Welcome to Litsy!

The premise of this book was intriguing-an undertaker‘s son inherits the family business and his father‘s membership in the mysterious Hellfire Society. The events of the novel take place against the backdrop of war in Lebanon where you never know from day to day who or what may be demolished by random ordinance. However, the language in some parts was excessively vulgar and detracted from the story. It‘s so vile that this is almost a pan.

The son of an undertaker learns about a secret society his father was apart of. Through it he meets a ton of unique and interesting people who are on the fringes of society.

I loved this novel. Part of it may be that I‘m spending a lot of time with an attractive Lebanese man lately so a book that takes place during the Lebanon civil war is extra interesting, but I loved the story and writing style. It‘s raw and evocative and I already want to check out some of the writer‘s other works. #ARC

This is my first Rawi Hage, but not my last. The absurdity and chaos of trying to live in a city in the midst of war is brilliantly conveyed through a writing style that is frenetic, poetic, often energetic, and insane. Pavlov is a relatable, somewhat unreliable, sometimes lovable, main character. I highly recommend this disturbing, important novel. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Pretty good, if a bit indulgent in places and very very obviously written by a man. Interesting to read while I was actually in Beirut this winter.

Before I started reading this book I checked and found that most reviews on Litsy were negative... and I though, “I‘ll show you Litsy; I will write the most glowing review EVER!”

And now that I‘ve read it, I‘ve come down off my high horse. This book is not great. I loved Cockroach and De Niro‘s game, which both feature anti-heroes made likeable only to the extent that they are better than the sadists who surround them. This one: swing and a miss.

Pavlov, an undertaker‘s son, is a witness to the tragedies of wartime Lebanon. Listening to the #audiobook narrated by Ali Momen was—unsurprisingly—disturbing at times, with passages describing cruelty, violence and kinky sex. Fantastical elements help to alleviate the overarching tone of deep sadness. Hage has opened my heart & eyes to a human experience that I‘m fortunate to have escaped by accident of birth. #CanadianAuthor
(Internet photo)

We should deny the world its interconnectedness, otherwise we are nothing but a sick species that imagines we are part of an eternal spectacle, a never-ending continuum.

“…El-Marquis‘ imported Italian casket, a vibrant fuschia with silver & gold handles. The edges of the coffin were covered in seashells. The long pole that passed through three handles on each side was shaped like a penis. The front of the casket was dotted with pink stones, a loud, colourful mosaic that, from a distance, revealed the shape of a vagina.”

(I wish I could have found a photo of such a casket on the Internet to go with this quote.)

#audiobook commuting. This little ferry takes me back and forth to Granville Island, where Vancouver Writers Fest takes place. The weather has been glorious all week. #VWF2018

Mother Nature really gets behind all the fire and ash imagery in this book‘s opening chapters #audiowalk

Starting this #audiobook juuuuuust ahead of Vancouver Writers Fest #VWF #weekendlibrarian

Happy publication day! Rawi Hage will be at #emwf18 to read from his new novel, Beirut Hellfire Society. The novel follows Pavlov, a twenty-something son of an undertaker, who, after his father's death, is approached by a member of the mysterious Hellfire Society - an anti-religious sect that arrange secret burials for those who have been denied them. bit.ly/2MrPVZ8 @PenguinRandomCa #canlit #publicationday #releaseday

The description of this book seemed so promising - it‘s a story about the son of an undertaker, who after his father‘s death, is approached by the mysterious Hellfire Society, an anti-religious sect that arranges burials for those who have been denied them. I was immediately intrigued and the first few chapters drew me in, but then the book lost me completely. I have no idea what I just finished reading... #netgalley