Overall reaction

My final opinion on this book after having finished it is that I did like it, even though it did take awhile for me to Finally get into it. I loved this book because I was really able feel all Suleiman's complicated feelings throughout the book, and towards the end I found that I couldn't set the book down for I was too anxious to find out what would happen next. I was impressed by the way Suleiman was able to deal with all of the situations throughout the book. For example, when his whole world literally collapsed around him and he was left alone with no friends and no role models to guide him through the rough times, he was able to see how blessed he was to simply be alive with someone as special as his mom. It seemed as if Suleiman was always able to find the good in every situation and I guess it was this that really made me enjoy the book. Another reason why I enjoyed this book was because I thought that it was really interesting to see what life would be like in a corrupt country such as Libya. I mean we hear all about places like Darfur and Rwanda and yes it does tear my heart in half to hear of all the death that is involved in these countries, but it is something completely different to see it all through the innocent eyes of a nine year old boy. To sum up I really did like the book!

Final post

In the country of men is a great book written by Hisham Matar. The book focuses on a boy named Suleiman who is nine years old. Suleiman is growing up in Libya with his parents who aren't particularly close and his father is very distant. his parents were forced to marry when his mom was only 14 so they never grew really close and she often drinks heavily when Baba (Suleiman's father). Baba is often on "business trips" where he is believed to be participating in illegal activities correlated to a movement trying to fight the totalitarian government now in Libya. Suleiman's next door neighbor is Kareem who is three years older then Suleiman but they are still very close friends. Kareem's father is a very good friend of Baba's and is a senior member of the Mokhabarat, Baba is a also a member of this group. Kareem's father gets dragged away by the police and Baba goes on the run. Kareem's father gets executed on Television and Suleiman watches the entire thing so his parents aren't very careful with what Suleiman sees. Baba also gets caught but is spared of his life, he is no longer affiliated with the group he got in trouble with and this ends up bringing the entire family back together. Overall this was a pretty good book although it was hard for me to relate because I am living in a totally different society and situation.

week four blog

I was wondering if Suleiman's mother really actually does love her husband? I understand that she lives in a very repressive society for women, but since she is talking about leaving now in the book I'm curious to whether or not she actually did have feelings for him since she hadn't already left.

Week Five

Welcome to Week Five, and our last week week of blogging.

This week's post should be on your overall thoughts about the book. It must be a ten sentence summary. You also need to comment on at least five other people's posts. Don't wait until the last minute.

blog #4- Question

What do you think is conflicting about society in Libya? Do you think that these conflictions are the reason for the awkward and sometimes depressing differences in Suleiman's family?

Week Four

Welcome to Week Four!

For this week's blog you will post a thought-provoking question that does not have only one answer. Remember that you must make 10 comments this week, not 5. Please do not leave this until the last minute, you have the whole week to get it done.

Blog 3 Literary elements

In my opinion the most appealing aspect of this book is its beautiful imagery. The author does a fantastic job at describing the setting and appearance of the characters. The best example of this is how the author described the sea and all of its many different colors. He also went as far as describing the scent of the ocean surf, the sound of the waves , and the feel of the seaweed wrapped around Suleiman's legs as he swam. I loved the part of the seaweed because I can definitely relate e to Suleiman's fear of the weeds, because growing up I was also very scared of the weeds and I was always careful to avoid those areas while tubing swimming. Another great example of the beautiful imagery that the author uses is the description of the afternoon. When Suleiman tried walking across the roof I could almost feel my feet burning and in my mind I could very clearly see the heat waves rise off the roof in the heat of the mid day sun. Then when the boysenberry's were described I caught myself almost drooling on the pages of the book. I especially liked the fact that he described the Berry's as being gifts of the angels that felt bad for Adam and Eve. All in all so far I really like the imagery of this novel.

Blog #3- Literary Elements

The literary elements in the book In the country of men really show the authors raw talent at describing the book for the readers. The book takes place in the 1970s in Libya and the author does a terrific job of painting the picture in the readers head. When he talks about the extreme heat and the Sea you can just see the boy and the effect the setting has on him. The effect that the author implements with characters also attracts the readers. When the mom is sick and Baba is gone you feel for the boy and you are always interested with what is yet to come. Also the lack of father presence and how it affects the boy is another aspect that the author uses to attract attention. The troubles that occur in the boys life is the plot of this book and how they affect him for the better or worse. The first time that they show the mother getting sick sets the tone for the rest of the book because there is always that possibility of her getting sick again. Whether the events following what I have read so far have a bad or good effect on the boy remains to be seen but the way he takes care of his mother leads me to believe that he is maturing from it. Overall the author has done an excellent job of promoting the setting characters and plot throughout this book and complements to him for it.

Setting

The setting in this book is in Libya and it seems to be near a town or city. They often mention things when they go into town that hint at the setting being a city because they describe things that belong to the government or several possible markets to attend. Later on in the book they describe the sea and this brings back memories of my visits to the ocean and the great features that it has. I think the chow they describe the characters throughout the beginning of the book make the setting all the more appealing because of their problems and the setting determines a lot about characters. Libya is near the equator so they obviously have extreme heat shown by the main characters dehydration. The setting in this book often gives me a good mood because it describes it as if it was heaven. The time period isn't ever stated and if I wouldn't have been previously told I would have no idea what time period this book takes place. This book kind of reminds me of Siddhartha because the main character meets several different settings and the ways of the water have meant a lot to both of them. I think the setting will foreshadow what is going to occur for the rest of the book and determine the boys fate. I am very excited to read the rest of the book and analyze the settings to get more hints about what is yet to come.

