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[Refuge]e
After the Balkan war many Bosnian refugees ended up in Scandinavia. In [Refuge]e, we can eavesdrop on and witness the quirky characters that came out as the result of the war. Focusing on Bosnian women and their refusal to be victims, [Refuge]e gives us an insight into their mundane lives, small things with great meanings that make life worth living.
- GenresMemoir
95 pages, Paperback
First published October 1, 2005
3 people are currently reading
79 people want to read
About the author
Adnan Mahmutovic
20 books47 followersAdnan Mahmutović (1974) became a refugee of war in 1993 and ended up in Sweden. He worked for a decade with people with brain damage while studying English and philosophy. He has PhD in English literature and MFA in creative writing, and he is currently an associate professor and writer-in-residence at the Department of English, Stockholm University. His stories have dealt with contemporary European history, and the issues of identity and home for Bosnian refugees.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 47 reviews
May 2, 2016
Having recently read and enjoyed Mahmutović's third book,
Thinner Than a Hair
, I was looking forward to dig into this first book of his. And I like it, but am also torn about it.
[REFUGE:]E is a miscellany of short fiction, poetry and other text types, including an essayistic introduction (one that almost touches the boundaries of fiction itself in a nigh Borgesian manner), most of which is held together by the character of Almasa. I should add that all of it is thematically held together, as well, by the Bosnian refugee experience, which is at the centre of this book (just as it was at the centre of Thinner than a Hair).
All in all, the book contains fourteen texts of varying length and style (an essaystic introduction, three poems, seven short stories and three texts that seem, at least slightly, to defy easy categorisation), as is wont in a miscellany. However, the latter is also, perceivably one of the book's problems. While there is certainly nothing wrong with an author putting together a miscellany, the notion of infusing it with a sense of coherence almost seems contradictory to that paratextual genre.
[REFUGE:]E is full of perspectives and points of view, but these are never fully integrated into unified whole. While some, of course, might argue that this in itself exemplifies the thematic concerns of the book, I am not convinced. Do not get me wrong, there are some lovely textual material in this book, but Mahmutović almost seems too clever for his own good on many occasions, in particular in linking these, at times disparate, stories, together as a faux unified whole. This is enhanced by the fact that three or four of the pieces are not tied into this framework.
The first of these, the potential fourth as it were, is the poem "Nurse, Be Gentle." In my first reading of it, I thought of the poetic "I" as belonging to Almasa (since the preceding poem "Tidings" is about her and thematically tied to the former), but when I then entered the fifth text, the short story "She Looked so Cheerful," I was suddenly not sure if that supposition was given or true. While one could not talk about a unified narrator (or even poetic "I") running through these texts, up until this point in the book, I had not really had a problem with relating to the narrative voice(s). Here I was suddenly faced with not only a story that did not involve Almasa in any way, but also with a first person narrator, clearly masculine, which I could not place, and which eerily sounded very much like Mahmutović's "own" voice from the introduction (to which I will return). This reminded me of something Julian Barnes writes a few pages into his half chapter "Parenthesis" in A History of the World in 10.5 Chapters: "Poets seem to write more easily about love than prose writers. For a start, they own that flexible 'I' (when I say 'I' you will want to know within a paragraph or two whether I mean Julian Barnes or someone invented; a poet can shimmy between the two, getting credit for both deep feeling and objectivity)" (274). In the case of "She Looked so Cheerful," which incidentally is one of my seven favourite pieces in the book, there are things in the development of that story that makes me hope that the voice is not Mahmutović's "own"... but stylistically and structurally speaking, I cannot be sure.
So, six other favourites among the fourteen text pieces... Allow me to wax eloquent on them all, just briefly.
The opening piece, introduction of sorts, "Authorial Postponement," grabbed me from the start. It carries a Borgesian flavour to it and Mahmutović's bold statement that "[the book:] is the ephemeral ground of an authorial 'I', which is supposed to be me, (an) Adnan Mahmutović, a Bosnian and a Swede (see my two passports)" brings to mind Jorge Luis Borges's wonderful short story "Borges and I". This short introductory piece, including its choice of title, may well be my favourite piece in the book. It is clever, oh definitely ever so clever, but here, in the context of this introduction, that cleverness works.
The volume's third piece, the short story "Une Femme déjà moins jeune" is another favourite. Narrated by a third person narrator, this properly introduces the reader to Almasa (through whom this particular narrative is focused), who has already been mentioned by Mahmutović in the introduction and cryptically referred to in the text piece "Consultation with Oxford Dictionary of English"; who writes "home" as "Ho?me [...:], inscribing a question mark in its core, moulding it into a private presentiment, a new coinage so devoid of a proper-name sensuality" (19). All in all, a fine piece of short fiction.
