Beirut, I love you

by Zena el Khalil

Ésta es la historia de Zena, una joven atrapada en el hechizo de una ciudad que amenaza con sumergirla en un mar de guerra, dolor y aventuras amorosas. En las calles, las milicias armadas delimitan sus territorios mientras los obreros reconstruyen la ciudad. Familias enteras de refugiados duermen en una sola cama mientras chicas teñidas de rubio se dirigen a la siguiente megadiscoteca donde, a modo de combustible, circula la droga. Las bombas pueden empezar a caer en cualquier momento...
Mientras, Zena y Maya, su mejor amiga, deben dar sentido a sus vidas en medio de esta locura y sortear las múltiples obsesiones de esta ciudad: operaciones de cirugía estética, Kalashnikov, encontrar marido.
Escrita con tanta sinceridad como tolerancia, la novela autobiográfica de esta gran artista libanesa opone el amor y el arte a la constante amenaza de la guerra.
Una Beirut sensual y visceral que se puede oler, oír, sentir.

Genres: Memoir, Lebanon, Middle East, Nonfiction, International, Biography Memoir, Biography

219 pages, Paperback

First published July 1, 2005

Reviews

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Profoundly sad. It's a shame that some countries seem cursed to suffer from instability. And not just current instability, but instability for thousands of years. I think one of the important things to realize about war is that it echoes down through generations. The children and grandchildren of these people feel the effects of their parents' and grandparents' suffering. It's so very hard to break the cycle.

[Corey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Zena el Khalil's beautiful soul and passion for life comes out in her pre-memoir memoir (I call it that because I'm certain she'll have a long life and we'll be needing an update) -- Full disclosure, I'm biased because I know her -- Her times in America give her a perspective, and opportunity, to write about Beirut in a familiar, relatable fashion. Understanding Middle East conflict, fear, loss, life, and love through the eyes if Zena in this diary-style memoir, brings the Middle East into a perspective little seen by outsiders. I found myself excited and anxious to be updated on Zena's day, the war in Beirut, and most importantly, I found strength and will in her love of her home, Beirut.

[Marta Losada · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bastante fuerte...contradicciones con mucho sentido, honesto. Me ha gustado mucho.

[Marieke · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review to come. But: i loved it.

[Paul Vidich · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well done

A first hand account of living through the 34 day war when Israel invaded Lebanon in 2006 on the pretext of trying to recover two soldiers kidnapped by hezbollah.

[Sara Crestini · Rating 3 out of 5]

Il libro è carino e i temi trattati mi sono piaciuti, ma l'ho trovato abbastanza ripetitivo.
Bisogna tenere in conto che Zena non è una scrittrice, quindi tutto sommato ha fatto un buon lavoro, ma sicuramente non è un libro che rileggerei.

[Huda · Rating 2 out of 5]

It's not the kind of love I was expecting. Not romantic. Neither classy. It's crude and real. Throw in some hate in that love as well. The author is too honest, she speaks about everything. I marvel at how she can spell out things like that. At times though I found the book to be talking about the author's ideas and thoughts too much for my liking and interest. I can't blame her that she didn't put some parts of her story in details considering the amount of pain it dragged along with it but I was confused at times.
But I didn't feel Beirut to be beautiful, not in one single page of the book not did I feel how kind her people were. But I believe them to be and I always had that city as one I'd like to visit one day, and I still do. As much as the author's description of Beirut was real to her, it was still personal. It was her side of Beirut.
There were things I didn't approve of but I don't think commenting on them would mean much because again those are her personal thoughts that she let us read. I tried not to judge the book as much as I could and I don't regret reading it because it talked about a time Beirut went through which I had no idea of.

[Sofia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Weird beginning but then the book gets a nice rhythm. It gives a very recognizable impression of Beirut, many small things and locations to be reminded of. Also a quite strong and interesting woman character. However, something about the quite self-centredness and eternal self-pity was not to my liking in the main charakter... A bit too much pathos in my opinion but maybe that was intentional. Also I didn't like that a major part of the beginning of the book was actually about anyhting (like New York and 9/11) but Beirut, but not pointing out the connection enough. Despite this, I loved many many passages that describe exactly the feeling that I have towards Beirut, the hate-love relationship with this beautiful and ugly city: ""...I really believed that I had to move to Beirut. It was something deep and internal. It was my time. Little did I know Beirut had already laid her finger on me. I was trapped under her spell and I had no idea. She told me to come and I obeyed."

