De Niro's Game: A Novel (P.S.) (Paperback)

~ (Author)
Key Phrases: poker place, Monsieur Laurent, West Beirut, Madame Nabila (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Starred Review. This aggressive, prize-winning Canadian import debut recounts the fate of two childhood friends in war-ravaged Beirut. Narrator Bassam dreams of leaving Beirut, where there is "not enough [money] for cigarettes, a nagging mother, and food," and escaping to Rome, where even the pigeons "look happy and well fed." To fund his escape, he enters into a scheme with his best friend, George, to skim funds from the poker arcade where George works. But George is soon coerced into joining the militia and rises to its top ranks, allowing the friends to indulge in freewheeling lawlessness. Their days of riding the streets of West Beirut "with guns under our bellies, and stolen gas in our tanks, and no particular place to go" gives way to betrayal and violence more ferocious than either self-styled thug had bargained for. Though Bassam does eventually leave, he finds he cannot entirely escape Beirut; only in Paris, where the story plays out its third and final act, does he discover the extent of his friend's treachery. Hage's energetic prose matches the brutality depicted in the novel without overstating the narrative's tragic arc—an impressive first outing for Hage. (Aug.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From Booklist

*Starred Review* East meets West in this stunning first novel yielding a totally fresh perspective on war-torn Beirut. Bassam and George have been best friends since childhood, when they roamed the ruined streets of their hometown, making a game out of collecting empty bullets and cannon shells to trade for cigarettes. Now, years into the civil war, "ten thousand bombs had landed," and the two have lost their parents and many neighbors to them, growing hard and cynical in the process. Every day is a test in survival, a mad scramble for food and petrol. Bassam dreams of escaping to Rome, where even the pigeons look "happy and well-fed." He and George concoct an elaborate ruse to rip off the gambling parlor where George works, but after joining the local Christian militia, George is a changed man. Soon even their close friendship is enveloped by the nihilism bred by living in a war zone, and Bassam is forced to flee from the militia, hopping a a boat bound for France. Both terse and lyrical, Hage's narrative is a wonder, alternately referencing modern American action heroes and ancient Arabic imagery. The blend of the two is as startling as it is beautiful. Wilkinson, Joanne
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 304 pages
• Publisher: Harper Perennial; Reprint edition (August 5, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0061470570
• ISBN-13: 978-0061470578
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.3 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #73,199 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Daniel is mistaken, December 23, 2007

By	Andrew J. Dalack - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: De Niro's Game (Hardcover)

Rawi Hage's first novel is arguably one of the best pieces of English literature on Lebanon's devastating 15-year civil war. Daniel Scott's simplistic analysis of "De Niro's Game" does not do the book or its author justice. Hage's writing style, which is often poetic in nature, paints a vivid picture of Lebanon's internal tragedy between Christian militias, socialist forces, and Palestinian guerrillas. This book is an absolute must-read.

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great writing, November 5, 2007

By	Nick C. (Rochester, Minnesota USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: De Niro's Game (Hardcover)

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Great cinematographic style, vivid, risky, and imaginative. A close look at the personal and daily living of two young people in the midst of a civil war. More informative and captivating than general media coverage. One of the best literay novels on the middle east I have read in years. Simply brilliant.

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Masterpiece, August 22, 2008

By	J. Dunwoody (Atlanta, GA) - See all my reviews

A stream of consciousness account of a shell-shocked young man struggling to retain his sanity in the middle of a war. The narrator's voice is disengaged and repetitive as he describes events that overcome his family, childhood friendships, and city. Hage presents a stark contrast between the poetic beauty of his language and the tragedies of the war.