Then there is "The Smell," a piece of short fiction narrated by Almasa (while the text may not outright say so, the narrator does acknowledge that she is "a question-mark-inscribing girl" (49), strongly suggesting Almasa's ho?me). Here notions of home and homeland, and the mythologising thereof, are looked at through the idea of smell; it is the smell of home, which is ultimately also a lie of home, that stands at the centre of this brilliant contemplation.
The fifth of my seven favourite pieces is "Newspaper Clippings Rotting on My Damp Wall," one of the pieces that are hard to categorise (the others being the aforementioned, dictionary excerpt, "Consultation..." and the Almasa written letter that makes up "Red Cross Message—Unadulterated"). It is a brief piece, introduced by an unknown first person narrator (once more bringing the Barnes quote above to mind), with the main body consisting of a newspaper article supposedly from the Swedish newspaper Dagens Nyheter (29 August, 1996). Whether this is a translation of a real DN article or a complete fiction is beyond my own knowledge, but the feel of the piece yet again makes me think of Borges. It is a brief, intelligent piece, and if the article is merely a translation into English rather than a piece of fiction, it is nevertheless positioned and framed in a manner which would, I think, make Borges proud.
The last piece of short fiction in the book, "The Name," is another first person narration by Almasa. It is a brief piece about dreams, sex, memory and writing, and in this very brief format, Mahmutović nevertheless flourishes. Perhaps it is in such brief instances we can see that he, on a larger scale, needed to shed his own skin and truly enter another character's voice to reach the next level (which he so successfully does in Thinner than a Hair).
The final of my seven favourite pieces in the book is also the final text in the book. It is the poem "Power Cut", told in a first person plural voice, and the only one of the three poems that really grabs a hold of me. The first one, "Tidings", merely seems a convenient segue between stories, functional, but not a strong contribution, and the second one, "Nurse, Be Gentle", muddled my overall reading much more than it contributed to it. But here, Mahmutović finds strong closing words to his miscellaneous first book, and I like it.
In conclusion, if you are to read one book and one book only by Mahmutović, this is not it. Go find yourself a copy of Thinner than a Hair and watch the full-fledged writer in his element. However, if you like that, there is absolutely no reason not to track down [REFUGE:]E as well. It may not be as good, but then again, growth in a writer is not a bad thing. And watching the younger, rawer writer, who is perhaps still too clever for his own good, and who has not yet dared to step back and fully let his characters speak through his pen or keyboard, is not a bad thing either. Not a bad thing at all.
[REFUGE:]E is a miscellany of short fiction, poetry and other text types, including an essayistic introduction (one that almost touches the boundaries of fiction itself in a nigh Borgesian manner), most of which is held together by the character of Almasa. I should add that all of it is thematically held together, as well, by the Bosnian refugee experience, which is at the centre of this book (just as it was at the centre of Thinner than a Hair).
All in all, the book contains fourteen texts of varying length and style (an essaystic introduction, three poems, seven short stories and three texts that seem, at least slightly, to defy easy categorisation), as is wont in a miscellany. However, the latter is also, perceivably one of the book's problems. While there is certainly nothing wrong with an author putting together a miscellany, the notion of infusing it with a sense of coherence almost seems contradictory to that paratextual genre.
[REFUGE:]E is full of perspectives and points of view, but these are never fully integrated into unified whole. While some, of course, might argue that this in itself exemplifies the thematic concerns of the book, I am not convinced. Do not get me wrong, there are some lovely textual material in this book, but Mahmutović almost seems too clever for his own good on many occasions, in particular in linking these, at times disparate, stories, together as a faux unified whole. This is enhanced by the fact that three or four of the pieces are not tied into this framework.
The first of these, the potential fourth as it were, is the poem "Nurse, Be Gentle." In my first reading of it, I thought of the poetic "I" as belonging to Almasa (since the preceding poem "Tidings" is about her and thematically tied to the former), but when I then entered the fifth text, the short story "She Looked so Cheerful," I was suddenly not sure if that supposition was given or true. While one could not talk about a unified narrator (or even poetic "I") running through these texts, up until this point in the book, I had not really had a problem with relating to the narrative voice(s). Here I was suddenly faced with not only a story that did not involve Almasa in any way, but also with a first person narrator, clearly masculine, which I could not place, and which eerily sounded very much like Mahmutović's "own" voice from the introduction (to which I will return). This reminded me of something Julian Barnes writes a few pages into his half chapter "Parenthesis" in A History of the World in 10.5 Chapters: "Poets seem to write more easily about love than prose writers. For a start, they own that flexible 'I' (when I say 'I' you will want to know within a paragraph or two whether I mean Julian Barnes or someone invented; a poet can shimmy between the two, getting credit for both deep feeling and objectivity)" (274). In the case of "She Looked so Cheerful," which incidentally is one of my seven favourite pieces in the book, there are things in the development of that story that makes me hope that the voice is not Mahmutović's "own"... but stylistically and structurally speaking, I cannot be sure.