Setting

While reading this book I got the impression that the story is taking place in a very arid and desolate place. The fact that they always take naps at midday and that the main character almost died of heat exhaustion is testament to the extreme heat of the area that they live in. My favorite part of the setting would have to be the sea. Hisham Matar does a very good job at contrasting the beautiful sea with the desolate desert surrounding it, and he does this by describing the many colors that are scattered throughout the sea. I also loved the description of the abandoned city. I was able to get a very good picture in my head of what the city looked like. Though I am able to visualize the setting pretty easily, I am having trouble understanding this period in time. I don't quite understand what the ''traitors'' are speaking out against. To more completely understand this story it would be nice as a reader to have a little more information on what is happening in politics during this time period in Libya. This conflict is having a major effect in Suleiman's life because these men that his father is speaking out against are taking his friends away and tormenting his family. To sum up, I find the setting a little confusing so far in the novel.

Week Two

Welcome to Week Two of our discussion. This discussion will last from Monday, March 2nd to Sunday, March 9th.

This week's discussion is on Setting. Please POST a 10-sentence comment on setting. Don't forget to comment on 5 other posts on this blog. You have all week to complete this assignment, but waiting is not recommended!

Blog # 1- Main Character

The main character in the book a country of men is a boy who lives with his mother and lives in Libya. At the beginning of the book he encounters his dad, Baba out in the streets but when they walk by each other they don't even acknowledge each other. He lives with his parents but his dad is gone a lot so he is without a strong male role model in his life. When his father is gone his mom becomes "sick" and he is responsible for taking care of her. The boy seems lonesome because him and his dad hardly speak and when he’s with only his mom she often becomes sick. His best and only friend is Kareem who we are just starting to meet and could prove to be a strong influence in his life. The boys name is Suleiman and he is quiet but just judging by the texts I can tell the boy has a lot of potential. I think the future will bring a lot of hardships to Suleiman just judging by foreshadowing but I’m not sure if he will have anyone there to help him. The shy boy must break out of his shell soon because if he doesn’t he could end up in a bad place in Libya. But overall this boys features explained in the book are very intriguing and I am excited to see what comes of him.

Eric weichts thoughts on the main character

The young boy of this novel is a very shy and scared character. He seldom leaves his mothers side and is constantly silent. The fact that he really only has one friend, Kareem, is proof of his shyness. This shyness in my opinion is the fault of one thing. I feel that Suleiman's shyness is in part due to the absence of a strong male presence in his life. In the Libyan society males and females lead totally different lives and so Suleiman is not learning everything that he needs to from his mother, so that would mean that it would be the fathers job to fill that void in his life. The problem is, Suleiman's father is basically absent in his life. He is always of mysterious business's trips and never at home, and even when he is home he apparently always has his nose buried in a newspaper or some book. Without this presence in his life, Suleiman is probably having a hard time fitting into his life. Finally, Suleiman is a very confused individual. Between his dad's ''business trips'' and his mom's ''medicine'', he must have lots of questions pent up inside of his head. Even though Suleiman may not be perfect, I do like him as a character and I am excited to see what becomes of him.

Week One

Welcome to Week 1 of our Discussion. This discussion will last from Monday, February 23rd to Sunday, March 1.

This week's discussion is on Character. Please POST a 10 sentence comment on character. Don't forget to comment on 5 other posts on this blog. You have all week to complete this assignment, but don't wait until the last minute!!!

ARE YOU GOING TO READ THIS BOOK?

ARE YOU GOING TO READ THIS BOOK?

If so, please comment on this post with your name and hr and answer the following 2 questions by Monday, February 2nd.

1. Why do you want to read this?
2. How are you going to acquire the book?

Welcome!

Hello, welcome to 3rd quarter OR. The book being discussed here will be In the Country of Men by Hisham Matar. Here is a short introduction to the book.

"Set in 1979, this affecting first novel tells the story of Suleiman, a Libyan boy whose family and friends are targeted as antirevolutionaries by the repressive government of Muammar Qaddafi, known to his people as the Guardian. In this waking nightmare of how the government sows fear, turning its subjects against one another, men are arrested or disappear; one is eliminated in a horrifying public execution before a gleeful stadium crowd-an event broadcast live on television. Only nine years old, Suleiman grapples with understanding who the real traitors are, and he finds himself guilty of betraying his friends in an environment of suspicion in which the government monitors every movement and conversation. Most memorable in this beautifully written book is the relationship between Suleiman and his young mother. Suleiman wants to save her from the depressions that plague her in a country hostile not only to her husband's political beliefs but also to her gender: she still suffers the loss of her dreams after entering an arranged marriage at 15. Matar portrays their relationship in intimate, realistic, and heartbreaking scenes."
Courtesy of:
http://search.barnesandnoble.com/In-the-Country-of-Men/Hisham-Matar/e/9780385340434/?itm=1