Fiction

By the Sea

By the Sea

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  • Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
  • Create Date：2021-10-08 07:52:41
  • Update Date：2025-09-06
  • Status：finish
  • Author：Abdulrazak Gurnah
  • ISBN：0747557853
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Summary

On a late November afternoon Saleh Omar arrives at Gatwick Airport from Zanzibar， a far away island in the Indian Ocean。 With him he has a small bag in which there lies his most precious possession - a mahogany box containing incense。 He used to own a furniture shop， have a house and be a husband and father， but now he is an asylum seeker from paradise; silence his only protection。

Meanwhile， Latif Mahmud， someone intimately connected with Saleh's past， lives quietly alone in his London flat。 When Saleh and Latif meet in an English seaside town， a story is unravelled。 It is a story of love， betrayal， of seduction and of possession， and of a people desperately trying to find stability amidst the maelstrom of their times。

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Reviews

Lisa ，

Sometimes the Nobel Prize in Literature has the nice little effect of reminding you of a few of the authors you read and cherished a long time ago！My bent and torn copy of By The Sea is shining in its old light， regardless of its newfound celebrity。Gurnah is an author to be read in schools， but not because he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature today。 Only BECAUSE he gives the most vulnerable people a loud and clear voice！

Maite Lama ，

Me ha encantado y atrapado cómo está escrito y estructurado， con aparente sencillez。 Como leí por algún otro lado， la traducción a veces me ha resultado rara， pero no ha impedido disfrutar de cada una de las historias que se cuentan。 De lo mejor que he leído este año。 Una pena que no sea un libro fácil de conseguir en una librería。 Sin duda， seguiré con este autor。

Sharan ，

a dialogue between two men， unfolding an entire lifetime。 one of the most gorgeous pieces of literary fiction about living as a refugee， and the trauma and selective forgetting & remembering that comes with a diasporic life。

Elly Herrmann ，

4。5*

Beverly ，

For a long time I have been coming to the conclusion that I know so little of the world - of the people and their stories and the events and experiences that underlie their lives。 I think of myself as a bit of a storyteller and it has not been difficult， over the years， to invent themes and explanations， to fill holes， maybe even to create holes to fill。 But as time goes on， I think that the truth is that I know very little about anything or anyone。 And this novel reminds me of that。 I was there For a long time I have been coming to the conclusion that I know so little of the world - of the people and their stories and the events and experiences that underlie their lives。 I think of myself as a bit of a storyteller and it has not been difficult， over the years， to invent themes and explanations， to fill holes， maybe even to create holes to fill。 But as time goes on， I think that the truth is that I know very little about anything or anyone。 And this novel reminds me of that。 I was there in fact， for three years。 I understood nothing， I saw nothing， I contributed nothing （contribution is supposed to be the saving grace of why we were there。） And there is much now that I don't understand or really see， or comprehend about any part of the world。 It is a discouraging and depressing thought。 。。。more

Alison ，

I think this is my favorite book we've read for this class so far！ I think this is my favorite book we've read for this class so far！ 。。。more

Teacherhuman ，

Beautiful and haunting。 Some of the loveliest sentences ever。

Andy Regan ，

The complicated backstory of newly arrived refugees escaping politicial oppression from Zanzibar。 Intertwined family rivalries and feuds interspersed with their experiences on arrival in England。 More showing and less telling would be welcome but cleverly plotted。