So, six other favourites among the fourteen text pieces... Allow me to wax eloquent on them all, just briefly.
The opening piece, introduction of sorts, "Authorial Postponement," grabbed me from the start. It carries a Borgesian flavour to it and Mahmutović's bold statement that "[the book:] is the ephemeral ground of an authorial 'I', which is supposed to be me, (an) Adnan Mahmutović, a Bosnian and a Swede (see my two passports)" brings to mind Jorge Luis Borges's wonderful short story "Borges and I". This short introductory piece, including its choice of title, may well be my favourite piece in the book. It is clever, oh definitely ever so clever, but here, in the context of this introduction, that cleverness works.
The volume's third piece, the short story "Une Femme déjà moins jeune" is another favourite. Narrated by a third person narrator, this properly introduces the reader to Almasa (through whom this particular narrative is focused), who has already been mentioned by Mahmutović in the introduction and cryptically referred to in the text piece "Consultation with Oxford Dictionary of English"; who writes "home" as "Ho?me [...:], inscribing a question mark in its core, moulding it into a private presentiment, a new coinage so devoid of a proper-name sensuality" (19). All in all, a fine piece of short fiction.
Then there is "The Smell," a piece of short fiction narrated by Almasa (while the text may not outright say so, the narrator does acknowledge that she is "a question-mark-inscribing girl" (49), strongly suggesting Almasa's ho?me). Here notions of home and homeland, and the mythologising thereof, are looked at through the idea of smell; it is the smell of home, which is ultimately also a lie of home, that stands at the centre of this brilliant contemplation.
The fifth of my seven favourite pieces is "Newspaper Clippings Rotting on My Damp Wall," one of the pieces that are hard to categorise (the others being the aforementioned, dictionary excerpt, "Consultation..." and the Almasa written letter that makes up "Red Cross Message—Unadulterated"). It is a brief piece, introduced by an unknown first person narrator (once more bringing the Barnes quote above to mind), with the main body consisting of a newspaper article supposedly from the Swedish newspaper Dagens Nyheter (29 August, 1996). Whether this is a translation of a real DN article or a complete fiction is beyond my own knowledge, but the feel of the piece yet again makes me think of Borges. It is a brief, intelligent piece, and if the article is merely a translation into English rather than a piece of fiction, it is nevertheless positioned and framed in a manner which would, I think, make Borges proud.
The last piece of short fiction in the book, "The Name," is another first person narration by Almasa. It is a brief piece about dreams, sex, memory and writing, and in this very brief format, Mahmutović nevertheless flourishes. Perhaps it is in such brief instances we can see that he, on a larger scale, needed to shed his own skin and truly enter another character's voice to reach the next level (which he so successfully does in Thinner than a Hair).
The final of my seven favourite pieces in the book is also the final text in the book. It is the poem "Power Cut", told in a first person plural voice, and the only one of the three poems that really grabs a hold of me. The first one, "Tidings", merely seems a convenient segue between stories, functional, but not a strong contribution, and the second one, "Nurse, Be Gentle", muddled my overall reading much more than it contributed to it. But here, Mahmutović finds strong closing words to his miscellaneous first book, and I like it.
In conclusion, if you are to read one book and one book only by Mahmutović, this is not it. Go find yourself a copy of Thinner than a Hair and watch the full-fledged writer in his element. However, if you like that, there is absolutely no reason not to track down [REFUGE:]E as well. It may not be as good, but then again, growth in a writer is not a bad thing. And watching the younger, rawer writer, who is perhaps still too clever for his own good, and who has not yet dared to step back and fully let his characters speak through his pen or keyboard, is not a bad thing either. Not a bad thing at all.
July 1, 2010
This was my first win on Goodreads.com and came while I was out of town at ALA. I sat down and read the book last night. The book mainly revolves around the character, Almasa, that is a Bosnian refugee sent to Sweden. The book gives some insight as to the horrific conditions that the Bosnians endured during the war as well as their feelings of being sent to another country. I sometimes felt, however, that we were being dropped into the middle of Almasa's thoughts. The book definitely piqued my interest in the war and the peope affected by it which I feel is the purpose of the novel.
June 4, 2010
[Refuge:]e tells the story of Almasa, a bosnian refugee. While the other refugees longed for the smell of Bosnia and its white houses, Almasa struggled to understand the meaning of "home" in a country where she was a stranger. We meet a soul confused by the vicissitudes of life and that had to go through horrific realities. The war outburst Almasa her family, her feelings, her dreams, her h?me;
It’s not a book about people at all happy, but, don’t know why, I ended it with a smile.
