wasn't nearly as suspenseful as I thought it would be... as I thought it should be, given that you knew something big was going to happen in 31 hours. The first half of the book was set-up and introduction of the characters. It got better in the second half, though, and there was more suspense at the very end.
21-year old Jonas has been missing for a few days and his mother, Carol, is getting worried. Little does she know that Jonas has retreated from everyone he knows and loves because he has something planned in 31 hours.
That's the main plot in the book. We meet other characters as we go: Jonas's girlfriend, Vic and her family - her younger sister, Mara, and their parents, who have recently gotten divorced. Sonny is a homeless man, who spends all his time on the New York subway. He has a sister, though, who he visit on occasion, and has a shower while he's there.
It wasn't nearly as suspenseful as I thought it would be... as I thought it should be, given that you knew something big was going to happen in 31 hours. The first half of the book was set-up and introduction of the characters. It got better in the second half, though, and there was more suspense at the very end.
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