Lyrics Alley

It took me a little while to get into this, but once in I was hooked. There's a lot packed into this not-particularly-lengthy (just over 300 pages) novel, and I like the way Aboulela brings it all together. In a nutshell, it's the story of one family living just outside Khartoum, over a couple of years in the early 1950s, with the tumultuous political events of that period (the fall of the British Empire, the struggle for self-determination, Sudan's relationship with Egypt) as a backdrop (my interest was piqued enough to have me go off and do some googling). Add to that a polygamous marriage, female circumcision, one female character's battle to be allowed to wear reading glasses (why would a woman need to read?) and other show more considerations linked to the role of women in this society...but all skillfully handled in a gentle way which made me think about the issues at stake, question them. show less

Lyrics Alley is set in Sudan, but Leila Aboulela takes her readers across borders in such a way that we can observe differences and universals simultaneously. It’s a satisfying story overall, with each character depicted in bold strokes and a broader arc with a credible — if not completely and entirely happy — resolution that’s definitely worth reading (although, selfishly, I think I might have enjoyed a whole novel about my favourite characters even more).Curious about those favourite characters? I have more to say about this Orange Prize longlisted novel here.

I like how the book ends. The final chapter expertly encapsulates what happened to the main characters through Nur Abuzeid's interview with the radio station. Nabilah Bey returned to Egypt and her children became friends with Fatma's daughter, and Soraya became a mother. And Ustaz Badr moved into his dream home. It wasn't clear initially what Ustaz Badr's role is, and the chapters on him slowed the book down. Turns out that he had an important role in spurring Nur to become an excellent poet and unwittingly persuaded Nabilah to return to Sudan. While reading this, I can't help but think of Palace Walk. Both took place in Egypt and had kind patriarchs. Palace Walk took place in Egypt in the 1910s; Lyrics Alley partly took place in Egypt show more but in the 1950s. But as I write this review, it strikes me how different the two Egypts are. The Egypt depicted in Palace Walk is so much more conservative. That's one of the interesting things I like about reading - learning about different countries and cultures. show less

Lyrics Alley has some very beautiful moments but is a disjointed novel that never really pulls it together by the end. It is a quick and compelling story but the reasons for being pulled into the novel - the setting, the tragedy the characters, wondering about the outcomes - end up being less than fully realized. I was left dissatisfied, unfortunately, yet I am open to reading more by this author. I wonder, though, given the setting and political climate of the time (Sudan & Egypt, 1951 & 1952) if this disjointed feeling was created by the author on purpose?? But I just really can't be sure.

Started slowly, but became very engrossing in the middle and then fizzled a little toward the end. The book is based on the life of the author's uncle (although she says she didn't try to stick closely to the facts of his life) and I wonder if that accounts for some of the pacing problems. I also found the large cast of characters hard to keep track of in the first few chapters--they are all interrelated (often in multiple ways) and I practically need to make a chart to figure out the different relationships.

Started slowly, but became very engrossing in the middle and then fizzled a little toward the end. The book is based on the life of the author's uncle (although she says she didn't try to stick closely to the facts of his life) and I wonder if that accounts for some of the pacing problems. I also found the large cast of characters hard to keep track of in the first few chapters--they are all interrelated (often in multiple ways) and I practically need to make a chart to figure out the different relationships.

Lyrics Alley is set in Sudan, but Leila Aboulela takes her readers across borders in such a way that we can observe differences and universals simultaneously. It’s a satisfying story overall, with each character depicted in bold strokes and a broader arc with a credible — if not completely and entirely happy — resolution that’s definitely worth reading (although, selfishly, I think I might have enjoyed a whole novel about my favourite characters even more).

Curious about those favourite characters? I have more to say about this Orange Prize longlisted novel here.