Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #756249 in Books
• Published on: 2000-01-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 304 pages

Synopsis
Praised for his grasp of literary English, one of Africa's most distinguished novelists illuminates the culture and ideology of his native country through a novel set against the background of Somalia's civil war. Reprint.

From the Publisher
Rave Reviews
In his bewitching saga, "Secrets," Somalian novelist Nuruddin Farah conjures a strange and densely spirited world. Immediately, the reader is immersed in a jumble of folklore, allegories, visions and sorcery. This is Somalia in 1995, and the echoing gunfire of clan violence and civil war is creeping into the capital of Mogadishu. But even more portentous are Farah's characters, whose consciences are as troubled as their country...With "Secrets," Farah, who was awarded this year's Neustadt International Prize for Literature (the most prestigious literary award after the Nobel), continues to delve into the hearts and minds of a people remembered by the West only when terror bubbles to the surface. The fault lines of tragedy, however, run much deeper. (Time Out New York, May 21, 1998)

Nuruddin Farah's hypnotic new novel, "Secrets" is...a shape-shifter--murder mystery, family saga, magical-realist thriller...Suspense builds secret upon secret..."Secrets" is rich with figurative language and parable. (New York Newsday, May 3, 1998)

Spellbinding, luminous prose. (Baltimore Sun, May 10, 1998)

Customer Reviews

Mesmerizing. A book to read in one great gulp.
I've read and enjoyed most of Farah's novels over the years - this is his finest so far. Kalaman's journey back into his family and his memories enthralled me. The writing is physical, earthy and always unexpected. I read the book one Sunday afternoon in a sitting. I couldn't find a place in the narrative where I wanted to pause, so just read and read. I'll be the first in line to buy his next book.