Michael Golding (1)Reseñas

This is one of my top 5 favorite novels, ever. It is a tragic romantic fantasy set on a small island off the coast of Italy, with gorgeous imagery and very memorable characters.

Enchanting, moving novel, almost like a beautiful, spellbinding folktale. Set in medieval Persia, it traces the life of a man, Nouri, who as a baby rejected by his parents for his four ears, is brought up by Sufis and then himself seeks union with God through his journey [both real and metaphorical] of life, learning through Sufi teachings and through his experiences of joy, sadness, humiliation, suffering, temptation, pain, pleasure, bliss in his dear friend's embrace--and finally, love of God. A story for the ages. I had tears in my eyes at Part 6: the last few chapters. The story came full circle.

I felt that Nouri's four ears were symbolic--say, of him as outcast. I learned something of Sufism. The author's concept reminded me somewhat of Buddhism, as the material world with its "veils" separating mankind from God [or the Buddhist "enlightenment", perhaps]. Most of the characters were two dimensional, other than Nouri himself. I appreciated the glossary of Persian foods, but wished there had been another glossary of other italicized terms for non-Muslims.

It is a beautiful story and contains quite a lot of background information on Sufism. The last few chapters seemed compressed or rushed to me. It covers the entire life of the main character "Nouri" who travels widely. It is a story of spiritual growth or individuation in Jungian terms that is reminiscent of Herman Hesse Siddhartha or Demian, but here is is spiritual growth in the Sufi Islamic tradition. It isn't as clear as in Siddhartha what the main character learns (or unlearns) from each phase of his life. The blurb for this book invites the comparison with Siddhartha which is quite a dangerous thing. I found this book interesting and beautiful but it is no Siddhartha. It does not have the beautiful repetitive simple prose of Hesse.

The main character happens to be gay, and though some important elements of the plot would not have been possible if that were not true, Nouri's sexuality isn't a major element of the book.

Spring did not come to Riva di Pignoli this year. Piero thinks it is because the island has no bell tower, Spring doesn't know where to find them, they are too quiet. The tower is built, the bells are rung and more than Spring finds the island.