Celestial Bodies by Jokha Al-Harthi - Book Review


I first heard of Celestial Bodies by Jokha Al-Harthi when it was long-listed for the Man Booker International Prize and was talked about by @arablit on Twitter. Translated from Arabic by Marilyn Booth. The book went on to win the prize which was something I wanted initially for sentimental reasons (having grown up in the Middle East). 


At the heart of Celestial Bodies, are the stories of three sisters: Mayya, Asma and Khawla. We read about each of them through their pastimes, their married lives and so on. The story is a postcolonial, multi-generational narrative that takes us through different people. These chapters give the reader of picture as Oman changes from a collection of feudal, nomadic tribes to the Sultanate of Oman following the exit of the British. We learn about the effects of the British occupation that’s percolated different parts of society, the slave trade that was vibrant till the early twentieth century and how its society changed as globalization happened. The book reads lyrically and some chapters are almost poetry.


I was especially moved by the chapters of Abdallah (Mayya’s husband), Zarifa (Abdallah’s father’s slaves and one of many), Khalid (Asma’s husband) and London (Mayya’s daughter - you will have to read the book to know why she was named so unusually for the Islamic world). I enjoyed coming across terms I recognized for having grown up in the Middle East (various Arab phrases, Vimto, Suntop, etc.).


You might wonder why there aren’t many South Asians mentioned in the book - after all, the South Asian population helped build the Middle East nations as they are today. I would say, possibly because integration between the Arab and South Asian populations happened more in the last couple of decades, save for the stories of the occasional businessmen.


Translator Marilyn Booth has done such a wonderful job in bringing this masterpiece to the English-speaking world. It makes me think the book would be even more beautiful to read in the original Arabic text.


The Man Booker International Prize is definitely well-deserved and I hope more people read this wonderful book. I’m certainly going to read it again!


Thanks to Simon & Schuster India for publishing this here.

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