Review by Venn -- My Trip to Adele
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Venn
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- Latest Review: "My Trip to Adele" by A.I.Alyaseer, R.I.Alyaseer
Review by Venn -- My Trip to Adele
[Following is a volunteer review of "My Trip to Adele" by A.I.Alyaseer, R.I.Alyaseer.]
3 out of 4 stars
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My Trip to Adele is a novel in which the focal point for all characters is their strong appreciation for Adele’s music. The narrative revolves around the protagonists’ memories about Adele’s songs or their anticipation to attend Adele’s concert and to bond through the music experience.
Mariam and Yaser are a married couple living in Vegas who try to revive their relationship through marriage therapy with a well-known marriage counselor. They struggle to listen to each other and to remember the happy memories and what connected them in the first place. Their communication is marked by a lot of bitterness, blame, and snarky remarks. Adele’s song “Don’t You Remember” which plays in the background during their car ride breaks the silence and at the same time highlights the theme of the couple’s memories of falling in love and making mistakes in the course of their relationship. Mariam is a strong woman and her strength gives her the confidence to fulfill anything she put her mind to. The first time Mariam showed vulnerability made Yaser fall in love with her and propose to her. Despite not knowing her well, Yaser was confident in his decision to marry Mariam because of her faith and her convictions.
Nadia is a divorced mother who is determined to make a special birthday present for her son - a trip to Adele’s concert in Verona. The obstacles to making her seemingly simple wish true are twofold - her manager and her ex-husband both object to providing a consent for the time off from work and for the boy’s trip abroad respectively. Her husband is bitter as a result of an action Nadia threatened to take against him when he injured their son by shooting him during a traditional wedding ceremony. Nadia’s manager is adamant about Nadia being present at work and if she wants to take an unpaid leave, she still needs to receive an approval from the board although the time off is deducted from her salary. The mother fights ferociously like a lioness for her little cub. She is determined to go on the trip she has planned for her son despite the difficulties she encounters. When she is about to board the plane with her son, and she finds out her son is not allowed to travel, she acts in a very noble way - to save her son the disappointment from the missed special birthday experience as well as the resentment towards his father for not providing him a consent, Nadia thinks of an excuse that the concert has been cancelled. Nadia is a very gentle, loving and nurturing mother but she also stands out as a very independent and strong character. In a conversation with her friend Lara who suffers from a disappointing relationship with her significant other Kamal, Nadia comes to the realization that the relationship between a man and a woman are bound by certain social norms and are quite unequal. Nadia revolts against the notion that a woman should be dependent on man’s needs, demands, and satiable lust and it is only the man who is entitled to being reckless in his forties while a woman is expected to be first and foremost a mother and any appreciation for another man would be deemed infidelity.
Elias and Malika are the third couple whose story and trip to Adele’s concert is featured in the novel. Malika is a humble contradiction. She is embarrassed by her father’s job and at the same time works as a prostitute so that her dad does not have to work as a shattah (male dancer) but also to save money to further her education and to find a better job. She has dreams to find a husband, and to have kids besides being to pursue education. Her life is full of difficulties and at the same time she is filled with love and happiness. Malika is beautiful, smart and future-oriented. She stands out with her eyes, tanned skin, and black, wavy hair. She dreams of moving to Europe or one of the financial and administrative capitals of Morocco. Elias is mysteriously drawn to her. He pays to spend multiple nights with her talking as he genuinely adores her personality. He teaches her English which she picks up quickly and becomes fluent and known for her knowledge of the language. Although Elias left her he promises to remain in touch with her and meet her in the future at Adele’s concert.
The novel My Trip to Adele is a fascinating narrative about each of the protagonists personal experience with Adele’s music. Each of the individual stories reflects specifics about what drives the characters, their personal struggles, and their memories. The stories appear in isolation and do not necessary give an impression they belong into a cohesive novel. Therefore, I would rate the book 3 out of 4 stars.
******
My Trip to Adele
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Like Venn's review? Post a comment saying so!
3 out of 4 stars
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My Trip to Adele is a novel in which the focal point for all characters is their strong appreciation for Adele’s music. The narrative revolves around the protagonists’ memories about Adele’s songs or their anticipation to attend Adele’s concert and to bond through the music experience.
Mariam and Yaser are a married couple living in Vegas who try to revive their relationship through marriage therapy with a well-known marriage counselor. They struggle to listen to each other and to remember the happy memories and what connected them in the first place. Their communication is marked by a lot of bitterness, blame, and snarky remarks. Adele’s song “Don’t You Remember” which plays in the background during their car ride breaks the silence and at the same time highlights the theme of the couple’s memories of falling in love and making mistakes in the course of their relationship. Mariam is a strong woman and her strength gives her the confidence to fulfill anything she put her mind to. The first time Mariam showed vulnerability made Yaser fall in love with her and propose to her. Despite not knowing her well, Yaser was confident in his decision to marry Mariam because of her faith and her convictions.
Nadia is a divorced mother who is determined to make a special birthday present for her son - a trip to Adele’s concert in Verona. The obstacles to making her seemingly simple wish true are twofold - her manager and her ex-husband both object to providing a consent for the time off from work and for the boy’s trip abroad respectively. Her husband is bitter as a result of an action Nadia threatened to take against him when he injured their son by shooting him during a traditional wedding ceremony. Nadia’s manager is adamant about Nadia being present at work and if she wants to take an unpaid leave, she still needs to receive an approval from the board although the time off is deducted from her salary. The mother fights ferociously like a lioness for her little cub. She is determined to go on the trip she has planned for her son despite the difficulties she encounters. When she is about to board the plane with her son, and she finds out her son is not allowed to travel, she acts in a very noble way - to save her son the disappointment from the missed special birthday experience as well as the resentment towards his father for not providing him a consent, Nadia thinks of an excuse that the concert has been cancelled. Nadia is a very gentle, loving and nurturing mother but she also stands out as a very independent and strong character. In a conversation with her friend Lara who suffers from a disappointing relationship with her significant other Kamal, Nadia comes to the realization that the relationship between a man and a woman are bound by certain social norms and are quite unequal. Nadia revolts against the notion that a woman should be dependent on man’s needs, demands, and satiable lust and it is only the man who is entitled to being reckless in his forties while a woman is expected to be first and foremost a mother and any appreciation for another man would be deemed infidelity.
Elias and Malika are the third couple whose story and trip to Adele’s concert is featured in the novel. Malika is a humble contradiction. She is embarrassed by her father’s job and at the same time works as a prostitute so that her dad does not have to work as a shattah (male dancer) but also to save money to further her education and to find a better job. She has dreams to find a husband, and to have kids besides being to pursue education. Her life is full of difficulties and at the same time she is filled with love and happiness. Malika is beautiful, smart and future-oriented. She stands out with her eyes, tanned skin, and black, wavy hair. She dreams of moving to Europe or one of the financial and administrative capitals of Morocco. Elias is mysteriously drawn to her. He pays to spend multiple nights with her talking as he genuinely adores her personality. He teaches her English which she picks up quickly and becomes fluent and known for her knowledge of the language. Although Elias left her he promises to remain in touch with her and meet her in the future at Adele’s concert.
The novel My Trip to Adele is a fascinating narrative about each of the protagonists personal experience with Adele’s music. Each of the individual stories reflects specifics about what drives the characters, their personal struggles, and their memories. The stories appear in isolation and do not necessary give an impression they belong into a cohesive novel. Therefore, I would rate the book 3 out of 4 stars.
******
My Trip to Adele
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Like Venn's review? Post a comment saying so!
Latest Review: "My Trip to Adele" by A.I.Alyaseer, R.I.Alyaseer
