I listened to this book on a long drive and just couldn't really get into it. This book is told from the perspective of a young boy who is the son of two Pakistani immigrants to the US. However, most of the plot revolves around his parents and aunt and I feel like a lot of the deeper issues were lost since it was told from a child's perspective. Also, many of the events and conversations between the characters didn't feel real, but felt more like platforms for the author to share his ideas about Islam. Many of the characters felt inconsistent as well. There is a quote in the book (which I can't remember exactly and don't want to skip through the audiobook to find) about intelligence is being able to understand two conflicting ideas, so maybe that is why the characters felt like they contradicted themselves. But this never felt intelligent to me, I just felt like I never understood the characters and their motivations. Maybe if the book had alternated between different narrators, I would have liked it more. Terminé de leer «American Dervish», de Ayad Akthar.El libro trata sobre el crecimiento de un nene, Hayat, que descubre no solo el Islam sino el sexo, el amor y la obsesión por un ser querido.Hayat crece en una familia rota en Wisconsin en los 80s en el seno de una religión que todavía no generaba la discriminación actual.Clave que haya sido antes del 9/11.Su padre, un médico alcohólico que caga a su esposa; y su madre, que lo tiene a él como cable a tierra y con quien se desahoga a diario.A ese hogar llega su tía, Mina, y su hijo Imran, quien pasa a ser como un hermano para Hayat. Todo cambia.Mina le presenta la religión y le abre las puertas a un mundo completamente diferente. Nuevo.Él se enamora. Es su persona preferida y no puede esperar para poder estar al lado de ella en las lecciones donde le enseña sobre el Corán.Akthar escribe de una manera amena, poética por momentos.Describe la religión, las obsesiones, lo cerrado que puede ser un mundo donde, por ejemplo, aceptan pegarles a las mujeres.Todo el libro está contado desde la perspectiva de un nene que todavía no entiende nada y tiene todo por descubrir.Su inocencia, los ídolos que van desapareciendo, el amor por su tía, a quien no puede dejar ir, los celos, el odio, el antisemitismo.Es un libro lindísimo –el primero del autor-, donde se aprende mucho de una religión de la que se sabe poco.[reseña escrita para @amarazzi]
What do You think about Američki Derviš (2012)?
very good book. gave some insight to Islam as well as how immigrants adjust to living in America
—\Courtney
I listened to this read by the author and really enjoyed it. I would recommend the audio book.
—sangee
Enlightening portrayal of the cultural clashing in Pakistani/American families.
—missbecca25
Quite eye-opening; a remarkable work, especially from a Muslim man. :)
—Twesha