It may seem a little short, but that's because it’s a book focused more on refugee’s feelings, rather than war itself; the soul of a refugee doesn’t change, and will be eternally marked by war. And we, the readers, had enough to empathize with Almasa, but given the circumstances, we will never understand her completely. I liked this book very much. It reminded me of one universally truth: we always take things as granted and it is not like this, we must appreciate the small things that life gives us: home, family, friends, because everything can disappear in a second, no matter if it's because of a war or anything else.
I won this book on Goodreads Giveaway.
It’s not a book about people at all happy, but, don’t know why, I ended it with a smile.
It may seem a little short, but that's because it’s a book focused more on refugee’s feelings, rather than war itself; the soul of a refugee doesn’t change, and will be eternally marked by war. And we, the readers, had enough to empathize with Almasa, but given the circumstances, we will never understand her completely. I liked this book very much. It reminded me of one universally truth: we always take things as granted and it is not like this, we must appreciate the small things that life gives us: home, family, friends, because everything can disappear in a second, no matter if it's because of a war or anything else.
I won this book on Goodreads Giveaway.
May 25, 2010
Well, this book was very good, and somewhat enlightening.
The character Almasa, is an old woman set in her ways fleeing a country that she has always considered her home to Sweden a place so distant and far from where she once lived. In some places in the book I get confused, without giving anything away I will just leave it at that.
Aziza and Almasa are probably a couple of my favorite characters in the novel. Favorite scenes that are touching are when they are sitting around reminiscing about the country that they love, yet fear.
It makes me wonder if the story of Almasa is the authors story written entirely in fiction form and he is in fact Almasa.
I really enjoyed reading this book, it gives you greater insight in that of a refugee and gives one pause in times of war or political unrest.
Thank you Adnan for this wonderful novel, and thank you Goodreads first reads for giving me this book for free. IT WAS VERY MUCH WORTH THE READ! I will recommend this book to all that I know. This made me laugh and made me cry, it was wonderful.
The character Almasa, is an old woman set in her ways fleeing a country that she has always considered her home to Sweden a place so distant and far from where she once lived. In some places in the book I get confused, without giving anything away I will just leave it at that.
Aziza and Almasa are probably a couple of my favorite characters in the novel. Favorite scenes that are touching are when they are sitting around reminiscing about the country that they love, yet fear.
It makes me wonder if the story of Almasa is the authors story written entirely in fiction form and he is in fact Almasa.
I really enjoyed reading this book, it gives you greater insight in that of a refugee and gives one pause in times of war or political unrest.
Thank you Adnan for this wonderful novel, and thank you Goodreads first reads for giving me this book for free. IT WAS VERY MUCH WORTH THE READ! I will recommend this book to all that I know. This made me laugh and made me cry, it was wonderful.
May 31, 2010
[Refuge]e is a wordy attempt with beautiful prose, but as disjointed as the life of the refugees it tries to convey.
The story is about Almasa, a young Bosnian refugee, whose whole family was killed in the war in Bosnia, and who herself was raped and suffers deep psychological wounds. Unfortunately, just as we were allowed a glimpse into her life in Sweden, interwoven with her reflections on Bosnia, the book ends. Its 90-something pages are not nearly enough to tell such a complex story. Despite the author's unquestionable craftiness, there's more left wanting than it's given in this novella. It reads more like a collection of random notes and thoughts which are yet to be assembled into an expansive story.
I am looking forward to more works by Adnan Mahmutovic, in hope that they'll justify his undoubted raw potential.
Note: I won this book on Goodreads' giveaway contest.
The story is about Almasa, a young Bosnian refugee, whose whole family was killed in the war in Bosnia, and who herself was raped and suffers deep psychological wounds. Unfortunately, just as we were allowed a glimpse into her life in Sweden, interwoven with her reflections on Bosnia, the book ends. Its 90-something pages are not nearly enough to tell such a complex story. Despite the author's unquestionable craftiness, there's more left wanting than it's given in this novella. It reads more like a collection of random notes and thoughts which are yet to be assembled into an expansive story.
I am looking forward to more works by Adnan Mahmutovic, in hope that they'll justify his undoubted raw potential.
Note: I won this book on Goodreads' giveaway contest.
May 20, 2010
I won this book on Goodreads. It arrived a few days ago from Sweden. I sat down to read it and I was literally blown away.
This book was absolutely awesome. The richness of the text, the descriptions, the language - were beautiful. Now this book is not about a beautiful topic. It is about a Bosnian refugee and her experiences. It is about finding a home when your home is taken away. It is about longing for the home that you lost.
