Not a full plot going on this story, this is a translated work and it definitely feels like it. Not a story I really cared for unfortunately.

Real Rating: 4.5* of five

This story felt to me like a roadmap of what the great-haters want gay life to become in the US. Religious nuts are not to be trusted with the well being of those they don't like. Their allgedly holy book allows things well beyond the pale in the modern world. That's where the damn things belong, beyond the pale.

Think I'm being strident again? Read Furat's story, much like the author's own, to see how disfiguringly awful it is to be denied expression of your honest, authentic self.

The book isn't long, under two hundred pages, and covers three countries that create, dislike, or accept refugees. Syria's pre-civil-war accommodation of gay men wasn't acceptance, exactly, more a species of tolerance..."don't make us notice you, stay over there"...and Turkey's is roughly similar. Furat's deep discomfort dealing with the straight men (and "straight" men) who surrpund him comes vibrating off the page. The author clearly drew this from his own lived experience. It's a revelation of self that would likely get him beaten or worse in most macho cultures.

The way the novel is structured is likely going to put some people off. I hope you'll think of the structure as a way of communicating Furat's lived experience of fragmentation and alienation; as a deliberate and careful evocation of the world as it appears to someone who has no home, never felt at home, never had more than toleration offered to him. The jagged edges of severed relationships...what happened to Ali?...are the price exacted by the great-haters for one's being alive in "their" world.

"Their" world definitely includes the world of Sweden. This paragon of accepting refugees hasn't told its people that kindness and acceptance might be better for all concerned than rejection and intolerance. That's rich coming from an American, I agree, but the fact is that my majority-immigrant country has its head up its religious-nut ass. I would hope for better from the Swedes. I would, it seems, be wrong. Furat's life is better. It's not in danger anymore. His Life is. This Life, this wonderful world of lovingkindness and acceptance, of deep connection and relationship, is still beyond his reach.

The title's a word that describes and defines the concept gay men, all that I've known in my nearing-seventy years on earth, want: a place of intimate connection of men's bodies and minds.

The story has its challenges for the reader. It's not going to make the eww-ick homophobes blench. It's not going to make the linear-story reader into a fan of stream of consciousness. It's not the book's job. It is going to give its readers a personal intimate view of the way a man of multiple marginalizations navigates becoming his authentic self.

That, for this reader, is a beautiful gift.

Enlightening, moving, and sexy, this exploration of gay life in Syria is worth a read- it’s not the standard bit of romantic fiction it’s sold as, but nor is it the “tragic” gay romance you often come across- instead it’s clever, earthy and hot whilst hugely eye opening

DNF. I lost all interest as soon as I found the instalove that developed into sex right away. The political, social aspect of the background was appealing, but the writing style was weak, the relationship was unbelievable: Am I suppose to assume that someone in that context would just allow a stranger to hook up with them and make love promises bigger than life right away, with the guy believing every single word? Not for me.

Gripping, emotional, and raw. Another great addition to the 2024 gay literary fiction list. Not your typical sad story with a black and white cover.

Thank you to Netgalley for the E-ARC.

This book was such a good dive into the culture of gay men in the Syrian area and middle east and how they hide and fight to be themselves! Very well written and such a beautiful story.

This book was so interesting and worth a read for every gay guy out there.
With this book we get a look into the gay life of a Syrian refugee. This was a perspective I have never read anything about and it was great to be able to follow such a story. It gave me insights on things I haven't much thought about before. It was clear as well that this book was very rooted in reality and the authors own experiences in life.

This book was also extremely sexy in a way I'm not really used to. I read a lot of erotica, but it felt like the vibes of this book were very different from most I read. It didn't use the same stories as popular erotica is doing at the moment and that was a very fun fresh wind. Don't get me wrong, I love the way erotica is done in the moment by a lot of big indie names, but having totally different vibes to the story was very fun too.

The way the story is told with chapters that don't continue into each other was actually very enjoyable. I usually like linear stories a bit better as I'm easy to confuse things, but that was not the case for this book at all because every chapter felt very distinctive. There was a chapter centered around a cemetery that touched me deeply, but other chapters full of hot moments were a big favorite too. Honestly there wasn't a chapter I didn't find interesting or enjoyed.

All together this book is a must read in my opinion and I will be sure to recommend it to my friends.

