Customer Reviews

Staircase of a Thousand Steps

5 star:		(16)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Rarely have I have read a novel as compelling as "Staircase of a Thousand Steps." The writing is as good as writing gets. The plot draws us into the magical life of a Primordial Village (a fictional Palestinian/Islamic town) during the years 1929-1967, a place revealed through three protagonists, & a handful of other figures, each unique. Here: past, present and future intersect through fine imagery and almost perfect prose. "Staircase" is rich with visual, emotional and sensuous details, reveals how complex ancestral relationships explode in surprising ways. I strongly suggest that you do Not miss this powerful reading experience, a book that reminds us why we read. A first novel? Truly Hard to Believe!!!

I picked this book up on a whim, thinking I would learn something more about the region that's been so much in the news lately. It isn't really that kind of book; after all, the Middle East conflict is thousands of years old. Instead, I found a jewel of a novel. In some ways it reminds me of Demetria Martinez's MotherTongue, the poetry in the language -- it's also better, with a strong story line, characters that won't let you go, that are as real as your next door neighbor, even though they're not of my culture. I think I do understand Palestinians better, and it's hard to believe the author isn't Palestinian herself. Whether you pick it up on a whim, or on purpose, you won't put Staircase of a Thousand Steps down.

I had "Staircase of a Thousand Steps" on my night table, about three books down. Seeing the great editorial and customer reviews here, I was skeptical. Could a book be That Good? Yes, I just finished it (in a marathon reading session). It is: That Good. I agree with what all the reviewers, both professional and customers, have said. It has been one of the great reading experiences this year. I teach Middle East Studies here in Vermont and so must read a great deal about the area. But this transcends anything I've read to date because it is true fiction that also gives readers a window onto a distant time and place. Ms. Hamilton is, without question, a superior novelist. Her characters are perfectly created--they come fully alive on the page. Her book is: fascinating, captivating and most of all, intensely moving.

I read somewhere that this book was a bit slow in the beginning, but I have to disagree; I did not find it slow at all. It laid the framework for a wonderfully woven story by allowing the reader to get to know the characters deeply. That is what makes a great novel leave its imprint! The story is great, the descriptions are vivid, but to me the most important part is getting to know the characters whom I can remember in the future as if I had met them. Not since Memoirs of a Geisha had I been so sad to finish a book.

In Staircase of a Thousand Steps, author Masha Hamilton illuminates the lives of the small village of Ein Fadr, in what will become the West Bank. Although it is set just before the 1967 Israeli War, it isn't really a political novel. A reporter for many years in the region, Hamilton gets under the skin of her characters, from 11 year old Jammana, her Grandfather Harif, with whom she shares the gift (and sometimes curse) of seeing visions, to the rebellious midwife Faridah. This is a novel that will stay with you -- that will haunt you. Masha Hamilton is destined to be a major talent. It is a truly amazing novel.

Masha Hamilton has created a world steeped in mystery and tangled with superstition, ignorance and merciless retribution mostly affected against women. Her heroines stand their ground in a land where that can cost your life. Magnificent, beguilingly simple story telling combined with deft handling of detailed material that has to come from experience,"Staircase" is truly a wonderful story. This praise does not come lightly. I truly felt I was there, every step of the way. In fact, with each successive chapter, the feeling of being immersed in the story became stronger, until I finally put aside everything I was doing to finish the book instead. Lovely. Read this book; you'll never forget the characters.

Ms Hamilton has done what no one else has to date: Captured Palestinian village life when her fictional village was still in Transjordan. The writing is elegant; the wording is delicious but most of all: The evocation of an Arabic world written by a Westerner is full of evocative details and wonderful characters. Highly recommended for anyone interested in great writing.

I picked up Masha Hamilton's novel, thinking it was a small book because it is, physically. I took it on a plane ride from Boston to London, and didn't stop reading it until I walked through UK immigration counter. Ms Hamilton weaves such a powerful spell here, evoking times long past, an intricate tale in a seemingly ancient world-- all related with such specificity and magical ur-reality, that I couldn't believe I had initially seen it as small. The world created here is huge and all-encompassing. Best novel of 2001, so far. Five Stars and hats off to Hamilton, who is a major talent.

I've never read anything like this, never been to a place like this, never met characters like this. By the time I was a third of the way in, I became thoroughly lost in the story - one that is both timeless and modern. And the characters have found a place in my heart - Harif and Jammana, Rafa and Khalah, and especially Faridah, the fiery and free-spirited midwife. This is a book I will pull off the shelf and read over and over.

This novel caught my attention when it was chosen a Discover Great New Writers book. I brought home the ... catalog, read the rave review and ordered it from .... Here's some of what the catalog says: “This first novel, set in the Jordanian desert circa the mid-1960s, is rendered to authentically it had us shaking the sand out of our shoes. Lifting the flap on Bedouin tents, Hamilton peers into the Arabic village of Ein Fadr, a land seething with long-held tensions and "filled with extremes that entice."” The review also calls the novel “a stunner,” and says: “Hamilton's prose is full of assurance, entertaining and informative, with poetic imagery that lingers long after the Staircase of a Thousand Steps has been ascended.”

I agree. At the beginning, I sometimes stumbled over the unfamiliar names. But, wow, are the images ever strong! And once this story caught me, it wouldn't let go. A terrific read.