Customer Reviews

Gifts

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Woow! When I read this book, I though this author is rather unique in this world. The language is rich and vivid. From there I decided to read all his work.

I just posted a review of Nurrudin Farah's Maps, and I wanted to make sure everyone knows the whole trilogy is brilliant. If I had to separate them, Gifts I think is the easiest to read, but all by itslef is maybe less rewarding than Maps or Secrets. But it's still an amzing book--one of the best contemporary novels that I've read--and the whole trilogy has radically reshaped changed the way I think about literature and the world.

I came to thi s book after reading the review in the New York Times Book Review (the quote on this page doesn't do the review justice). I had never heard of the author and thought I was discovering someone completely new. When I looked at the book I learned that many of the world's great writers--Rushdie, Achebe, Gordimer--have been reading him for years and loving him. If you look at the page for Secrets and click on the Click Here for All the Reviews button you'll see what I mean. They're right. He's a great writer who deserves to be more famous. This is a great book. Now I'm going to read all of his other books.

i still haven't received the book yet. horrible experience. finally i just had to borrow the book from library.

I read this book based on the glowing, 5 star reviews of others. I stopped reading the book 30 pages before the end. The first half of the story held my interest well, but then it started lagging until my interest stopped altogether.

Mr. Farah does have a pleasant way with words and presents the life in Somalia well indeed. I enjoyed the differences and understand the importance of superstition in their society. Also it seems that every word spoken is analyzed by each person to the extent that all sorts of unspoken psychological challenges are experienced in a chit chat conversation.

For me this was not a reading joy.

This book is not exactly what I would call a joy. You start reading it and you just can't wait to finish it. I found the whole novel dry and uninteresting. It did have a brilliant beginning, but as time went on, you just get tired because the story itself never really develops in a way that would pique your interests at all. I can't say I'm a fan of Farah, but maybe I should try another of his books and see.