Idman Nur Omar

The Private Apartments by Idman Nur Omar is a sparse yet moving collection of short stories.

This is one of those books where it seems like a non-human entity is a unifying and consistent character in the book. For me, that character is Somalia, but not the actual country, more like the idea of Somalia as it resides in the minds of the characters in the stories. Sometimes in the background, sometimes more prominent, but always having some influence on the story and how we understand it.

I made a point of not rushing through this collection for a couple of reasons. One is the simple fact that reading about people experiencing life through a different lens than I do requires me to slow down and rethink how life works, or I run the risk of being dismissive and not really getting into the minds and hearts of those characters. The other main reason for slowing down is that the clean but sparse prose asks the reader to do some of the work and not just read through it as fast as possible. That work, in this case, is rewarding.

Like any collection, some stories stuck with me longer and touched me more profoundly. That said, every story did reward my efforts to understand the characters and their world from their perspective.

Recommended for those who enjoy short stories, especially ones that become a collaboration between writer and reader.

Reviewed from a copy made available by the publisher via NetGalley.… (más)