Review of a young man's quest for love and independence

[Rwill0988]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "a young man's quest for love and independence" by Abdullahi M Arale.]

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2 out of 4 stars

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Abdullahi M Arale’s A Young Man’s Quest for Love and Independence is a story about the changing of clan life in Mogokory, Somalia. This novel shows how different generations go about seeking modernization and change from their clan’s traditions. Hassan believes in a fast change. A change where he plans to marry the woman he loves, Samahiga, without seeking permission from their parents or following the clan’s customs. Abdullah is a clan elder and Hassan’s father. He has been gone for a large part of Hassan’s life because he was a sergeant in the Italian army. He believes the clan should build roads, proper medical facilities and remove the archaic caste system. Does Samahiga want to break with the old ways? Will Abdullah or Hassan help their clan develop, or will they be cast out?

I wanted to like this book. I believed it would give me a better understanding of the nomadic existence in the Mogokory locality. The introduction provided a wealth of information. My take-away from this book is that I learnt a bit of history and a different perspective. For providing me with this information, I am rating this novel 2 out of 4 stars.

I had a difficult time reading this book. There was a lot of exposition. It would have been more enjoyable had I been able to infer from actions and dialogue what was happening. Felt the story was routinely paused to introduce historical or cultural information.

The dialogue was another detractor to the story. When Hassan and Samahiga had their first conversation, I kept thinking people don’t talk this way. This was in the first chapter. I wanted to give the book a fair chance and thought perhaps only some characters talked that way. The dialogue remained the same throughout the book for all the characters. The tone and word choices really took away from the story.

I cannot call this book a love story. Women in this book were treated as interchangeable beings and property. I understood the historical and cultural differences. Twice in the book, we are told that male characters, Kulmiye and Abdullah, love their women. These women meet tragic ends. Within days of this loss, both men find a new partner. Even the primary love story displays possession and obsession rather than love. Hassan and his belief that his feelings for Samahiga should trump everything else. This included Samahiga’s own wishes and feelings.

I was shocked at how this book ended. The more I think about it, the title of the book and the foreword raised my expectations of how the story would progress. There was one borderline swear word and no sexual content. I would recommend the introduction to others. It was informative and well-written. I would hesitate to recommend the remainder of the book.

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a young man's quest for love and independence
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[Astral Magi]

I think I will skip this one due to the negative aspects that you mention. Thanks for a great review.

[Shilisia]

The title of this book is very catchy and it would have been a really great story. Thank you for this very elaborate review.

[Elendu Ekechukwu]

From the rating of this book I would pass the book; the author should work on correcting and editing the book properly.

[Honest-reviewer]

I don’t appreciate the scenes where women are treated like objects, especially in the books, as thousands of people read them. Thanks for your honest review.

[Rwill0988]

The title of this book is very catchy and it would have been a really great story. Thank you for this very elaborate review.

The title and the description of the story really had me hooked. Thank you for your comment!

[Rwill0988]

I think I will skip this one due to the negative aspects that you mention. Thanks for a great review.

I'm glad you liked the review. Thank you for your comment.

[Rwill0988]

From the rating of this book I would pass the book; the author should work on correcting and editing the book properly.

I wonder if there are dialogue editors. People who can go through books and suggest ways to make dialogue more realistic. Thank you for your comment.

[Rwill0988]

I don’t appreciate the scenes where women are treated like objects, especially in the books, as thousands of people read them. Thanks for your honest review.

I agree with you. I understand that different cultures and times treat women differently. Books should reflect life but I had thought this was a coming of age story mixed with a love story. Definitely not a love story. Like you said women aren't objects- the way they were treated as interchangeable things was unenjoyable. Thank you for your comment.

[katerina_12]

I admit that despite the context, when women are treated and referred to as property, I get very annoyed and lose the desire to read. I'm glad you mentioned that fact. Thanks for the wonderful review!

[Rwill0988]

I admit that despite the context, when women are treated and referred to as property, I get very annoyed and lose the desire to read. I'm glad you mentioned that fact. Thanks for the wonderful review!

Glad to have helped. It definitely is off putting. Thank you for your comment!

[Rayah Raouf]

Thank you for the review. I have to agree with you and the other comments, I don't like it when women are treated poorly or referred to as objects.

[Rwill0988]

Thank you for the review. I have to agree with you and the other comments, I don't like it when women are treated poorly or referred to as objects.

I'm glad you liked the review. It definitely does impact how I read the book and didn't sit right with me. Thank you for your comment.