An Unnecessary Woman: A Novel

Is Aaliya, a seventy-two year old single woman living in Beirut, really an unnecessary woman? After reading Ralph Alameddine’s rich and multi-layered novel about her life, I realized that her life, like all lives, are necessary. All lives serve some purpose although it may be difficult for the person herself (or others observing her) to recognize it.When the novel opens, Aaliya is looking in the mirror at her newly colored blue hair and pondering what book she will translate into Arabic in the upcoming new year, two interesting details that let the reader know up front some important facts about the protagonist. We know she loves reading and translating and that she’s elderly and perhaps a little quirky. As the story unfolds, the reader learns that she was once married but that the union didn’t work out and that she still lives in the aparatment she had shared with her spouse decades ago.There are three other women (the witches) who also live in the building, but Aaliya doesn’t socialize with them. However, when she needs them, they are there. There’s a dramatic scene when Aaliya’s older brother brings their mother to her apartment and announces that he’s leaving the mother there with Aaliya. The mother begins to scream at the sight of her daughter, and in a thrice, Aaliya’s “friends” come to her rescue. They are also there to assist and support at the end of the novel when catastrophe strikes.Not only does Alameddine construct a story about a solitary life with its connections to others, but he also paints a picture of Beirut, a city beloved by Aaliya’s. It’s beautiful, yet war torn. Through Aaliya’s eyes, he reveals much about the Lebanese culture, including gender “challenges” and struggles.Translating books into Arabic is something Aaliya has done for decades, and although there is no remuneration for her labors of love, the work itself is reward enough. It gives purpose to her life. An added plus for the reader are the references to books, authors, and music. Because of these references, I’ve been introduced to some of the work of well-known (but not to me) authors, especially of other countries. And the music allusions sent me to Amazon Prime in search of classical music of great composers.Are any of us really necessary as we scurry about in our everyday lives? Yes. Just like Aaliya, we are. It just takes some people a little longer to realize it. This novel with its many themes of friendship, purpose, courage, families, courage, resourcefulness, and loneliness can help the reader rethink his or her purpose and place in the universe.

An Unnecessary Woman by Rabih AlameddineReviewed by Arlene YedidAn Unnecessary Woman is a unique novel that tells the story of a cynical woman who exits on her own terms.in her beloved city of Beirut.. At 72, Aaliya has few fond remembrances, having chosen a solitary existance. As narrator of her story, she does not speak much about the Lebanese Civil War; just that she had to sneak across the city’s partition for bread and that the bombing was loud. She doesn’t recount much of the sporadic warfare that has plagued and changed the face of Lebanon.So what is this novel trying to reveal? It is more than a story about a cantankerous, eccentric woman extolling her beloved Beirut. This novel is a portrait of a woman seeking a meaningful existence through literature rather than life. This book, that breathes the rhythm of life through Alameddine’s magnificent prose, is sprinkled with references to favorite authors, books, and music. For some, encountering so many unfamiliar references to authors is off- putting; yet, the vivid storytelling creates a compelling work. If you give up on reading this book, you have lost a treasure. Alameddine is the master of flowing prose.Using Aaliya as narrator could seem limiting; however remembrances pepper the narrative, revealing layers of life-altering episodes. She was forced to marry at the age of 16, and fortunately her difficult husband divorced her 6 months later. While working in a book shop, Aaliya had an extended love affair with a much younger clerk, whose luster dimmed when he became a radical soldier. Aaliya. Is haunted by the death of her close friend Hannah, feeling guilt for ignoring warning signs of impending tragedy.Aaliya is an enigma. She translates books into Arabic, but doesn’t send them to publishers. She has no relationship with her family, but they don’t seem to deserve her respect. Love was never an emotion she felt toward her overly critical mother, whom she felt no guilt for avoiding seeing or rejecting housing her. Eventually, you see an unexpected, touching scene revealing Aaliya’s repressed love toward her indifferent mother. The novel’s climax occurs when she experiences a calamity leading to her neighbors’ unsolicited efforts to help salvage her plight. The old Aaliya would chase them away; perhaps a new Aaliya realizes that she needs to truly live in the moment rather than through a solitary existence.. Rabih Alameddin creates an unforgettable novel in which he proves that Aaliya is not “An Unnecessary Woman.”

Many of us lose ourselves, blissfully, inside literature. But most of us have other lives. Here is an Unnecessary Woman whose sense of self is found only between the pages. With redemption only in the waning years of her life.

Rabih Alameddine writes well, but there were so many quotes from literary and philosophical works, I felt the author was showing off how well-read he is... It is written in the first person as if the protagonist is telling her story, and unfortunately she is not likeable, nor are the people she interacts with. There are many interesting references to the Lebanese civil war, and familiar locations, having grown up in Beirut myself, and that kept me going.The protagonist is an avid reader who enjoys translating books she reads into Arabic with no thought of publication, so the manuscripts are placed in boxes in her apartment for ever. Her neighbours annoy her and she has an antagonistic relationship with her mother and half-siblings.I imagine other works by the same author may be more interesting and might attempt another one, but doubt whether I would recommend this one to others.Anyway, here are my preliminary thoughts about it.

I greatly enjoyed seeing the world through the eyes of the main character, Aaliya, a unique and endearing character.

An astonishing book. I entered this book with no idea what to expect and enjoyed it very much.

We are reading as a book club. I don't know if the other members think like I do. the descriptions of Beirut in war timewere vivid and helped you un derstand how hard it is for ordinary people to live under siege. that was about the mostpositive thing about the whole book

One of the most engaging books I have ever read. I have tasked myself with reading all of the authors mentioned in this great story.