Refuge e made me glad that I live in a peaceful country. I can truly appreciate my life.
This book was absolutely awesome. The richness of the text, the descriptions, the language - were beautiful. Now this book is not about a beautiful topic. It is about a Bosnian refugee and her experiences. It is about finding a home when your home is taken away. It is about longing for the home that you lost.
Refuge e made me glad that I live in a peaceful country. I can truly appreciate my life.
June 3, 2010
This is a book I won though goodreads:
I have mixed feelings about this book.
It grabbed me right from the first word, and I struggled to put it down.
I could immerse myself into something I know nothing about. The writing has a effortless way of drawing you in.
But on the other hand I find myself wanting more and left feeling like I'm missing the rest.
I would recommend it to everyone, and would like to know what others thought.
I have mixed feelings about this book.
It grabbed me right from the first word, and I struggled to put it down.
I could immerse myself into something I know nothing about. The writing has a effortless way of drawing you in.
But on the other hand I find myself wanting more and left feeling like I'm missing the rest.
I would recommend it to everyone, and would like to know what others thought.
May 6, 2010
Breathtaking!
May 23, 2010
I read this book in one sitting, about 95 pages in all. It was very interesting and insightful. Each story was full of life.
Read
June 14, 2019The story of Almasa, despite all its tragedy, all too common in ex Yugoslavia, is told in a fragmented way, similar to the protagonist's life. The language feels a little rigid, for me underlining the condition of the refugee, forced to live in a language not his/her own. The fact that Almasa's story ends with a moment when the reader can see the main character has reclaimed her sexuality is liberating, at lest for this woman reader.
February 9, 2011
This was my first ever Goodreads Firstreads Giveaway win, so thank you Goodreads and thank you Adnan Mahmutovic for the opportunity to read a novel which brought me just a little bit closer to understanding the plight of the Bosnian refugees and possibly even refugees the world over.
All I've ever heard about the war in Bosnia is based on newspaper and television accounts that appeared many, many years ago. However, one thing stood out clear for me and that is the fact that (as in all wars) it is the innocent people, the ones who are happy to just mind their own business and go on with their everyday lives, who suffer the most. As with the main character, Almasa, one day they have big happy families and the ordinary contentment of everyday life, and the next, they've been robbed of home and family and have had atrocious acts and various indignities performed upon their persons, only to eventually end up dead and in mass graves somewhere or have been miraculously "saved" (though who would want to really go on living after losing everything and suffering such indignities) and placed in refugee camps (but really spending most of their time travelling between these camps) and never really experiencing a sense of home anywhere. It is a sad reality that we are exposed to in the reading of this book and Almasa's story is representative of hundreds, and possibly even thousands, of Bosnian women whose worlds have been turned upside down, who've had everything worth living for stripped away from them and who have to painfully gather themselves in the aftermath of destruction and trudge through the seemingly barren landscapes of their futures with the mantra that "time is the greatest healer" being repeated over and over again in the hope of shutting out the internal screams of agony that haunt them. For me, this book of less than a hundred pages spoke volumes.
All I've ever heard about the war in Bosnia is based on newspaper and television accounts that appeared many, many years ago. However, one thing stood out clear for me and that is the fact that (as in all wars) it is the innocent people, the ones who are happy to just mind their own business and go on with their everyday lives, who suffer the most. As with the main character, Almasa, one day they have big happy families and the ordinary contentment of everyday life, and the next, they've been robbed of home and family and have had atrocious acts and various indignities performed upon their persons, only to eventually end up dead and in mass graves somewhere or have been miraculously "saved" (though who would want to really go on living after losing everything and suffering such indignities) and placed in refugee camps (but really spending most of their time travelling between these camps) and never really experiencing a sense of home anywhere. It is a sad reality that we are exposed to in the reading of this book and Almasa's story is representative of hundreds, and possibly even thousands, of Bosnian women whose worlds have been turned upside down, who've had everything worth living for stripped away from them and who have to painfully gather themselves in the aftermath of destruction and trudge through the seemingly barren landscapes of their futures with the mantra that "time is the greatest healer" being repeated over and over again in the hope of shutting out the internal screams of agony that haunt them. For me, this book of less than a hundred pages spoke volumes.
June 30, 2010
I won this book and can't wait to read it. These kind of books always make me so sad since I was a child of the same war. It is hard to forgive and forget those days.
Not so many pages but very powerful. I like the way author describes certain moments.
1. When Nijazeta describes the smell of the homeland throughout the seasons. The Swede was very upset with that since Sweden doesn't smell the same way. I can relate myself to this since I am leaving in another country and you can never ever forget the smells or things that you did there. Doesn't matter how comfortable you feel in present but your homeland stays so close to your hearth and you always compare those together.
