Review by SilviaP21 -- The Expelled by Mois Benarroch

[SilviaP21]

[Following is a volunteer review of "The Expelled" by Mois Benarroch.]

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2 out of 4 stars

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The Expelled by Mois Benarroch is the type of novel that each reader can interpret in a different way. It has something for everyone: romance, comedy, philosophy and adventure. The book seems like a way to the author’s mind, without any kind of censorship. Sometimes it feels like you are reading a dream and the next moment it’s like reading your own thoughts or memories. It’s actually a story inside another story, most of them written on the 1st person singular, which makes the reader feel like he starts to know and understand the character, but that abruptly changes when the author decides to use the 3rd person which gives the impression that he is talking about some strangers that should better remain unknown.

It’s a collection of stories that don’t seem to have very much in common but that is actually what keeps the reader focused and interested until the end. Despite the fact that one can feel like he reads a multitude of words without meaning or purpose, there are some elements that appear throughout the book; like the two seas, the wall that cannot be crossed or the journey that doesn’t seem to end. Also the main character is most of the time a writer or a poet looking for a place where he belongs, but without ever finding it, even though he has a family. Most cultural references are about Morocco, France and Spain, countries where the character was born or raised but always considered to be different.

The fact that I liked the most is that it’s very funny and surprising and the short stories didn’t give me time to get bored. Also it has many details and it feels like every idea was written so that the reader can experience the entire process of creation. Another thing that kept me in the loop is that the setting changes constantly. First you are on the highway, then on a deserted road and on the next page you realize you are in the middle of the forest.

For me it also had some unpleasant surprises. Like the repetition that sometimes seems unnecessary and infuriating. Also some phrases are very long (sometimes an entire page is just one phrase) which makes an idea hard to follow; especially the 3rd story which also had many references to religion, cultural differences and a multitude of complicated names of places and people. Another disappointment was the sex scene which seemed kind of tacky, sudden and abrupt.

I give it 2 out of 4 stars only because sometimes it can be very difficult to understand and to follow the idea until the end. It also doesn’t feel like the type of book that can be read and appreciated by anyone. It still remains an interesting book that somehow sends you in a completely different time and place and the readers that will have the patience to get to the end, will definitely not regret it.

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The Expelled
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