My Friends has beautiful writing and really good examinations of the characters and their motivations. I did find it very difficult to get into though, as it took over a month to read. ( )

An exile novel of friendship and all that is left behind in a moment's choice. ( )

https://shawjonathan.com/2024/03/18/hisham-matar-my-friends-the-book-club-page-7... ( )

A beautifully written, thoughtful look at how one event can change your life. Matar explores male friendship over decades all stemming from youthful worship on one hand and a traumatic event on the other. At the center is each character's relationship to home, Libya, in a time of turmoil. ( )

Growing up in Benghazi, Kahlid is affected by hearing a short story about a man eaten alive by a cat. He enrolls in the University of Edinburgh where he remains friends with Mustafa, also from his home town. When Mustafa convinces him to attend a political protest at the Libyan Embassy in London where violence erupts, Kahlid’s life is forever changed. The two young men can no longer return to either their home country nor to Edinburgh. Thus, Kahlid begins the life of an exile living in London.

He does have the opportunity to meet the author of the short story that had such an impact on him and they become friends. As the Arab Spring dawns and the political situation in Libya escalates, his two friends eventually choose a different path from him, returning to their homeland to be a part of the revolution.

Khalid recounts his history while taking a walk about his adopted city, passing places of significance, including where that protest took place. The novel is based on true events in the tortuous history of Libya (and the protest in London) and the effects of this history on three fictional friends.

Beautifully written and introspective, the novel expresses the pain of living in exile away from family and the countryside one loved as a child, as well as the constant fear experienced by political exiles. It was a bit of a slow read for me as Khalid’s musings do tend to meander and I wanted to reflect on every one of his thoughts and experiences.

Thanks to #netgalley and #randomhousepublishing for the arc. ( )