Thursday, May 29, 2014

Armchair BEA -- Beyond the Borders

Today's Topic: Beyond the Borders. It’s time to step outside your comfort zone, outside your borders, or outside of your own country or culture. Tell us about the books that transported you to a different world, taught you about a different culture, and/or helped you step into the shoes of someone different from you. What impacted you the most about this book? What books would you recommend to others who are ready or not ready to step over the line? In essence, let’s start the conversation about diversity and keep it going!

I love this topic! Let me start by saying that I think every great book transports you to a different world--that, to me, is one of the hallmarks of stellar fiction. When you are experiencing the worldview of a fictional character, then you are transported into their world; you are stepping into their shoes. This, in essence, is the purpose of reading, I believe ... to enrich our own lives by experiencing something different. So I think, in a way, this applies to any novel, even if a book's setting and time period is your own or the characters could be your neighbors. As a reader, you are still crossing the border out of your experience into something new. We do this every time we open a new book.

But, of course, some books bring you to a culture or country completely different than your own, and reading these books can be particularly enlightening and pleasurable. Some writers who have transported me "beyond the borders" include:

Zadie Smith, a British writer whose layered and wonderful novels On Beauty, White Teeth, and NW consider themes of race, class, gender, and immigration.

Jhumpa Lahiri, Indian-American author of the magnificent novels The Namesake and The Lowland, plus the short story collections Interpreter of Maladies and Unaccustomed Earth. I haven't read Lahiri's short stories yet, but after yesterday's terrific Armchair BEA discussions on shorts, I will be adding those to my TBR pile.

Junot Diaz, celebrated Dominican-American author of the startling and stunning novel The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao and the collections This is How You Lose Here and Drown.

Marjane Satrapi, with her fascinating comic book-style memoir Persepolis about her childhood and adolescence in revolutionary Iran. This was a "border-crossing" experience for me not just in terms of the setting and topic, but also the genre--I have read very few graphic novels or comics, but I loved it.

Porochista Khakpour, Iranian-American novelist and essayist, and author of the literary, satirical, and beautifully symbolic Sons & Other Flammable Objects and The Last Illusion (new this month, and definitely in my TBR).

What books and writers have transported you outside of your borders?

11 comments:

  1. This is a wonderful discussion topic and I never cease to be amazed at how a book can transport you to another country, culture, or time period. As I read through your list a few additional books came to mind including:

    Gregory Roberts - Shantaram (2003) - Loosely based on the author's own life, Shantaram is the story of an Australian heroin addict that escapes from jail and flees to the slums of Mumbai, India where he ends up running a health clinic in one of the city's most destitute slums. . Roberts does a great job in recreating the sites and sounds of Mumbai while exploring the difficult choices that the main character, Lin, must make throughout his his transformation from escaped convict to man of peace (Shantaram). The book has gained some new traction given a potential movie release next year.

    Khaled Hosseini - Hosseini is a master at being able to tell the story of Afghanistan over the last 40-50 years while touching on universal themes that connect us to this country no matter what our background.

    Elif Shafak - Honor - Perhaps this is simply top of mind because of the widely reported honor killing that took place in Pakistan within the last day, but Elif Shafak does an amazing job in describing the challenges facing a family that emigrates from Turkey to London and the clash of culture that results. She seamlessly navigates between the streets of London and a Kurdish village while dealing with a topic that most people would find hard to comprehend.

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  2. Thanks for these great additions! Yes, Hosseini--one of my favorites. I have not read Shantaram or Honor. I didn't know that a Shantaram movie was potentially in the works

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  3. I'm reading White Teeth right and really enjoying it! The Namesake was a good read, too. But I think I'm the only person left on the planet who hasn't read Persepolis or The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao...

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    1. Oh man, I hate that "last person on the planet" feeling! I've been having that vibe a LOT this week, with all the great book recommendations I've seen through Armchair BEA. Well, Persepolis, at least, is quick--advantage of those graphic books!

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  4. Oh I haven't read some of these yet but they look great. Kite Runner was haunting and kind of stressful for me so I did not read Thousand Splendid Suns. I read Brief Wondrous Life and both loved/disliked it. Shantaram sounds interesting, what's worse, Australian prison or Mumbai slums. We passed slums driving through Bombay 30 years ago, some of those images aren't erased ftom my memory. Thanks for stopping by my blog and I do hope you join my Travel the World through books challenge this summer!

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    1. Yes, I'd really like to participate in your challenge! I'll keep an eye on your blog for updates.

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  5. I have read and enjoyed all of the authors on your list with the exception of Khakpour. She is a brand-new author for me - I hadn't heard of her before - thank you!

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    1. Khakpour is a very interesting writer who I think deserves more recognition. I need to read her latest, The Last Illusion, but I've got towering pile of ARCs to plow through. Too many great books to read--not a bad problem to have :)

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  6. I'm so glad I'm not the only person not to have read Persepolis, I need to get on that!

    1Q84 is one that I read recently that definitely took me outside my borders. Thankfully I read along with a friend because I needed to talk my way through that one.

    Great list!

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    1. I have not yet read any Murakami... One day I'll have to try to tackle 1Q84 or one of his others. Thanks for stopping by!

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  7. Lahiri is wonderful (as is Murakami). I'd forgotten about Diaz though - thanks for the reminder.
    Brona's Books

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