PositiveIrish Times (IRE)In the third part of the book Fosse rounds off the story neatly with the perspective of Frank ... Whereas Septology was profound and meditative, Vaim is more mysterious and playful. The translation by Damion Searls is, as ever, excellently judged in its rhythms and tones. The narrative has a folk tale quality about it ... A satisfyingly constructed story, Vaim shows Fosse shedding his heavy philosophical burdens (temporarily at least) to enjoy himself as a storyteller.
Jokha Alharthi, trans. by Marilyn Booth
RaveThe Irish Times (IRE)The story transitions skilfully between narrative strands and time periods and in Marilyn Booth’s graceful translation is never cluttered or confused ... the novel foregrounds female characters and their plight while observing a degree of democratic restraint across the storylines: there are no heroines or divas here; the characters are not competing for the reader’s attention ... This is a beautifully-realised novel about unfulfillment, told with a sober, melancholy intelligence. I admired Celestial Bodies very much but perhaps this is even better.
Alaa Al Aswany, tr. S. R. Fellowes
MixedThe Irish Times (IRE)At its best, the book is exhilarating in its storytelling and devastating in its societal critique. But the novel, like the society it depicts, is undecided on what it wants to be: it makes too many arguments to be just a story; it is too emotionally involved for reportage. It is, however, an evocative and informed account of an important moment in Egyptian society.
