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Loading... Alif the Unseen (original 2012; edition 2012)by G. Willow Wilson
Work detailsAlif the Unseen by G. Willow Wilson (2012)
This book opened a new world to me as a reader. I was not aware of much of the culture or folklore expressed in this story, so it was exciting as well as semi-educational. I found some of the characters' dialogue to be obvious vehicles for expressing perspectives on religion, culture, etc. but I think the story carried the reader through what otherwise might have seemed like heavy-handed editorializing. This is a compelling book, no matter how you look at it. (  ) Brian.Gunderson | May 1, 2013 |  Alif is a hacker who protects clients of various political and religious persuasion from the State, who has censors and would shut down their websites or blogs. When the State's computing arm, known to Alif and his friends as The Hand, hacks into his system, Alif finds himself and his childhood friend, Dina, in a boatload of trouble and suddenly on the run. I read Willow Wilson's memoir, The Butterfly Mosque, earlier this year, and enjoyed her writing enough to look up what else she's written. This is her debut, and it's an interesting blend of science fiction and fantasy, modern technology and legends of jinn. I had a hard time getting into it at first, probably because I was reading in bits and pieces instead of sitting down for a chunk of time to really let the story unfold for me. Once I did that, I turned pages fast. Alif is a conflicted sort of guy, and I didn't like him at first. The swearing made me cringe at times. Deep thoughts are inserted somewhat clunkily into a generally fast-paced story, but the characters' philosophizing give compelling food for thought about story and literature, fiction and life. (  ) bell7 | Apr 23, 2013 | I read this going to sleep so many nights in a row that I'm not sure what was in the book and what I dreamed. Lots of interesting ideas and images here. Think I need to re-read to get a better handle on it. I felt my lack of knowledge about Islam pretty keenly; I think I missed much of the resonances and references. But I enjoyed the hacker/revolutionary bits and especially enjoyed the peek into the jinn world. Hmm. Wonder what others think? ( ) anderlawlor | Apr 9, 2013 | A couple of times I wondered why the State didn't have helicopters, but overall this one really impressed me, bringing together hacking and djinn magic in a most interesting combination. Will expand on this review later, but in brief, the narrator was amazing with accents, genders, just wonderfully narrated. ( ) montsamu | Apr 3, 2013 | Read March 21 - July 2, 2012 I have no idea how to write a review or describe this book. It took me a little to get into it. I started it in March and sat it aside, but I never moved it from my nightstand because the description definitely captured my attention. So I picked it back up over the weekend. I'm glad I did. After refreshing my memory of the first 30 or so pages, I dived right in and there the adventure started. It's like a mix of Aladdin (Arabian Days instead of Nights here), Wizard of Oz (the film -- I've never read the book), and Ready Player One (geekery fun). I even learned a little! I mean, let's be real, I only know what I see on TV about the Middle East, Islam, Muslim & Arab cultures. (I really should do more research.) Very interesting read. ( ) melissarochelle | Mar 31, 2013 | no reviews | add a review
References to this work on external resources.
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LibraryThing AuthorG. Willow Wilson is a LibraryThing Author, an author who lists their personal library on LibraryThing.
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RatingAverage: (3.98)
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Wikipedia in English
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