In her debut novel, Isabella Hammad uses richly-textured prose to invoke the turbulence of the Middle East right after World War I. I have recently read Kurt Seyit and Sura by Nermin Bezmen andThe Carpet Weaver of Usak by Kathryn Gauci, both of which deal roughly with the Middle East pre-, during and post the War to End All Wars.

The nineteen-year-old protagonist, Midhat Kamal, arrives in Montpellier, France, to study medicine. He stays with the a professor of social anthropology at the university, the widower Molineau. During his stay, he falls desperately in love ,with Jeannette, Molineau’s daughter. This poignant romance fails. When he is betrayed by Molineu, Midhat moves to Paris and embarks on a hedonist journey. He constantly walks the knife-edge between fitting in and being different, being a woman’s love exotique. When World War I keeps him in France, he becomes part of a group of expatriates who debate the future of Palestine. At last recalled home by his father, Midhat faces the same dilemma of not fitting in at home, held apart by his newfound sophistication.

This book deals beautifully with big issues: personal identity, cultural identity, the struggle between self-self-fulfillment and family set against a background of a nation struggling for independence. Hammad is particularly gifted at showing both these emotions and the setting in which they occur. She deftly handles a large, complex cast (ignore the long list at the beginning of the book—you won’t need it), multiple settings, and the turbulence of the times. The middle of the book drags a bit. There are many foreign terms, that while giving a sense of a different culture, also tend to clutter her writing.

I had a very hard time getting through this book. The book itself was over 500 pages, and for me I need to be fully involved with the story to enjoy it at this length. To say the least I wasn't absorbed in this book, and all I wanted was for it to end! I feel terrible saying this, but I just didnt enjoy this book.
The book followed Midhat Kamal on his journey from Paris, where he was getting an education, back to Palestine, his mother counrty. He went from college age to "middle aged," where you seem him and how his family life developed. All throughout the book you get glimpses of hiw life was during the wars in Palestine, involving the forced Jewish immigration and the interests of the British and French. I honestly know some about this time, but not all of what they show in the story. The part that bothered me is that the writing at times was very hard to follow, and at times I couldn't fully realize the story that the author was trying to convey.

"The Parisian" is set in an interesting period, in France right before the outbreak of World War I, and Palestine after the old Ottoman Empire has been carved up by the victors.

It's a lovely piece of historical fiction set in a time and place that your don't frequently read about. Midhat Kamal is sent to France to study medicine by his autocratic, absent father. He goes, because it is his duty, and makes the most of it, throwing himself into his studies and making friends among the French. He even falls in love among the French, and which will prove to be the telling event of his life.

When the war is over and he returns to Nablus, Midhat understands that his study of medicine, or literature or philosophy will mean nothing in his next step of duty, taking over the family clothing business which is pretty much a market stall. He does not look back or yearn, instead he focuses on reconnecting with family and old friends, marrying, and living the new Palestine, reconfigured in a strange way after the defeat of the Ottoman empire.

The first part of "The Parisian" when Midhat is in Montpellier and Paris is pure gold as the bright, curious young man explores a new culture, new friends, new freedoms. When he returns to Nablus, he is no longer exploring, he is rediscovering. He is in a market stall in a small provincial town. He's a young Muslim man doing his duty, marrying a veiled girl and fathering children. He is focused on this and is not distracted, even when geopolitics can no longer be ignored. And he finds a letter. His world blows up.

Here' the novel gets tangled. There's a lot of Arabic, and a lot of politics. It's a good reminder of the background for today's middle eastern conflict, but the story is much more compelling when it focuses on the Kamals and their internal and external lives.

4.5 stars. I read with pleasure and skimmed the Arabic.

It's ages since I've been so impressed by a historical novel. But then I love a strongly psychological historical. Midhat seemed as fully realised as a 19th century novel's central figure -- I thought of what Iris Murdoch wrote about how the 19thC explored real people in a way the 20th century eschewed. We have not lost the art. What I have said so far was particularly true of the first section set in Montpellier. After this, back in Syria, the historical range of the novel did at times crowd out that intimate portraiture. However, luckily, Midhat did come back in his fully glory. And others joined him: the women in particular, their experience of marriage, Fatima's wedding night, the situation of Hani's child-wife who becomes an activist. Then the politics: rebellion, the educated classes and the common people; prophets and internationalists; which of these can serve Syria's independence?

A wonderful novel. A rare five stars from me for historical fiction.

I think this is a beautifully written debut. I enjoyed the setting especially in the first part of the book.

Unfortunately I just didn't feel a strong connection to the characters and so the story lost me half way through. It is one that I would pick up again in a year or so and maybe enjoy more.

The Parisian by Isabella Hammad
I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Unfortunately I couldn’t get into this book. I have read about 10 percent and found it boring, too many characters, too many foreign phrases not explained , had no empathy for any of the main characters. I just gave up.
Thanks NetGalley, Grove Atlantic and the author for the advanced copy.

The Parisian seemed promising but fell short. The story was boring and lost me. I couldn't get interested enough to really care about it. Unfortunately, this story was not for me. Thanks to NetGalley for an arc in exchange for an honest review.