Cheryl ，

I recently read The Granta Book of the African Short Story， where the editor mentioned the overlooked influence Russian writers have over African writers。 The prose and structural style of this novel made lucid that comment。 Gurnah has written seven novels and I'm ashamed to say this is my first time reading his full-length work， even though I've read "Cages" a few times （I look forward to reading Admiring Silence soon）。There is a lot of sensory motion in this quietly paced novel of memory and r I recently read The Granta Book of the African Short Story， where the editor mentioned the overlooked influence Russian writers have over African writers。 The prose and structural style of this novel made lucid that comment。 Gurnah has written seven novels and I'm ashamed to say this is my first time reading his full-length work， even though I've read "Cages" a few times （I look forward to reading Admiring Silence soon）。There is a lot of sensory motion in this quietly paced novel of memory and regret。 A man in his mid-sixties seeks asylum in the United Kingdom， after a life of turmoil with his neighbors in the Eastern region of Africa。 Once a former furniture store owner in his homeland， he sold exquisite pieces to Europeans， lived comfortably， married the love of his life and they had a child。 One day he meets a Persian dealer and what seems like an exciting business venture turns into a cataclysmic turn of events for him。 This Persian dealer destroys a local family （view spoiler）[through an illicit affair and lousy trade deal （hide spoiler）] and leaves the country。 The main character （who uses a fake name in the UK） is connected to the family destroyed and he faces the wrath of a corrupt government official who comes after him with vengeful force。 With no one and nothing to live for in his home， the narrator flees and seeks asylum。 His only request is that he live by the sea。 I wanted to sit alone in the dark and count the bones in my head。The story is a rumination， the style retrospective， prose mellifluous。 As a reader， one sits in a house by the sea as the main character speaks。 There is melancholy that makes him empathetic， but only if the reader is willing to stick to the somewhat superfluous narrative， wherein front story is often evaded by elongated backstory。 While in the UK， the main character encounters a son of the destroyed family; although the son has become a successful academic， he still has empty spaces that only the truth can fill。 Both characters are forced to face the past together。 I needed to be shriven of the burden of events and stories which I have never been able to tell， and which by telling would fulfill the craving I feel to be listened to with understanding。 What's fascinating is how this quiet story also thrums with undercurrents。 Once upon a time colonial trade maps transformed the horn of Africa， affecting small towns along the coastline with their markups。 After those countries gained independence， traders abruptly left， leaving towns by the sea in disarray， no longer trading "ghee and gum， cloths and crudely hammered trinkets， livestock and salted fish， dates， tobacco， perfume， rosewater， incense。。。" Freedom comes at a cost: the death of activists and journalists， the effects of slavery， all highlight this。 Post-colonial African countries dealt with the blows of freedom。 This novel， in a subtle way， through symbols， manages to expound upon that narrative。 The novel also reminds me of a Banville novel， as Gurnah captures memory and flawed characters in the way Banville does。["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]> 。。。more

Hornthesecond ，

Quite an interesting story that， perhaps due to the writing style， held my interest to the end。

Shena Cavallo ，

One of the best books I've read this year。 Simple， yet beautiful and deeply poignant。 So many scenes are described so powerfully and the book is a powerful narrative of possession， ownership， home and the complexity and pitfalls of what happens when we aren't able to view things beyond your own perspective。 One of the best books I've read this year。 Simple， yet beautiful and deeply poignant。 So many scenes are described so powerfully and the book is a powerful narrative of possession， ownership， home and the complexity and pitfalls of what happens when we aren't able to view things beyond your own perspective。 。。。more

Carmen ，

I live in a small town by the sea， as I have all my life though for most of it it was by a warm green ocean a long way from here。 Now I live the half-life of a stranger， glimpsing interiors through the television screen and guessing at the tireless alarms which afflict people I see in my strolls。

Un Moine Vexé ，

Engrossing and melancholic。

Nina ，

Reading World #12: Tanzania

Lucia ，

Heartwrenchingly sad。 Beautiful

Anna Tan ，

By the Sea is beautiful， a meandering story of remembrance that takes you from Zanzibar to London， through Malaya and Persia， a story of business， love， and revenge。 Wandering through Saleh Omar's memories and Latif Mahmud's accusations， Abdulrazak Gurnah reminds you again and again that what you perceive as a child may not always be true。 Related tenuously by marriage， the two men's lives have been intertwined by a series of slights and betrayal， each branch of the family grasping for the prope By the Sea is beautiful， a meandering story of remembrance that takes you from Zanzibar to London， through Malaya and Persia， a story of business， love， and revenge。 Wandering through Saleh Omar's memories and Latif Mahmud's accusations， Abdulrazak Gurnah reminds you again and again that what you perceive as a child may not always be true。 Related tenuously by marriage， the two men's lives have been intertwined by a series of slights and betrayal， each branch of the family grasping for the property and wealth of the deceased as their own family's prosperity rises and falls over time。 Behind the scene， pulling the strings， is Hussein， who both entrances and tricks， then disappears home to Persia to let things fall out as they may。 Yet it's not Hussein himself who brings about their downfall。 It's their pride and greed， hidden behind a veneer of religion and holiness， supported by a belief in their own perception of right。At times， the story seems to drift too far into the past， and you end up on distant shores wondering why Abdulrazak has left you there， but down each branching river， you end up by the same shore， realising that each diverging stream had an effect that ultimately led to Saleh's persecution and need for asylum。 And it's by the sea in London， where Saleh tries to build a new life--or at least to let what's left of his life end peacefully--that he has to face the painful past and finally lay it to rest。 。。。more

