2 out of 4 stars
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“Brown Scarf Blues” is written by Mois Benarroch and translated by Steven Capsuto. The book opens with the missing scarf of the author which is then followed by the unfortunate death of his friend and sister. The painful lives of the Jews and the childhood memories of the author gives you a completely different feeling while reading.
With every new page, the readers get a very new and different story. The way the children died due unknown medical issues and the role of Fatimas brings in a whole new set of stories which the author describes in a very acceptable manner. His attachment to the scarf and long underpants shows the materialistic side of the author.
As the story shifts from the scarf to the life of Jews and then again back to the scarf and then the childhood of the author. The readers get confused with the story that the book actually wants to depict. The changing points of the book, makes it very difficult for the readers to understand the actual meaning of the story and also tests the patience of the readers. It is very necessary to read each and every line of the story very carefully to understand the depth of the feelings the author wants to convey through his writings.
The thing that I liked the most is the way the author puts each and every instance of his life so deeply and illustrates his childhood through such in depth feelings. The author leaves each and every incident of his life at a cliffhanger leaving the reader alone to understand what the story wants to convey. This is the first biggest drawback of the novel.
The book doesn’t say anything more about the scarf after the first seventy pages of the novel and therefore every new chapter of the author’s life is left incomplete which makes it difficult for the reader to draw out any particular conclusion about the book. This is the second biggest drawback of this book which is equally frustrating too and leaves a very negative impact on the reader’s mind as the readers are unable to draw out the conclusions of the book.
The novel is basically based on the French accent and therefore the readers might find some particulars in French while reading. The book is good for readers who like to read books of autobiography and life experiences. It is definitely not suitable for readers who love fantasies and thrillers as the book might not be interesting in comparison. I rate the book 2 out of 4 stars as the book suddenly drifts from its main theme to many cliffhanging points.
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Brown Scarf Blues
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