Khaled Alesmael writes lyrically, with powerful political intent. While categorized as fiction in English, Selamlik is based on the journey of Furat, a closeted 18-yr old Syrian, who flees political upheaval in Deir Ezzor for refuge in Sweden via a perilous route through Turkey. Selamlik is an interesting mix of blatant homoerotica and unabashed political advocacy, two topics that Alesmael effectively proves are not mutually exclusive. I learned a lot about Syria's history of hope and oppression cycling through massacres, uprisings, and crackdowns; and even gained a basic understanding of where Aleppo, Damascus and Deir Ezzor are on a Syrian map.

The few issues I had all seem to be translation related:
after turning off the lights... the place became like a dark room
I opened the bag like I was tearing a winding sheet
her phone was in her hand... her phone was in her hand
I mercilessly clipped his chest hair

When I saw this review copy listed, it was under the category of LGBTQ+ romance. I am so glad I applied for it - for while it was definitely not a traditional romance - it was one of the better books I've read this year.

There are so many fascinating parts of this book. Told in a sort of fictive memoir format, the book book darts from place to place, time to time, guided by headers that clue you as the reader in. At first I found it disorienting, but then I came to trust the author to share things in the right order. One common theme is the Selamlik, or men's space, which reconfigures itself in different ways - bath houses, dorms, refugee housing. Only some (very few) of these spaces are places where a gay Syrian can find connection, freedom of expression, or even love.

The book follows the trajectory of the main character, Furat, from student, to journalist, to refugee in Sweden. Alesmael makes the violence and repression of authoritarian Syria tangible, especially but not limited to gay men in Syria.

When I finished the book, what I was left with was not despair and despond, but with Furat's hope and his openness. Acceptance is what he wants. Acceptance and the possibility of love.

Thank you NetGalley for letting me read this book!
This is a very beautiful book. It's about a gay man fleeing from a country where it is illegal to be gay. Overall, it's a very good story, and it helps you feel how he felt. He goes from one place to another where he can't be himself, and him trying to figure out how to live freely.

One issue I have is there's a few spots where it's telling about the past, and then it jumps to the present without any transition, so I had to reread a page or two to figure out what was going on.

The writing of this took me a little bit to get used to and the nonlinear writing was at times a little disorienting but once I was used to the writing style I really enjoyed it! The lyrical prose and interweaving of the characters dreams and hopes was really well done
The author gave me some real insight to the experiences of gay men in Syria and the identity struggles that are encountered as a refugee.
Overall really enjoyable

As I delved into "Selamlik" by Khaled Alesmael, beautifully translated by Lori Price, I found myself drawn into a narrative that transcends the mere confines of its marketed genre. While the novel is categorized under LGBTQ erotica, I believe this labeling does a disservice to the profound depth and poignant exploration of themes that this book offers.

Set against the backdrop of prewar Syria, "Selamlik" immerses readers in the intricacies of Arab masculinity and the struggles faced by LGBTQ individuals in a society rife with opposition. Through the eyes of Furat, a young Syrian navigating the complexities of his identity, we are invited into a world where acceptance is scarce, and love is a fragile beacon amidst pervasive societal disapproval.

The strength of "Selamlik" lies in its unflinching portrayal of life for gay men in Syria. Khaled Alesmael's narrative style, resembling a personal memoir, vividly depicts the challenges and dangers faced by individuals like Furat, from violent disapproval to the heartbreaking experience of displacement and refugeehood. The author skillfully paints a stark picture of Syria's societal and political landscape, shedding light on the harsh realities that LGBTQ individuals endure.

One of the book's most compelling aspects is its exploration of Furat's journey, not only in Syria but also as a refugee in Sweden. The contrast between fleeing war and persecution only to encounter rejection and prejudice in a supposedly safer haven adds layers of depth to the narrative. Alesmael's storytelling prowess shines as he navigates themes of loss, shame, and resilience, offering readers a poignant glimpse into the lives of those forced to leave behind their homes and identities.

While "Selamlik" is undoubtedly a significant contribution to the LGBTQ genre, I must acknowledge certain aspects that didn't resonate as strongly. The writing, albeit a translation, occasionally veered into repetitiveness and unnecessary graphic detail, detracting from the intimacy and poignancy of the narrative. The publisher's marketing of the book as erotica may also lead to misconceptions about its true essence, overshadowing its profound exploration of LGBTQ struggles and Arab masculinity.

