Book Review: Frankenstein in Baghdad by Ahmed Saadawi

 

Frankenstein in Baghdad by Ahmed Saadawi

Paperback, 281 pages
Published January 2018 by Penguin Books (first published March 1st 2013)

 

Arthur C. Clarke Award Nominee (2019)

International Prize for Arabic Fiction (IPAF) (2014)
International Booker Prize Nominee (2018) 

Frankenstein in Baghdad was a book I couldn’t avoid this year.  One of my reading themes this year has been the speculative fiction take on the War on Terrorism. Since it was recognized by the three listed awards it was well known for its a surreal and dark satire of the American occupation of Iraq. This novel is a prime example of what the horror genre can do to highlight and expose the corruption and sad realities of 21st-century colonialism.

Now that GW Bush is retired in Texas doing his best Bob Ross it is easy to let the misery our nation caused in Baghdad fade into memory. That is one of the reasons this novel is so important. Under the guise of phantom weapons of mass destruction, the U.S. invasion kicked up a hornet's nest of violence that became a part of daily life in the city of Baghdad.

Ahmed Saadawi is using a surreal fantasy to highlight the very nightmare of military occupation. The story follows a variety of characters around the city. I know it is a trite statement to say that the city is a character, but in this case, the occupation is a character. The person who really drives the early moments of the story is Hadi who is a junk dealer who is kinda known for his wild stories. In his form of personal protest, he collects the body parts of victims of violence and with each collection, we get the person’s story.

Once the parts are collected, they are brought back to life by magic. This monster is called Whatshisname and despite being the reanimated bits and pieces of war victims the horror around them makes him less of the story than you might think.

There is a large cast of characters and even the list of them in the front didn’t totally help me keep them all clear. That was the one thing that didn’t totally work for this reader.

The fantasy elements were interesting but the solidly anti-war and occupation moments are what make this book interesting. Whatshisname is a collection of body parts that certainly invokes old Frankie. There is not much connection to the Mary Shelly classic but that is not the point.
The novel highlights many elements of the occupation that gets overlooked in this country. What are the divisions in cultures throughout the region, what different religions make up the region then the novel is doing something important.  Internationally the need for a spotlight on the history and lasting impact of the W’s invasion is more than just a resurgent ISIS.

There are aspects of this novel I am sure people not from inside the bubble would not get. I know many religious themes are beyond me. The thing is I want to be exposed to those things. That is why I read and review translated genre fiction. If you want your eyes opened in this way reading translated genre is a great way to do it, and this book is a great example.