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De Niro Game Rawi Hage 9780887841965 Books

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De Niro Game Rawi Hage 9780887841965 Books

I really, really liked this book. I am traveling to Lebanon in a few months and this was one of the books I purchased to learn more about the region and its history. The writing is excellent. Short, concise sentences interspersed with occasional long, beautiful paragraphs about the protagonist's thoughts and feelings. I knew nothing about the civil war prior to reading this book, and I didn't know much after reading it. If you don't know about the war, don't count on this book filling you in. The war is the background that informs the protagonist's perception and conduct. It's a quick read and well worth the time. It's not action-packed and seems to be a straightforward narrative of a young man living in Lebanon during the civil war, but I didn't want to put it down. To his credit, it's a page turner that will keep you interested.


Tags : De Niro's Game [Rawi Hage] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. Book by Hage, Rawi,Rawi Hage,De Niro's Game,Anansi,0887841961,VI-0887841961,General,Fiction - General

De Niro Game Rawi Hage 9780887841965 Books Reviews

Lebanese-Canadian author Hage mines the rich and tragic history of the Lebanese Civil War for this debut novel, featuring two Christian childhood friends who gradually grow apart. The story is set in 1982, some seven years into the war. Bassam and George grew up in the midst of the violence, and now they are adults with few prospects and no hope. Bassam clings to the notion of fleeing to Rome with a girl-next-door type from his neighborhood, while George is the more wild of the two (he is the "DeNiro" of the title, referencing the actor's role in The Deer Hunter).

The first part of the book gives the backstory of their friendship and shows them prowling the streets of divided Beirut, as they struggle to define their identity. Eventually, they concoct a scheme to skim money from the video poker arcade George manages, hoping to fund their escape. But when this scheme goes awry, George is drafted into a Phalangist militia, and becomes increasingly sucked into the war. The second part of the book revolves around their changed relationship and Bassam's further schemes to escape the country. Here the tension builds nicely, culminating in the assassination of George's leader (who can only be the real-life President-elect Bashir Gemayel), the ensuing Sabra-Shatilla Massacres, and a stark confrontation between the two friends.

The third part of the book finds Bassam wandering Paris as an illegal alien. At this point, the story starts to lose its grip a bit. Bassam is so adrift that he might well be suffering from post-traumatic stress, and Hage overeggs the custard by introducing a sily device of having him reading Camus' The Stranger while holed up in a cheap hotel. Meanwhile, a woman enters his life, and the plot drifts into bad espionage thriller territory, detracting from the overall effect of Bassam's struggle.

The writing is an interesting mix of straightforward narrative and stream-of-consciousness flights of fancy. The story will be moving along and suddenly Bassam's inner voice will unleash a torrent of loosely connected imagery. Personally, I don't care for that style of writing, but I'm sure others will find it magical. On the whole a solid glimpse into the devastation wreaked by civil war, slightly marred by the weaker third section. It should be interesting to see what Hage follows up with.
De Niro's Game is the story of two best friends struggling to navigate through the chaos and tragedy of Lebanon's civil war. They experience love, loss, betrayal and hopelessness as they recklessly strive for something... anything... better.

It's a dark story that's beautifully written and will have you at the edge of your seat the whole read through. What makes it even more fascinating is that its main characters are Lebanese Christians - offering a rare glimpse into what it was like living in East Beirut at the height of the city's strife.

Those knowledgeable about Lebanon's social and political history will find De Niro's game especially interesting.
I have to say, I loved this book. Firstly, his writing is raw and difficult at times, but worth the effort. It's like you follow his stream of conscience, and it's refreshing. The story was raw and you really felt for the protagonist. He was human, full of good and bad flaws, making good and bad decisions. I didn't learn a whole lot about the Lebanese war, but that wasn't the point of the book. It was an interesting story, very unique, and engaging. I'm still thinking of the story days later, wondering about the character's life now, and those he met in the story. I've gotten so bored with books over the past few years, and this one got me excited about reading again. Definitely a good read.
Never have I been so moved by a novel. It feels fresh and current. That is what terrifies me.

Rawi Hage writes a prose that cuts to the bone. Hopefully, most of us will never have to experience war. But through Hage's words, we experience it--the pain, the horror, the disillusionment, the destruction of any sense of morality or purpose. The marvelous works of Khaled Hosseini come to mind. Both writers describe bleak worlds of war, a clash of civilizations that tears families apart, tears asunder one's own sense of self. Both writers are poets, painting war-torn landscapes with powerful images. But whereas Hosseini finds kindness and a secret light in his characters, Hage shows the corrosive nature of war. Our hero does not find himself, he survives. Barely. He does not act heroically or morally. He reacts like an injured wolverine, backed into a corner, snapping at everyone and everything. We sense he's looking for redemption, but he never finds it.

No doubt the bleakness of Hage's world view is why he is not as famous as Hosseini. But, gentle reader, it feels far more genuine.
I really, really liked this book. I am traveling to Lebanon in a few months and this was one of the books I purchased to learn more about the region and its history. The writing is excellent. Short, concise sentences interspersed with occasional long, beautiful paragraphs about the protagonist's thoughts and feelings. I knew nothing about the civil war prior to reading this book, and I didn't know much after reading it. If you don't know about the war, don't count on this book filling you in. The war is the background that informs the protagonist's perception and conduct. It's a quick read and well worth the time. It's not action-packed and seems to be a straightforward narrative of a young man living in Lebanon during the civil war, but I didn't want to put it down. To his credit, it's a page turner that will keep you interested.