Book Review: Farida
Naim Kattan’s newly released novel, “Farida,” provides a much-needed alternative to the prevalent media representation of Iraq, a country troubled since World War II and existing in the aftermath of Saddam Hussein.
In lieu of a worn-out portrayal of Iraq as a country plagued by political conflict and dysfunction, “Farida” presents an alternative view by highlighting the internal reality of the country’s human dynamics, in which we find a productive coexistence between multiple ethnicities, languages, and religions.
It brings to light an often neglected reality: the value of discussing a country’s social dynamics is no less important than being aware of the political events that are affecting its people.
Kattan is a Canadian writer of Jewish Iraqi origin. Born in Baghdad in 1928, he left for France after the Second World War to study at the Sorbonne. His life and identity are exemplary in showing how ethnic and cultural identities can, and do, overlap.
In “Farida,” he applies this notion at a social level in order to provide a perceptive view of the multiethnic, multicultural Iraqi society he has clearly carefully examined as a boy, adolescent, and adult.
Notably, Kattan’s portrayal of Iraqi society is realistic: “Farida” shows that there do exist tensions and divisions between groups, but at the end of the day they work it out and get along.
