Reading the World discussion

From supersummary.com

An Unnecessary Woman (2014), a novel by Lebanese American author and painter Rabih Alameddine, tells the story of 72-year-old Aaliya Saleh, a literature-loving recluse in Beirut, as she grapples with growing older and reflects on past sorrows and joys, often with great insight and humor.

The novel opens as Aaliya recounts the time she accidentally dyed her hair blue. She has just completed her translation of a novel called Austerlitz, and she has a couple of glasses of red wine to mark the occasion. Distracted by her accomplishment and perhaps too much wine, she uses an excessive amount of a new shampoo designed to conceal, or at least quell white hair. Though she doesn't consider herself a particularly vain person, Aaliya had overheard "three witches"—her nosy neighbors—gossiping about how white her hair is, prompting her to do something about it. Or try to, at any rate. But she takes the impromptu dye-job all in stride, assuming the color will inevitably fade.

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I know I will like this book as I am 74!! (Celia)

Well, I snuck this one in on the 31st, and I liked it even though I am 29 ; )

It's one of those books where virtually nothing happens in the plot itself, but rather a small instance is used as a jumping board for more explorations of thought and reminiscence on the life the protagonist has lived.

I worried at first that it might be a little dull, but Aaliya's account of her life ends up integrating fascinating tales from the Lebanese civil war, other conflicts she's lived through, and her struggle against societal norms in her life.

She cuts the figure of someone who is essentially a shut in and misanthrope, who finds more understanding and comfort in literature than real people. While I'm not as extreme as she is, there was something I found highly relatable about her, as someone also has struggled to a degree to find regular socializing as engaging as literature. I think the difference in us lies in that she has defaulted to a sense of superiority about it, where I acknowledge that it is worthwhile to try harder with other people even if it doesn't come naturally (and am pretty good with my external social life now and highly fulfilled by it.)! I was hoping throughout the story that she would get to that place where there is a realization that anyone and any event has the requisite depth- if you consider it enough- to pull the sense of epic and insight from that comes from novels- but alas, she's too ingrained in her ways.

But, I used to be more inclined to her position, and I related to her by seeing that point in my life as well. She was someone who felt very real to me.

She also talks about the insularity of her life as someone aging, and while I'm not a senior, I do have a recurring chronic illness which has rendered me different degrees of disabled throughout my life, so that made me connect with this aspect of her story as well.

Overall, felt it was an interesting insight into Lebanese history and social norms, and was a compelling profile of a woman who feels intellectually and socially alienated. It's also a real treat for 1001 list doers and lit nerds in general, as so many books from the list are mentioned and give contextual evidence to her story. I gave it 4 stars.

I am with you Amanda (although I am closer to Aaliya's age than your age). I felt as if I knew Aaliya, understood her and could imagine how easily one could fall into this perspective on life both because of external forces, such as the war, but also internal forces, such as having no experience with being more than a speck in her own eyes. As you point out, one must make an effort to gain knowledge even if it is how to have a social life.
I also totally loved the fact that many of her favorite books were ones that I have come to only recently through Reading the World and 1001 book reading. It was such a delight to recognize the quotes, and to be able to share the experience of discovery.
I did not have a good grounding in Lebanese history and this provided that background as well.
All in all I truly loved this reading and this is going to sound horrible, but I was somewhat amazed that a man could have written it. At no point did I feel that the author was condescending to Aaliya or "the witches".
We were warned repeatedly that there would be no epiphany to this novel, but I did feel as if the fact that the witches were able to break through and get Aaliya to accept their help was at least a change in her way of viewing the world.
4 stars also

I loved this book and found it very worthy as a descriptive novel of the culture of Lebanon. I especially embraced the references to the many books that Aaliya mentioned. The quotes from specific authors were special as well.

Celia wrote: "I loved this book and found it very worthy as a descriptive novel of the culture of Lebanon. I especially embraced the references to the many books that Aaliya mentioned. The quotes from specific a..."I liked this one a lot,also. The literary references added to it and I liked her sense of humor. That helped me relate to her though I'll likely never go to Lebanon,I feel a kinship.