In conclusion, "Selamlik" is a powerful and necessary addition to contemporary literature, offering a compelling perspective on LGBTQ experiences in Syria and beyond. Khaled Alesmael's poignant storytelling and Lori Price's adept translation create a narrative that lingers long after the final page. This book deserves recognition for its insightful portrayal of complex themes and should be appreciated within the broader context of LGBTQ literature, urging readers to rethink traditional genre classifications and embrace narratives that challenge societal norms.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC copy in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you, NetGalley, for providing me with a copy of this book.

You know, I finished reading this book a month ago, and on account of my lack of time due to a tight work schedule, I had to postpone this review for a while. But sometimes it is necessary to keep away from the book to have a fairer idea of it, not only based on its impact. <Selamlik> keeps on giving me a good feeling about it.

This is a kind of memoir by a Syrian young gay man, though the author uses the name Furat. It is mixed with some erotic fantasies and a painful account of his homeland's destruction due to its dictator's efforts to maintain power at all costs. It is also an account of the hardships a gay man has to endure to fulfill his innermost desires, but not only, but also to have the feeling of living a freer life, without the fear of being killed at any given chance. Though homosexuality is forbidden in most (if not all) muslin countries, it thrives in the shadows and the alleyways. Reading how Syria was slowly destroyed by Bashar al-Assad's army, the revolutionaries, and the EIIS (the Islamic State in Syria) was so painful because here, it is a sad account of how power of any kind is usually taken as priority over the population's tiniest idea of survival. An account of how humanity doesn't mean a thing to those who want to keep power at all costs.

<Selamlik> is also an account of how freedom has to be fought on daily basis. Furat finds this out in Sweden, having to keep his sexuality to himself in the Refugees' buildings, but also by the situation he finds there, no paradise on Earth, treated with a sense of being given more than he deserves by the refugees' officials.

All in all, it is also a poignant story of survival and search for freedom and the erotic fantasies we find along with the book give it a sense of surrealism of life itself, so many times necessary to take us away from a sense of losing ourselves in this crazy world we call home.

I found the jumping around in time difficult to follow.

It felt more like a collection of essays than a book with a beginning, middle & end. I wonder if something was lost in the translation?

In "Selamlik" by Khaled Alesmael, we are introduced to Furat in 2000, a young English Literature student at the beginning of his university journey. This is such a powerful opening chapter, it got me hooked straight away. As Syria is plunged into turmoil that dominates headlines and sadly continues to affect its people, Furat's story unfolds against the backdrop of a once stable and multicultural nation teeming with diversity. The richness of Syria's population, including, Furat lists them to us, Armenians, Druze, Yazidi, Kurds, Alawites, Turkmens, and others in Aleppo, highlights its vibrant cultural tapestry prior to the ravages of war.

Furat's personal odyssey of self-discovery, his emergence into his sexuality, and the vibrant world of Selamliks (“a palace where men could be free with their conversations, ideas and bodies”) offer a glimpse into a realm of excitement and enlightenment. However, as the spectre of war looms and compels him to seek refuge in Sweden, the harsh realities of the refugee experience unfold, revealing the dehumanising aspects, bureaucratic hurdles, and the mercenary nature of seeking safety.

The narrative skilfully transitions between poignant moments of heartache and illuminating revelations, expertly conveyed by Leri Price, the translator who breathes life into Alesmael's lyrical prose. There are some unique, gorgeous writing here. I was particularly moved by the chapters ’on the edge of madness’ and “fabric memory”. But the whole book is an impressive debut. Alesmael's writing delves into themes of homoeroticism and individual struggles with a unique voice that distinguishes him in the realm of world literature. Through Furat's captivating journey, "Selamlik" delves into themes of resilience, identity, and the enduring quest for love amidst chaos and hardship.

This emotionally, sexually charged and contemplative novel had me reflecting on the awful intricacies of the human experience in times of conflict and displacement.

This was an intense read. Full of raw emotions and quite the contrasting expressions of erotic desire and the realistic emotions of war. The experience of our MC was portrayed in a vivid and powerful way. It was a bit confusing with the switch of time periods but captured the realities of war well.

