IN THE COUNTRY OF MEN by Hisham Matar

A story without borders or time, this is the tale of a nine year boy whose family and the larger world around him is torn apart by a modern day Revolution.
IN THE COUNTRY OF MEN unfolds as two stories – the engaging story of a young boy as he explores the family and urban world around him and, at the same time, the darker story of a society slowly repressed by a leader intent on imposing his own brand of revolution on the nation.
When we first meet Suleiman the nine year old narrator is living happily with his mom, dad, and friends in Tripoli, the North African seaside capital of Libya, a city already well populated in the time of the Roman Empire.
His life is like that of many nine year old boys – he navigates the changing moods of his mother and father, and is not above pouting to gain his own selfish ends (tales of Suleiman’s manipulation of his young mother on market days are priceless reading! ).
He delights in exploring the ins and outs of his newly built neighborhood with his best friend, enjoys swimming in the nearby Mediterranean Sea, and is excited when asked to join his friend on a visit to the nearby Roman ruins. Too, like many youngsters throughout the world, Suleiman acts as his lonely mother’s companion during those many days when his father is away on “business”.
But danger looms in his young world. First Suleiman’s best friend’s father and soon enough his own father disappear into the maw of the Libyan Revolutionary guards, falling out of sight “behind the sun”. Neighbors spy more openly on neighbors and his (almost) picture perfect world plunges into darkness (though not despair) as the Libyan Revolution comes crashing into their homes on – of all places - Mulberry Street.
This slowly unfolding doom is a strong reason why this novel is so much more than “a day in the life of a nine year Libyan boy”. And as we read on, we find the reason for the title – we focus increasingly on the men in Suleiman’s life – those close to him and those from afar (members of the Libyan national government); we discover it is the men, by far, who are responsible for the growing tumult and pain in Suleiman’s life.
Yet In the midst of this danger and mounting anxiety, we are treated to author Hisham Matar’s beautiful writing - his marvelous facility with English prose.
Nominated for a Mann Booker Prize (which celebrates the best fiction of the year by a member of the British Commonwealth or the Republic of Ireland) this semi autobiographical tale is a story worth reading and pondering.
In early 2006 I strongly recommended the book LITERATURE FROM THE AXIS OF EVIL, a collection of stories which includes short stories from Libyan authors permitted to publish by their government. IN THE COUNTRY OF MEN is a different kind of “literature”, written by a Libyan author at work in England. It is no less powerful and moving on its own uncensored authority. Reviewed by Nick Schenkel on WBAA radio and on Library Leaves. Listen to an extended review of this book on the WBAA radio archives link elsewhere on this page!

Find it @ your library: In the Country of Men by Hisham Matar