Sharon ，

Gurnah skilfully sets up situations where we're quick to judge his characters harshly， only to find out that we know nothing about them。 I found myself constantly switching allegiance。 I liked the writing very much and would definitely read more by Gurnah。 The only weakness， I felt， was that in the second half there's a lot of 'tell' which had the effect of distancing me from the characters。 Overall， a good read， though。 Gurnah skilfully sets up situations where we're quick to judge his characters harshly， only to find out that we know nothing about them。 I found myself constantly switching allegiance。 I liked the writing very much and would definitely read more by Gurnah。 The only weakness， I felt， was that in the second half there's a lot of 'tell' which had the effect of distancing me from the characters。 Overall， a good read， though。 。。。more

Carla （literary。infatuation） ，

This is an example of how good writing can turn a simple plot into a wonderful reading experience。 This is the story of two men from Zanzibar who arrive in the UK as refugees， as told by them （meaning two narrators）。 One of the Saleh Omar is in his mid-sixties and a disgraced business man; the other in his forties， a poet who arrived years before him。 They meet in a small town by the sea after 30 years without having seen each other and settle old scores。 。As it is always the case with Gurnah， t This is an example of how good writing can turn a simple plot into a wonderful reading experience。 This is the story of two men from Zanzibar who arrive in the UK as refugees， as told by them （meaning two narrators）。 One of the Saleh Omar is in his mid-sixties and a disgraced business man; the other in his forties， a poet who arrived years before him。 They meet in a small town by the sea after 30 years without having seen each other and settle old scores。 。As it is always the case with Gurnah， the writing is beautiful， the narrative flows smoothly and he really knows how to wove a story together。 It is， frankly， flawless。 The plot is very simple， there is no obvious climax but the narrative makes up for it。 Plus， besides the beauty of the story， the author touches on timeless themes: unlikely friendships， things are never what they seem， we cannot judge what is in people’s hearts and you are never too old to start anew。 It is a sad but hopeful story。 I found some similarities with ‘Desertion’: the professor of literature who leaves on a scholarship and is never to come back， who has a failed love story with an English woman， who finds out too late his whole family died while he was away。 Also， the devastation brought on by the post-independence years and the arrogance of colonialism。 However， in this one we get to see the European settlers point of view， which is very interesting。 。。。more

