No Friend but the Mountains by Behrouz Boochani, Omid Tofighian (translator)
Special thanks to Anansi Press for sending a copy for review.
Summary:
Where have I come from? From the land of rivers, the land of waterfalls, the land of ancient chants, the land of mountains…
In 2013, Kurdish journalist Behrouz Boochani was illegally detained on Manus Island. He has been there ever since.
People would run to the mountains to escape the warplanes and found asylum within their chestnut forests…
This book is the result. Laboriously tapped out on a mobile phone and translated from the Farsi. It is a voice of witness, an act of survival. A lyric first-hand account. A cry of resistance. A vivid portrait through five years of incarceration and exile.
Do Kurds have any friends other than the mountains? (Goodreads)
Thoughts:
From the blurb, I did not think that No Friend But The Mountains would be a heart-warming read nor would it be a happy one, but I did not expect the horrors that I would be reading. This is a depressing novel revolving around the inhumane treatment of human beings.
I love the rich descriptions — the imagery, the metaphors, the comparisons all make this novel more emotional to readers; however, the descriptions are gruesome and brutally honest as it highlights the horrific conditions that prisoners had to face on Manus Island. Despite that, the descriptions are refreshing as I enjoyed how the author did not censor the experiences for readers. The novel is written to mimic journal entries as minimal conversations are occurring, primarily centering around the setting and Boochani’s thoughts. At times, he seems more like an observer which is an interesting point of view to digest.
It is terrifying to imagine that this is a firsthand account of Boochani and it urges readers to consider the flaws of the human race. Still, I cannot believe how heartless and disconnected from emotions and human morals the prison guards had to be to torture other human beings. How could they be so callous? I don’t think I would be able to consider them as human beings. It would be disrespectful to the majority of the world who are capable of compassion and human decency. Even the chefs are the embodiment of pettiness. The chefs. Honestly, what is the point of them showing cruelty? They have no true authority. Their sole job is to feed refugees to ensure they do not starve to death, and not to play their own little game to gain some sort of sick amusement. There are points throughout the book where I wanted to put it down and scream in frustration because of the brutality that prisoners had to endure. Truthfully, I am out of my element not only for this review, but also for my time reading the novel as I am not a super-emotional person, yet this book resonates with your emotions — readers will be consumed by anger and sadness all at the same time.
It is interesting to see the author describing people while utilizing epithets as opposed to actual names. It provides me with a distinctive feature to remember the other individuals and how Boochani viewed his fellow inmates; however, the meaning behind it is also powerful as addressed in “A Translator’s Tale.” I love how they included that at the end of the book since it gives readers more insight into the stylistic choices as well as showcases how well-crafted the entire novel is.
No Friend But The Mountains is not an extraordinary book due to its plot or the literary devices, but the brutally honest and uncensored heartbreaking accounts of Boochani that involve numerous experiences of violence is what shines. The ending is not a nicely-wrapped up conclusion, but rather, a tragic end. It depicts the harsh realities of life which some readers may not be satisfied with it.
This novel is not meant to showcase to readers that good will prevail, but instead, it seeks to educate readers about the horrors of systematic torture, and it does, in fact, convey this account perfectly.
While I did enjoy my time reading this novel, I do not think I will be able to read it again for another year or two because of the intense bout of emotions, varying from frustration to anxiety to horror and disgust, I had to undergo. Undoubtedly, this is an emotionally draining story, however, it was an insightful experience that I would would not trade for another book. I cannot comment any more as I am still in awe of what I have just read. I recommend No Friend But The Mountains to all readers to encourage them to learn more about the flaws of the world around us. This is a novel meant for everyone.
Reviewed by Cindy Z.