2. When Almasa talks about men how they are all despicable except for her father and brothers who were killed by the enemy. How she describes how she feels and how her hearth keeps on pumping because life goes on and she keeps her memory of her family within herself:
"Her heart had been amputated and replaced with a cooper vessel. Yet, like a phantom organ, it felt as strong as ever. It held her soul like a safety boat in a hurricane, its blood a river, mystic killer-river, which washed out tormented beings ashore. It would leave them behind, safe and sound, and distant."
Not so many pages but very powerful. I like the way author describes certain moments.
1. When Nijazeta describes the smell of the homeland throughout the seasons. The Swede was very upset with that since Sweden doesn't smell the same way. I can relate myself to this since I am leaving in another country and you can never ever forget the smells or things that you did there. Doesn't matter how comfortable you feel in present but your homeland stays so close to your hearth and you always compare those together.
2. When Almasa talks about men how they are all despicable except for her father and brothers who were killed by the enemy. How she describes how she feels and how her hearth keeps on pumping because life goes on and she keeps her memory of her family within herself:
"Her heart had been amputated and replaced with a cooper vessel. Yet, like a phantom organ, it felt as strong as ever. It held her soul like a safety boat in a hurricane, its blood a river, mystic killer-river, which washed out tormented beings ashore. It would leave them behind, safe and sound, and distant."
March 12, 2011
I was lucky enough to win this book through Goodreads' first reads and it was send to me buy the author.
In my experience there are some books that should be read in one sitting. When I opened this one up I knew it would be one of those (lucky it was only 95 pages then).
It tells the story of a woman and hints at the things she's lost and the things she goes through after moving from Balkan to Sweden in the 1990's. The story wasn't the easiest for me to relate to but somehow the author made the connection between her an I.
The language used in the book was absolutely impecable! And I also loved the shifting perspectives wich gave the book so many extra dimensions than just the classical cliché of a refugee.
I liked how it always hinted at a story to be told and yet only provided some fragmented moments of a life. The most powerful things about the story aren't the things the author chooses to tell but the things the author chooses not to tell.
4 stars because it was a really good book but it didn't blow my mind completely...
In my experience there are some books that should be read in one sitting. When I opened this one up I knew it would be one of those (lucky it was only 95 pages then).
It tells the story of a woman and hints at the things she's lost and the things she goes through after moving from Balkan to Sweden in the 1990's. The story wasn't the easiest for me to relate to but somehow the author made the connection between her an I.
The language used in the book was absolutely impecable! And I also loved the shifting perspectives wich gave the book so many extra dimensions than just the classical cliché of a refugee.
I liked how it always hinted at a story to be told and yet only provided some fragmented moments of a life. The most powerful things about the story aren't the things the author chooses to tell but the things the author chooses not to tell.
4 stars because it was a really good book but it didn't blow my mind completely...
July 10, 2010
Refugee: 'a person who flees for refuge or safety, especially to a foreign country, as in time of political upheaval, war, etc.' – Political upheaval, and war – nasty bits of human aggression. The end results: casualties and the displacement of people - the [Refuge:]e. Adnan Mahmutovic's small yet intense book comes from that place of upheaval. Where memories are confused. Images haunting. And the past is something to forget only it won't let you. Short chapters hit you in the head like shrapnel. There's a sense of menace, if only the menace of recollection. That the writing and structure is slightly disjointed and sometimes stumbles along only makes it that much more believable. Like PTSD; the survivor retelling the event in halting conviction. Yet, structural coherency is not an issue in the retelling of trauma. Deciphering the message is all that maters.
October 15, 2010
I won this book in a GoodReads First Reads Giveaway.
This was an okay book. It took a while to pick up, but in all I'll rate it 2 stars, since it wasn't all that riveting.
For me, personally, I was interested at first in the subject at hand, but then I realized that it wasn't all that interesting. Normally books that deal with the aftermath of a war have interesting tales, but this one just didn't capture me. Perhaps because it deals with a section of the world I am normally not interested in, but it probably also has to do with the fact that the story wasn't written all that well in the first place.
I've since sent this book on to someone living in Israel, so I hope they find it more interesting than I did!
This was an okay book. It took a while to pick up, but in all I'll rate it 2 stars, since it wasn't all that riveting.
For me, personally, I was interested at first in the subject at hand, but then I realized that it wasn't all that interesting. Normally books that deal with the aftermath of a war have interesting tales, but this one just didn't capture me. Perhaps because it deals with a section of the world I am normally not interested in, but it probably also has to do with the fact that the story wasn't written all that well in the first place.
I've since sent this book on to someone living in Israel, so I hope they find it more interesting than I did!