Gumble's Yard - Golden Reviewer ，

The sixth novel by the 2021 Nobel Prize Literature winnerFrom the Nobel Citation In Gurnah’s treatment of the refugee experience， focus is on identity and self-image， apparent not least in Admiring Silence （1996） and By the Sea （2001）。 In both these first-person novels silence is presented as the refugee’s strategy to shield his identity from racism and prejudice， but also as a means of avoiding a collision between past and present， producing disappointment and disastrous self-deception。In By The sixth novel by the 2021 Nobel Prize Literature winnerFrom the Nobel Citation In Gurnah’s treatment of the refugee experience， focus is on identity and self-image， apparent not least in Admiring Silence （1996） and By the Sea （2001）。 In both these first-person novels silence is presented as the refugee’s strategy to shield his identity from racism and prejudice， but also as a means of avoiding a collision between past and present， producing disappointment and disastrous self-deception。In By the Sea， another drama of disappointment and self-deception ensues。 Saleh， the narrator of the first part， is an old Muslim from Zanzibar applying for asylum in England with a visa forged in the name of a bitter enemy。 When he meets the enemy’s son， Latif， the narrator of the book’s second part， it is only because Latif has coincidentally been delegated to help Saleh adjust to his new home country。 In their impassioned quarrels， Saleh’s suppressed past in Zanzibar rears up within him。 But where Saleh despite all tries to remember， Latif does everything to forget。 It creates a peculiar tension in the novel， where the choice of two narrators dissolves the fiction’s plotted path and direction， as well as the narrators’ authority and self-perception。 The novel was longlisted for the Booker Prize in 2001---------------------------------------------From my own review from 2005The author writes about two emigrants from his home country of Zanzibar， both， like him， ending up in the UK。 The two are the recently arrived and much older Saleh Omar。 and Latif Mahmud。 The two turn out to be intimately connected via a long running dispute between their families。 Much of the book is Saleh telling Latif the real story of this feud; style is unusual as the story is told like a story rather than as narrative。 We also hear directly from Saleh and Latif of some of their own stories。These stories are very detailed - lots of characters involved and digressions which are hard for the reader to follow。 The effect is somewhat like going to someone else' family， school or work reunion。 The writing style is very elegant however but the difficult to follow （or almost care about） detail makes it a less engrossing read than it otherwise would be。 It reminded me a little of the effect of reading Proverbs in large chunks – almost too much to want to take in。The book is full of explicit allusions to Bartelby the Scribe : Bartelby the Scrivener - a Herman Melville short story about a clerk who after starting work at an office， declines to do various tasks， and then his job and then to go home at all saying he would “prefer not to”。 That story seems to be about someone literally world-weary and this sense also infuses “By the Sea”。 。。。more

Emily Starr ，

amazing。 captivating and heartbreaking。

Melodyredford ，

Great post-colonial lit--Gurnah brings alive the culture and time of the Zanzibar of his youth， a place shaped by traders and settlers who came and went with the trade winds that circulated between East Africa， the East Indies and the Arabian Peninsula 。 This is an captivating story of legacy and turmoil woven with great personal insight and clever prose。

Kristina ，

I enjoyed the storytelling， but from fellow readers' comments I know that this is not for everyone。 Many aspects of this novel are very relevant today， especially the aspects of arriving in Europe as refugees， their motifs， and the treatment they receive。 I enjoyed the storytelling， but from fellow readers' comments I know that this is not for everyone。 Many aspects of this novel are very relevant today， especially the aspects of arriving in Europe as refugees， their motifs， and the treatment they receive。 。。。more

Neira ，

Lovely story， tedious writing。

Calzean ，

There were parts of this book that were like listening to a maestro story teller， then there were parts of great mundane detail。 Overall， a book that needs every word read。Saleh Omar is a 65 year old from Zanzibar。 He arrives in England and seeks asylum。 The book is narrated by him and Latif Mahmud， a younger man who's father played an integral role in Omar's life。Early in the book Omar tells of his hatred Imperialism， he is bitter about the changes it made to his country and in the mess it left There were parts of this book that were like listening to a maestro story teller， then there were parts of great mundane detail。 Overall， a book that needs every word read。Saleh Omar is a 65 year old from Zanzibar。 He arrives in England and seeks asylum。 The book is narrated by him and Latif Mahmud， a younger man who's father played an integral role in Omar's life。Early in the book Omar tells of his hatred Imperialism， he is bitter about the changes it made to his country and in the mess it left when the English departed。 These sections of the book did not become a theme but were one of the highlights to me。The rest of the book tells of life in Zanzibar， the pettiness and mindless attempts at greed and duplicity in dealing with a person's estate after they had died。 。。。more

Diana Agudo ，

Beautiful book。 After reading it I was left with the idea that the Truth isn't always universal， it varies it the point of view of the narrator of the chapter。。。 Beautiful book。 After reading it I was left with the idea that the Truth isn't always universal， it varies it the point of view of the narrator of the chapter。。。 。。。more