[Reem Ka · Rating 3 out of 5]

The author's memoir is a sad one indeed considering the events that took place in her life. However, I loved the author's way of writing; the language of the book.
Also, I would recommend this book if the reader is interested to read about Lebanon's wars from a victims' point of view.

[Tala · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautifully written. Besides the fact that i finished it rather quickly, every time i read it i felt like i was back in beirut.

[Emelie · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Beirut och jag, vi har kollapsat och återuppbyggt oss så många gånger redan. Men hur vet jag om jag orkar göra det en gång till? Hur länge ska det behöva vara så här? Beirut, jag ville ha så mycket av dig. Du har gett mig en del, men du tar så mycket i gengäld.”

Beirut har blivit till ett eget väsen genom alla århundraden. I musiken och poesins värld förkroppsligas staden ofta till en kvinnogestalt som har tvingats se på när hennes sanna väsen har täcks i ett mörker. En av Libanons stora stjärnor, Fairuz, sjunger om hur stadens identitet har blivit förvrängd av kriget (“Le Beirut”) och om kärleken som ändå fortsätter att vara stark trots de galenskaper som hon och hennes folk gång på gång har utsatts för (“Bhebak Ya Lebnan”). Men det är såklart en mängd andra poeter och musiker som också skildrar denna säregna och vackra stad. Wadih Al Safi sjunger om vikten av att hon (Beirut) måste fortsätta att vara stark och leva vidare (“Ma’lesh Ya Lebnan”): Majida El Roumi tar ton genom Nizar Qabbanis dikter och skildrar staden med både en kärlek och sorg (“Beirut Set El Donya”): Julia Boutros sjunger om hur staden alltid kommer att tillhöra invånarna och att man återigen kommer få se henne blomstra (“Ghabet Shams El Haq”) och Mike Massy sjunger lite kontrastartat om hur han sorgset nog har tröttnat på alltihop, och bara vill ta sig bort från alla fördomar och förstörelser (“Baddi Dii”). Det finns en mängd olika kärleksförklaringar till staden i musikens värld. Det är med ett starkt hopp och en tro på att hon återigen kommer att resa sig ur askan och blomstra mer än någonsin. Och kanske är det just kärleken som inte bara får henne att överleva allt hon har sett, utan också att leva (!) vidare. Och kanske är det just allt detta som verkligen gör staden till sitt eget lilla väsen.

Zena El Khalil har i denna bok skrivit in sig själv, och det blir till en slags autofiktion. Hon rör sig mellan tid och rum, tankar och incidenter samt drömmar och verklighet. Historieböckerna har lagts åt sidan då de ändå bara skildrar ett slags ovanför-perspektiv av de händelser som Beirut har sett genom åren. Zena ger sig istället in på det där innerst mänskliga, och tar sig an både nuet och det förflutna på ett mer närgånget vis. Hon må skildra stadens konflikter, men ingenting är riktigt svart eller vitt. Verkligheten är mer nyanserad än så. I de mörka stunderna går det att finna både lycka och kärlek, precis som man i de ljusa stunderna kan omges av känslor som hopplöshet och frustration. Människans breda spektrum av känslor tillåts få spelrum hos Zena. Fruktan möter ömhet: hat möter kärlek och förtvivlan möter hopp… och det är bara mänskligt. Man kan liksom känna fler saker på en och samma gång. Och även om Beirut har sett mycket förödelse genom åren så har hon samtidigt omgivits av så mycket kärlek och hopp att hon gång på gång har lyckats resa sig ur askan igen. Och det tycks ändå som att kärlek är det enda som gör att man kan ta sig vidare, och att det är det enda som faktiskt får en att fortsätta leva och inte bara överleva. Älskade denna bok. <3

[Monica Villas Boas]

I don't really like to "review" memoirs, because I can't judge someone's life and experience obvs. But here are some thoughts about the book:

-In the beginnign, she tells us about how she remembers her past lives (in one of them she was a boy who sinked with the Titanic). This didn't seem realistic and had zero connection with the rest of the book.
-The writing style felt a little bit too poetic - like Zena was trying too hard to have a beautiful prose.
-I could feel her love for Beirut and it gave me major wanderlust vibes
-The many wars and attacks that Beirut (and Lebanon as whole) suffered broke my heart. Zena talks about bombing after bombing and no one is safe! Ain't is so sad that the only way for one to be safe in this situation is for them to leave their country?
-I have many Lebanese friends and colleagues and I definitely want to talk to them about this period, it was great to learn more about the history of Lebanon.