June 28, 2010
When I learned that I won this book, I was ecstatic. Weeks later, when I still hadn't recieved my copy, I was disappointed. Little did I know that my copy of [Refuge:]e was being sent from Switzerland-and was also signed! It was definitely worth the wait.
This book is much more serious than that which I've read lately, a nice refreshing change. The diction of [Refuge:]e is smooth and elegant; though the book itself is quite short, the powerful messages it conveys linger even after I've put it down.
[Refuge:]e shows several different women and their seperate struggles. They've been displaced by war and have varying pasts to contend with.
I thought this book was excellent, and I'm definitely going to look into the author's other works.
This book is much more serious than that which I've read lately, a nice refreshing change. The diction of [Refuge:]e is smooth and elegant; though the book itself is quite short, the powerful messages it conveys linger even after I've put it down.
[Refuge:]e shows several different women and their seperate struggles. They've been displaced by war and have varying pasts to contend with.
I thought this book was excellent, and I'm definitely going to look into the author's other works.
February 10, 2011
[Refuge]e is a photo album of words. Short stories and poems come together, creating snapshots of the Bosnian experience shortly after the Bosnian War. Those looking for a complete story will be disappointed. Even though the book largely follows one girl, Almasa, a Bosnian refugee, there isn't much of a story here; yet [Refuge]e speaks volumes.
Mahmutovic's language in this book is wonderful. The pieces are moving. It is well worth the short time (the book is only 90 pages) it takes to invest in this work. While I would've enjoyed it a bit more had the various pieces fit together into a tighter, more cohesive story, I am not disappointed. Almasa's story is one of disjointedness. And seeing her life in these snapshots only seems appropriate.
Mahmutovic's language in this book is wonderful. The pieces are moving. It is well worth the short time (the book is only 90 pages) it takes to invest in this work. While I would've enjoyed it a bit more had the various pieces fit together into a tighter, more cohesive story, I am not disappointed. Almasa's story is one of disjointedness. And seeing her life in these snapshots only seems appropriate.
December 2, 2010
This book is not for the faint of heart, nor is it something to read for bed-time stories. It contains stories of Bosnian refugees in Sweden. The first one starts on the bus leaving Bosnia.
As the war experiences of these Bosnian refugees were horrible, their stories hit hard. It tells about a young woman who lost her parents and her brothers, while she was raped. It tells about an old woman from Srebrenica, who had only sons, and grandsons, and all of them were missing after the Srebrenica massacre. And it tells about refugees trying to live in a new country, trying to go back home, finding that home has changed, and they have changed and what can they do?
Highly recommended
As the war experiences of these Bosnian refugees were horrible, their stories hit hard. It tells about a young woman who lost her parents and her brothers, while she was raped. It tells about an old woman from Srebrenica, who had only sons, and grandsons, and all of them were missing after the Srebrenica massacre. And it tells about refugees trying to live in a new country, trying to go back home, finding that home has changed, and they have changed and what can they do?
Highly recommended
July 5, 2010
There is no coherent story-line, no consistent character between chapters (Almasa was mentioned 3 or so times, but I could not tell it was the same character other than the name... maybe it wasn't?), nothing to tie each chapter together to be in a book. Maybe this was done intentionally because the pervading theme this book exudes is that a refugee has no home, no place of safety.
This book did spark an interest into the conflict in Bosnia and why it all happened, but none of that was explained in the book. I almost want to read this again. I feel like I missed something and maybe? I could gain more understanding by reading it again.
This book did spark an interest into the conflict in Bosnia and why it all happened, but none of that was explained in the book. I almost want to read this again. I feel like I missed something and maybe? I could gain more understanding by reading it again.
June 13, 2010
This was the second first-reads book I have won. I am a girl of many words, yet I feel speechless. I hear the news tidbits of war in other countries on CNN or NPR like so many others, but clearly I have not really heard. This book has given me a more first hand look at the experience of the atrocities on a more personal level. It is more like a glimpse really, because I can not pretend to actually understand or feel what it is like to live through what Almasa, Aziza or the others have survived. It reminds me of the promise of resilience that surely we all possess even if we can not imagine ourselves employing it as these women have. It is beautifully written. A gift really.
July 17, 2010
In his review of it below, Zoran wrote:
"[Refuge:]e is a wordy attempt with beautiful prose, but as disjointed as the life of the refugees it tries to convey."
I could not agree more. However, I disagree with him in that I think it was written disjointedly to add to the experience of reading it. What is unique about the book is its combination of brevity, subject matter, and the experience it invokes. I must admit there were times where I was probably as confused as a refugee, but that is the point. Reading this book is an ethereal experience if not a bit schizophrenic :)
"[Refuge:]e is a wordy attempt with beautiful prose, but as disjointed as the life of the refugees it tries to convey."