The spice was absolutely raw and quite powerful. Pain and loss always play a a forefront role in war and it was no different here. I liked the writing style of this author. This I my first book from him.

A complicated and angsty tale of Selamlik's journey.

Thank you to the publisher for this ARC!

Khaled Alesmael is a queer man, born and raised in Syria where he was a journalist and cofounded a radio station; he became a refugee, made it to Sweden, and is now based in London. "Selamlik" defines its title as "a palace where men could be free with their conversations, their ideas, and their bodies." A kind of Eden, maybe?

This is billed as a novel, but it's hard to resist the sense that its narrative runs close to Alesmael's own life story, given that its narrator and protagonist, Furat, is a gay Syrian who becomes a refugee in Sweden, and given the disorienting, fragmented manner in which it's told. Disorienting maybe especially for a white, queer cis woman born and raised in the US -- though my parents were war refugees, so that Furat's experiences of state violence resonated with my family history, as did the incomplete and broken-off way Furat / Alesmael tells his story. Language breaks down for him at several points, also a phenomenon I'm familiar with from my parents' infrequent attempts to tell their stories.

I might have expected "Selamlik"'s accounts of queer men's life in Syria to be the most remote from my own life, but to my surprise I was reminded of another history familiar to me: the orgiastic bathhouses and backrooms where many of my male friends enjoyed themselves in the days before HIV. So much was the same, right down to the threat of police raids and violence. There's something nostalgic about Furat / Alesmael's hammam memories, not only because the places where he came into his own as a gay Syrian man have been bombed to rubble but also because he seems to have found, in Sweden, a certain more domesticated form of queer male sexuality. HIV brought that domestication with it in the US -- not universally, especially now that we have PREP, but ... Queer civil rights and "good gays" often seem to go hand in hand, too.

(Speaking of HIV, it's something of a shock that "Selamlik" makes no mention of it, or of safer sex practices. Something I'd like to know more about: it's hard to believe, if the way Furat conducts his sex life is anything like typical, that sexually transmitted infections aren't widespread among Syrian men who have sex with men. And of course among their wives.)

To Sweden, then, where the other Syrian male refugees hate queers, and many (most? I don't know) Swedes are suspicious, at best, of brown people. I don't know where I got the idea that Sweden was generous with its housing and financial provisions for refugees, but -- assuming, as there's no reason not to, that "Selamlik"'s account is accurate -- nope. Sometimes I think I'm through being naive, but apparently there's always another cherished fantasy to shatter.

"My head is a graveyard, and the past sleeps there forever," Furat says at one point. I said that "Selamlik"'s narrative is fragmented and disorienting -- disorienting in the way it loops back on itself, from Syria to Sweden to Turkey and around again. There might not be any other way to tell the story of a life shattering. By the end of "Selamlik," Furat's life hasn't yet been rebuilt.

Thanks to World Editions, the author, and NetGalley for the ARC.

This book is about choices, war, pain, grief, loss and politics The character development of the protagonist is quite interesting.The devastation of the landscape, loss of loved one and betrayal are so heartwrenching.

At its core, the narrative follows the harrowing odyssey of a man as he navigates the treacherous path from war-torn Syria to finding sanctuary in Sweden. This poignant tale serves as a poignant exploration of the plight faced by LGBTQ individuals in Syria, their struggles compounded by the backdrop of civil strife and upheaval.

Through its stark portrayal of the protagonist's journey, the story offers a crucial perspective on the challenges and dangers faced by gay individuals in Syria, whose lives are profoundly impacted by the ravages of war. Against this backdrop of adversity, the narrative sheds light on the resilience and courage of those who dare to seek freedom and acceptance in the face of unimaginable hardship.

Ultimately, this work stands as a testament to the indomitable human spirit and the universal quest for safety, dignity, and belonging, resonating with readers as a powerful reminder of the enduring human struggle for survival and hope in the midst of chaos and adversity.

The cover does not appeal to me however and therefore a start has been reduced. Thank you to the author, publisher and Netgalley for this ARC.

I truly enjoyed reading this debut novel. The author writes beautifully and I appreciate the English translation. I do feel like the cover and description are a bit misleading - while the novel does explore a Syrian man’s sexuality over the years, it’s also heavy on the violence and hardship that he experienced.