Sharadha Jayaraman ，

3。5-star Review:By the Sea by Abdulrazak GurnahAbdulrazak Gurnah attempts to narrate a poignant tale of two men， a generation apart， who reside in mid-40s Africa， named Saleh Omar and Latif Mahmud。 They， each in their lifetime， have faced atrocities in the hands of their beloved ones and a crumbling government。 They are united in England years later， where one seeks asylum while the other is a professor of Literature。 In their meeting， Latif Mahmud confronts Saleh Omar about his objectionable be 3。5-star Review:By the Sea by Abdulrazak GurnahAbdulrazak Gurnah attempts to narrate a poignant tale of two men， a generation apart， who reside in mid-40s Africa， named Saleh Omar and Latif Mahmud。 They， each in their lifetime， have faced atrocities in the hands of their beloved ones and a crumbling government。 They are united in England years later， where one seeks asylum while the other is a professor of Literature。 In their meeting， Latif Mahmud confronts Saleh Omar about his objectionable betrayals， those which have tormented and uprooted the former's family back in Africa。 Will Latif Mahmud pardon Saleh Omar's crimes？ Held a prisoner most of his life for his supposed treachery， will Saleh Omar seek atonement for his deeds from Latif Mahmud？ Will their union absolve them of the ghosts of their pasts？ Gurnah weaves a congenial thread of events revolving around these questions。Suffice to say that the foremost element I liked in this novel was its uncomplicated （yet endearing） plot。 I also enjoyed reading about the good and harrowing times alike in colonial and post-colonial Africa， the latter which Gurnah describes with restrained poise。 It was easier to feel compassion for all characters when reading the unfiltered version of their sorrows， pardon my sadistic opinions。 A thorough let down in Gurnah's narration was the dramatic， complicated， and oftentimes， mellifluous storytelling。 It completely obscured the aforesaid simplistic plot。 As spot on as the writing was， the editing was unflattering at best。 I say this because patience is one of my temperamental virtues and By the Sea infinitely tested my resolve （minus stars for that， ARG）。Overall， an enjoyable read save the sappy editing。 。。。more

Katie ，

Read this for a class。

Wangũi ，

Interesting book though a bit strange。 I found it dry and soul-sucking- not the book itself， but the story that the main character tells about his life， and the reality he finds himself in at the end。 You meet him at the airport in the UK， an old man arrived from Zanzibar and claiming refugee status which he gets and is taken to live in a small English town by the sea。 In the novel he flashes back to his life growing up in Zanzibar （by the sea） and to the events that led up to him having to run Interesting book though a bit strange。 I found it dry and soul-sucking- not the book itself， but the story that the main character tells about his life， and the reality he finds himself in at the end。 You meet him at the airport in the UK， an old man arrived from Zanzibar and claiming refugee status which he gets and is taken to live in a small English town by the sea。 In the novel he flashes back to his life growing up in Zanzibar （by the sea） and to the events that led up to him having to run away， and at his old age。 The memories of him while he was young are warm。 But once he begins to describe the disintegration of life and family that happens when the jealousy of a neighbour and power from corrupt government officials combine to exact a painful revenge it is draining。 By the Sea is an intimate story- a story of family in the nuclear and extended sense。 A story of family torn apart thanks to the trickery of a foreign tradesman， ego， and a thirst for revenge- and instructive on how seemingly daily happenings on the island can reverberate for many years。 It's the first novel about Zanzibar I have read in English and I was quite excited about it。 But like the young man that the main character tells his story to， I almost didn't want to finish。 。。。more

Barbara ，

It's strange to read a book by someone you know in person， and with whom you have a working relationship。 The temptation to read one character or the other as "the author's alter-egos" is strong。 This is a story of injustice， family betrayals and rivalries over what end up being petty things， but which become big in the grand scale of things。 I enjoyed the brilliant ways in which the storytelling is interweaved in the narrative， how one character is always telling a story to another， and how the It's strange to read a book by someone you know in person， and with whom you have a working relationship。 The temptation to read one character or the other as "the author's alter-egos" is strong。 This is a story of injustice， family betrayals and rivalries over what end up being petty things， but which become big in the grand scale of things。 I enjoyed the brilliant ways in which the storytelling is interweaved in the narrative， how one character is always telling a story to another， and how the same events cannot be told twice in the same way by two different people。The portrayal of political injustice and the world on the verge between ideologies （GDR） and postcolonialism （Zanzibar， Britain） is as truthful， honest and brutal as it should be。 I haven't been disappointed！ 。。。more

Pbl ，

I keep thinking about this book when I want to find another book that I will also keep thinking about。

Reference

google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=By the Sea

hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=By the Sea&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft

The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,By the Sea&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0