I could not agree more. However, I disagree with him in that I think it was written disjointedly to add to the experience of reading it. What is unique about the book is its combination of brevity, subject matter, and the experience it invokes. I must admit there were times where I was probably as confused as a refugee, but that is the point. Reading this book is an ethereal experience if not a bit schizophrenic :)
June 14, 2010
I loved this book.I read it in 2 days,the author is fantastic.I have been reading for many years and I would love to read other books from this author.The story is so heart breaking and so honest I had a hard time putting it down.when the author describes the people it is like you can see them.I felt so sad for the people.I think people take for granted having a home and a country that they trust will not turn on them.This was very upsetting that people were violated so bad and stripped of everything that should never be taken away.This book will go on my list of favorites.
June 13, 2010
I received a copy of this through Goodreads First Reads, autographed by the author and mailed from Sweden. Thank you, Adnan.
And while I admit I am not an expert by any means on the Bosnian War, I was actually quite clueless about the systemic use of rape by the military forces against the Bosniak women in this war. Reading this book opened my eyes, and made me want to learn more about what happened to these refugees, and I've been spending some time researching online. Thank you Adnan for opening my eyes to this.
And while I admit I am not an expert by any means on the Bosnian War, I was actually quite clueless about the systemic use of rape by the military forces against the Bosniak women in this war. Reading this book opened my eyes, and made me want to learn more about what happened to these refugees, and I've been spending some time researching online. Thank you Adnan for opening my eyes to this.
June 26, 2010
what i really liked about this book is the tone. A lot of times when the subject is taken up by the author the emotion is cheapened and forced with metaphors and too much emotional masturbation (for lack of a better term). This book is raw and true. It does not pretend to be anything other than what it is. It brings the confusion, and helplessness of the situation and I felt like I was being swept up in a tide that would move with our without me. Truly fine work. The book is less than 100 pages, but I could not read it in one sitting. you need to take breaks with it to really feel it.
May 28, 2010
I received this short book from the author through Goodreads.It didn't really know what to expect. The book is about Almasa, a Bosnian refugee living in Sweden. The book is written as short stories, connected but with gaps and broken links, as if to demonstrate the discontinuity of her life as a refugee. How found parts of the book hard to read, as the vivid horrors of the Bosnian war is told. The book wasn't an easy read, but helped me see and try to understand and sympathize with the victims of all wars.
November 12, 2010
This is a wonderful book that tells the story of someone who has survived a war and now must try to resume living a normal life. The descriptions were vivid. The characters were heartbreaking and inspiring. The story is relatable yet it is obvious that anyone who has not gone through the same experience can never understand how difficult, nearly impossible, it must be to live when everything that you understand has been ripped away from you.
I won this book from First Reads.
I won this book from First Reads.
December 28, 2011
The life of Bosnian refugees is something I know nothing about, but this collection of fictional accounts cut right into me. In my experience it is unusual for a man to have such insight into women's lives as Mahmutovic shows in [Refuge]e. Although at times a bit disjointed, the beauty, strength, & pain of the women's stories are a constant, & I wonder if maybe the disjointed nature of the telling isn't an intentional structural metaphor for their lives.
May 28, 2010
Good book
but not for everyone
to comprehend the [Refuge:]e you have to be a refuge... or at least see and smell war in reality - not from CNN report
pain never goes away - only some-times recollection of event get a little less painful.
pain and hate - problems hidden - real or not - there ... - inside
I think this book should be in Canadian High School curriculum....
Salam, Shalom, Peace, Mir, Spokoie...
but not for everyone
to comprehend the [Refuge:]e you have to be a refuge... or at least see and smell war in reality - not from CNN report
pain never goes away - only some-times recollection of event get a little less painful.
pain and hate - problems hidden - real or not - there ... - inside
I think this book should be in Canadian High School curriculum....
Salam, Shalom, Peace, Mir, Spokoie...
August 27, 2010
I won this book on goodreads and it didn't live up to the reviews I have read. I am wondering if I read the same book (?) There was no coherent story line, I wasn't always sure which character I was reading about. It was grim and mundane, I think on purpose, but so much so that I got absolutely nothing out of it. It's only 90 pages or so and I was so lost and confused when I finished, I almost started it over to see if I missed something. Not recommended.
July 3, 2010
When this book arrived in the mail, I was confused. "Who do I know in Sweden?" I thought. But when I opened it, excitement instantly started coursing through my veins at the chance to read [Refuge:]e. Soon I found out how founded my excitement was. I couldn't put it down - it was as if the book was glued to my hands. The story kept pulling me onward, I never wanted to stop.
This book is a masterfully written novella that is sure to leave you wishing for more when it is finished.
This book is a masterfully written novella that is sure to leave you wishing for more when it is finished.
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