THE STONE OF LAUGHTER

by Hoda Barakat ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 29, 1996

This unusual story of Beirut in time of civil war, which in 1990 won the Al-Naqid Award for first novels, offers a vividly detailed portrayal of an unfamiliar culture from the perspective of its protagonist, Khalil--a gay man who labors to remain uninvolved and neutral, but finds he can't avoid being drawn into his country's orbit even as it excludes him from full citizenship. A tendency toward preachiness is the only serious blemish in a gripping story filled with splendidly drawn secondary figures and distinguished by Barakat's characterization of the embattled and, finally, ennobled Khalil.

Pub Date: March 29, 1996

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: 240

Publisher: Interlink

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 1996

Categories: FICTION