Some quotes:
"People were so humiliated and broken from the war, the only thing they could do was to forget"
"It is right to make love when other are dying. It is right to make love when children are being killed by bombs."
"How did people deal with loneliness and disappointment before they had Xanax and the comedy channel?"
" New York was not the same. After the two buildings fell, I was seen only as an Arab. (…) It seemed that the more people hated Arabs, the more I wanted to be one. The more questions people asked me, the more stories I told them. I"

[Ricardo Ribeiro · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really don't know what to write. I picked up this book while preparing a trip to Lebanon. For that, I didn't get much help. Otherwise, it was readable. Never extraordinary, not even close to it. A personal account, a self narrative of a life, coincidentally taking place, for some time, in Beirut.

[Carlisle · Rating 4 out of 5]

El libro en si es adictivo, con una forma de narrar muy diferente a los autores occidentales. La autora mezcla la realidad con el mundo de la poesía y ello hace que sea una obra estimulante. El lenguaje es muy sentimental y visceral, al igual que la historia que narra.

Lo recomendaría sin dudar, supone una forma diferente de acercarse al mundo árabe lejos de la visión occidental.

[Jessica Lethin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Vacker, känslosam, ibland otroligt medryckande och en hel del för lång. När jag började läsa boken fastnade jag direkt i språket och känslan, men tyvärr blir det ibland för mycket av det goda, för många upprepningar, och när jag var mätt på boken fanns det lite väl mycket bok kvar.

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

everything i felt in & about beirut was real. same reason i fell in love with new orleans at age 17 & belfast at age 24 - beirut & I were overdue. like i said to a guy i met there, 'once you love a fucked-up city, nowhere else does it for you.'

[Ghada Said · Rating 2 out of 5]

Beirut, sweetie, I am so sorry.

[Chaahat Jain · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a masterpiece. It’s a story of war and loss, friendship and love and above all a story of finding oneself, longing for the sense of belonging. I loved this book.

[Josefina Dumay Neder · Rating 2 out of 5]

Almost left it midway - the voice became too snobby. Has some great moments and some writing that sticks with you. But I didn’t resonate with the voice.

[Martirio · Rating 4 out of 5]

que bonito.......

[Jillian Senac · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautifully heart wrenching story. A message for humanity is found in this book by illustrating how grief and suffering can bring to light what really matters.

[Jorge Ferrer · Rating 2 out of 5]

No terminado

[Gloria Sarmiento Fuertes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fluye y lo vives

[Gwynplaine26th · Rating 2 out of 5]

Beirut è sempre stata una città che avrei voluto visitare, come un po' tutto il Libano, con le sue suggestioni, i suoi profumi, la darbuka e i ritmi della tabla nei locali notturni, il mio amato baladi ..

Per Zena el Khalil, giovane artista libanese, tutto comincia nei 34 giorni della guerra del 2006 nel suo Paese, quando decide di aprire il blog beirutupdate.blogspot.com (tuttora online) e raccontare l'assedio del Libano in tempo reale.

"Beirut, I love you", in quanto storia di una donna e di una città, si accosta molto ai comics romanzati della ben più celebre Marjane Satrapi (vedi i suoi "Persepolis", "Pollo alle prugne", "Taglia e cuci"), ma lo fa mantenendo un individualismo specifico ed un congegno narrativo del tutto diverso. La el Khalil intreccia nelle fitte maglie della trama, la sua infanzia, l'università, le sue vite precedenti e le sovrappone alla storia di Beirut, al susseguirsi di guerre e ricostruzioni, seppur non certo con la simpatia autoironica della Satrapi.

Uno stato di tensione perpetua, scaturita ovviamente dalla delicata tematica; l'attaccamento alla vita dell'autrice è quasi portato all'eccesso, la Beirut post-bellica, infatti, diventa folle quasi quanto lo era durante l'assedio.

