Author: Ahmed Saadawi
Translator: Unclear
Narrator: Guy Mott
Timeplay: 8 hrs 38m
Publisher: W.F. Howes Audio
Publication date: March 1, 2013
Book description (Scribd): From the rubble-strewn streets of U.S.-occupied Baghdad, Hadi a scavenger and an oddball fixture at the local cafe collects human body parts and stitches them together to create a corpse. He claims his goal is for the government to recognize the parts as people and give them proper burial. But when the corpse goes missing, a wave of eerie murders sweeps the city, and reports stream in of horrendous-looking criminals who, though shot, cannot be killed. Hadi soon realizes he's created a monster, one that needs human flesh to survive first from the guilty, and then from anyone in its path. An extraordinary achievement, at once horrific and blackly humorous, Frankenstein in Baghdad captures the surreal reality of contemporary Baghdad."
Review:
This is a fresh take on this, I have always loved retellings this one was even darker than the original. This was also the first translated work from Arabic, so I wasn't sure what to expect. It is not a horror story exactly. Don't expect this to be as horrifying or thrilling as the blurb leads you to believe; it's much more introspective and comments on war, humanity, and how to handle grief and loss. The translation was well done and it read very naturally in English, even for people with English as a second language.
In this work- the monster felt initially as a symbol. The "real" monster is assembled and refreshed from the body parts of bomb victims. It is enlivened by prayers directed to St George - as it happens the patron of England, a ‘coalition partner’ in the Iraqi occupation.
Not sure if this was due to the audiobook format, but in some aspects it felt disjointed. We do follow a good number of people, so that made it confusing at some points.
We follow a wide-ranging cast of characters, the elderly Elishva lives in her coveted home with her cat, she lost her son, Daniel in the Iran-Iraq War, her 2 daughters live in Melbourne, and a crooked realtor is determined to acquire her home. Elishva has never gotten over the loss of Daniel and yearns for his return. She is convinced that if she stayed in her home he will come back eventually. Hadi, a junk dealer loses his beloved business partner, with no body he collects various body parts that represent every part of the Iraqi community and stitches together a composite corpse. This corpse becomes inhabited by a soul of a dead guard in search of a body. So Frankenstein, or Whatsitsname as he is referred to, is born.
The old lady is convinced that Whatsitsname if Daniel, her returned son. The whole neighborhood thinks that the other missing people are going to be returned to protect them from the darkness and terrors the war is throwing at them. After all, Whatsitsname's only mission is looking for vengeance, he does not want to hurt innocents- only those monsters that are killing and torturing his people.
Sought by the Americans, the Iraqi military, and Brigadier Majid of the Tracking Unit, discover this is a criminal who is bulletproof and cannot be killed. A number of parties lay claim to and support Whatsitsname, seeing him as representing all Iraqis who have suffered under the US and various corrupt and murderous Iraqi sectors, or as a miracle, a savior sent down by their God, everyone is giving him the meaning that fits their own schedule better.
Mahmoud, a journalist (yes we follow so many people it becomes hard to keep them all straight), tries to get the bottom of the rumors surrounding the monster, interviewing Hadi, eventually getting hold of recordings of Whatsitsname explaining his purpose.
Whatsitsname keeps losing body parts as he achieves vengeance for that person, at first, those parts are replaced by innocent victims which presents a moral dilemma for the monster- he does not wish to hurt innocents. But the issue is solved as the innocent are willing to sacrifice their limbs to help him; although soon any parts will do, even those of the guilty.
This is a satire on the sorrow and grief that is Iraq, and the wars in the middle east. I appreciate his approach because quite honestly it would otherwise be unbearable and grim to read about the atrocities that continue to take place. It is inevitable that amidst the never-ending explosives, car bombs, al-Qaeda, US actions, and religious factions mental health issues would proliferate amidst the loss and grief experienced by local Iraqis. I love the inclusion of the magicians, djinns, and astrologers who play a vital role in political and military decision-making.
I highly recommend this book, just be aware it touches on a few grim topics and it is best to go through it in physical format, and if possible first time through take notes of who is who, it would be helpful. Otherwise brave it out as I did and catch on as you get more context.
Used for the challenges:
Around the World: Iraq
Translated work
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