MixedDawn (PAK)Set against a backdrop of war, the tales in this body of fictional work are beset with depravity and devoid of happy endings. Death and decadence are the norm in Blasim’s Iraq, a land overshadowed by strife and conflict where everyone has an increasingly shocking story to tell ... The accounts reflect the violence the country has faced during the last few decades and the impact this has had on its populace. The characters are in such a rush to tell their stories that they don’t have time to deliver their accounts with poise and eloquence. This abrupt style might not be graceful, but it suits their tragedies which are riddled with obscenity and jarring developments. The grotesque imagery does make an impact, but its gratuitousness is also disturbing and distracting ... His characters are invariably damaged, and either suffering or causing others to suffer; their inability to escape the tragedies of their past continuously shadowing their present and often ensuring that they have no future ... if you have the ability to work past the crude, graphic content and strong language, and explore the writing’s depth, then you will probably find The Corpse Exhibition compelling.