Sorgono i primi night e supernight, le donne scoprono la chirurgia estetica e gli uomini sembrano perdere interesse nei rapporti stabili ["nella vie en rose il nostro popolo affogava" cit.].

Una scrittura giovanile ed immediata per uno spaccato di vita vera che si legge in un soffio e che implora di essere avvicinato a più persone possibili. Troppo spesso voltiamo lo sguardo e dimentichiamo ciò che fa male. Un'idea indubbiamente buona, ma con tutti i buoni propositi del mondo, a tratti ho trovato la scrittura superficiale, poco approfondita, quasi l'autrice volesse scrivere "tanto per".

In tema con l'argomento, consiglio i film della regista libanese Nadine Labaki (adoro!) "Caramel" e "E adesso dove andiamo?", con le musiche meravigliose del marito Khaled Mouzanar , per un' immersione a tutto tondo in una terra meravigliosamente complessa.

[Hubert · Rating 4 out of 5]

Incredibly earnest, heartbreaking memoir about life in Beirut during civil wars of the 80s and 90s, and during the Israeli invasion. Khalil reveals her innermost emotional ups and downs amidst great political instability and violence. She spends significant amts. of space revealing her love of her dear friend Maya, lost to cancer at an early age; and of her relationships with a number of men, including her former husband whom she divorced. Though life seems difficult, Khalil, of international upbringing, makes the case that she could not imagine living anywhere else.

The text is best read as a reflection of a particular time and place; as a literary work, it comes off as somewhat too narcissistic and somewhat immature. It would be interesting to track how this author develops her writing 20 years from now, with a little more rhetorical dexterity in her cache of experience.

[Alessandro Argenti · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow. Sono assolutamente sorpreso dalla straordinaria bellezza di questo libro! Adoro il modo di scrivere, le riflessioni, l'ironia, la tristezza, la consapevolezza sulla situazione, le speranze, e non ultimo l'amore per una città, per un Paese che fa da protagonista alla vicenda. Niente storia (se non brevi accenni), niente morale, nessun dito puntato, ma solo una ragazza che fa sentire la sua voce gridando la sua passione per Beirut. Mi ha fatto spesso sorridere per il modo anche irriverente, perfino scandaloso se vogliamo, nello descrivere le situazioni ma tutto questo ci sta: dalla guerra ci si difende anche cosi, con il sorriso e con la voglia di sorprendere, di rischiare, di non fermarsi mai. Uno dei migliori romanzi che ho letto quest'anno.

[Malak El Sabeh · Rating 5 out of 5]

When my creative writing teacher assigned this book, the first thing that came to my mind was Beirut I Love You? Really? I thought it must be a cheesy story about a polished version of Beirut.
I finished this book in less than two days. It was very hard to let it down, and I'm definitely going to read it again. It was so raw and so straightforward. It wasn't polished. It was the most honest depiction of Beirut I have ever come across. I was very impressed. It made me look at things from a different perspective.

"I walked past all the newspapers with pictures of blown-up body parts, and fashion magazines with pictures of blown-up body parts."

[Philip · Rating 4 out of 5]

The first fifty pages are terrible, and I don't understand why she included them. Well, I do, they're to provide a frame of reference to read her Lebanon years. They are about being an Arab in America, before and after 9/11. Awfully trite stuff. She really could have done a better job. Perhaps she should have started her memoir with anecdotes from her childhood in Nigeria. She scattered a few towards the end, and they were really illuminating - far more powerful than the insipidity on New York.

Once the story gets to Beirut, though, it is magical.

[Sydney · Rating 2 out of 5]

Zena gets a couple stars because this book was a gift from my best friend who is Lebanese-American and Zena's honesty and her descriptions of friendship with Lebanese ladies made me smile and think of my own friend. But I just didn't feel like this memoir was written for an audience. That is to say, this work reads more like a private diary than an edited nonfiction piece meant for strangers to enjoy. There are just too many loose ends.

[Yesyoucandy · Rating 5 out of 5]

What I learned from this book:

How people live when anything can happen at anytime
That we must love harder when we're losing
Not to be judgemental
To see the 'middle-east' from a different persective

The book is tragic but totally fun. I felt like I was in Beirut.

It just published in America too!!!
http://new.publishersweekly.com/978-1...