The wrong end of the telescope: Book review





Title: The wrong end of the telescope
Author: Rabih Alameddine
Genre: Fiction

The wrong end of the telescope traces the journey of an American Arab trans women and her experiences among Syrian refugees. 

We have our protagonist Mina Sampson- a doctor who  is summoned for help by her friend who runs an NGO for Syrian refugees on Lesbos Island, Greece. Mina is estranged from her family with the exception of her brother-Mazen. They cross paths with a Lebanese writer. Mina talks about her own life, childhood experiences and other characters. Particularly a woman named Sumaiya who is suffering from Liver Cancer. And then we have Mina directly addressing the author whom she is deeply impacted by. We understand that it is none other than Rabih himself. 

The book alternates between differ points of view. The first person narrative is told through Mina’s perspective as she recounts the horrors that take place on the lives of these refugees. The Second person voice is the place where Mina is challenging and conversing with the author. We get a glimpse into his life as well. Through Mina’s eyes, we see a multiple lives impacted by war and terrorism. We see the treatment meted out to women, loss of lives, estranged families and uncertainty. 

The prose is rich and the author’s story telling ability immersed you into a distraught world. In between the author manages to intersperse humour which proves to be a relief in this otherwise intense novel. He makes several references to Greek Mythology and literature. The book touches upon topics of terminal illness, euthanasia, homosexuality and acceptance. This gruesome portrayal of shatters families from the sea will tend you make your heart bleed. 

No doubt It’s intense, disturbing as it mirrors the harsh reality. The characters stay with you until you turn the last page over. The wrong end of the Telescope is worth a read.

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