A satirical reimagining of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein.
From the rubble-strewn streets of US-occupied Baghdad, Hadi collects body parts from the dead, which he stitches together to form a corpse.
He claims he does it to force the government to recognise the parts as real people, and give them a proper burial.
But when the corpse goes missing, a wave of eerie murders sweeps across the city, and reports stream in of a horrendous-looking, flesh-eating monster that cannot be killed. At first it's the guilty he attacks, but soon it's anyone who crosses his path...
Frankenstein in Baghdad brilliantly captures the horror and black humour of a city at war.
Publisher: Oneworld Publications
ISBN: 9781786073976
Number of pages: 288
Dimensions: 198 x 129 x 20 mm
‘Strange, violent and wickedly funny... A remarkable achievement, and one that, regrettably, is unlikely ever to lose its urgent relevancy.’ Guardian
‘[A] biting satire of Iraqi life and sectarian disputes.’ Financial Times
‘[Saadawi is] Baghdad’s new literary star.’ New York Times
‘Helped by Jonathan Wright’s elegant and witty translation, which reaches for and attains bracing pathos, Saadawi’s novel mixes a range of characters and their voices to surprising, even jolting effect...a remarkable book.’ Observer
‘A darkly delightful novel… Detective story and satire as well as gothic horror, Frankenstein in Baghdad provides a tragicomic take on a society afflicted by fear, and a parable concerning responsibility and justice.’ New Statesman
'Expertly told... A significant addition to contemporary Arabic fiction.' Judges’ citation, International Prize for Arabic Fiction
‘Frankenstein in Baghdad is more than just a black comedy. It’s as much of a crossbreed as its ghoulish hero – part thriller, part horror, part social commentary.’ Financial Times
'A nightmarish, but horridly hilarious, tale… Sinister, satirical, ferociously comic but oddly moving.’ Spectator
‘Complex but very readable and darkly humorous; it has well-observed characters, whose back stories reflect the wider context.’ Times Literary Supplement
'Suffused with macabre humor, this novel captures the bizarre reality of life that is contemporary Baghdad... An important piece of political literature to emerge out of Iraq.' The Week
'A dark and fresh examination of the violence in Iraq.' Metro
What drew me to this novel was the intriguing title. When I think of Frankenstein I am immediately drawn to the depiction of this "monster" in the writing of Mary Shelley. Was this grotesque creature someone... More
I didn't know what to expect when I picked this up. And I was marvellously surprised. Either down to the translator, Saadawi, or a combination of both, the writing is a breeze to read - engaging and flows... More
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