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By the Sea

By the winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature 2021
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( 4,985 ratings, 566 reviews)
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
By the Sea by Abdulrazak Gurnah explores the journey of Saleh Omar, an elderly asylum seeker who arrives in England with little more than an intricately carved box. His path intersects with Latif Mahmud, a man with his own tangled history. Set against the backdrop of immigration and identity, the story delves into complex themes of exile, memory, and the human experience in a foreign land.
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Format: Paperback / softback
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

You might enjoy this book if you're drawn to intricate stories that explore themes of exile, memory, and identity. Set against the backdrop of a coastal landscape, it delves into the complex lives of its characters, offering a deeply introspective and moving depiction of displacement and human connection. This book may appeal to you if you appreciate rich, evocative narratives that provide insight into cultural and emotional landscapes.

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Staggering novel of displacement and loss from the critically acclaimed author

Longlisted for the Booker Prize 2002, By the Sea is Gurnah's masterpiece.For fans of Kazuo Ishiguro, J.M. Coetzee, David Malouf and Michael Ondaatje

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

On a late November afternoon, Saleh Omar arrives at Gatwick Airport from Zanzibar, an island in the Indian Ocean. With him, he has a small bag in which there lies his most precious possession - a mahogany box containing incense.

He used to own a furniture shop, have a house, and be a husband and father. Now, he is an asylum seeker from paradise. Silence is his only protection.

Meanwhile, Latif Mahmud, someone intimately connected with Saleh's past, lives quietly alone in his London flat. When Saleh and Latif meet in an English seaside town, a story is unravelled. It is a story of love and betrayal, of seduction and of possession, and of a people trying to find stability amidst the maelstrom of their times.

By the Sea by Abdulrazak Gurnah weaves these elements into a poignant narrative, exploring themes of loss, belonging, and identity.

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

By the Sea by Abdulrazak Gurnah is characterised by its enchanting narrative that deeply engages readers, creating a captivating experience akin to a love affair. The story's delicate prose appears to hold a magical quality that commands an immersive, almost breathless attention from its audience.

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9780747557852

Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 08 July 2002

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Width: 129.0mm

Height: 198.0mm

Weight: 186g

Pages: 256

About the Author

Abdulrazak Gurnah is the winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature 2021. He is the author of ten novels: Memory of Departure, Pilgrims Way, Dottie, Paradise (shortlisted for the Booker Prize and the Whitbread Award), Admiring Silence, By the Sea (longlisted for the Booker Prize and shortlisted for the Los Angeles Times Book Award), Desertion (shortlisted for the Commonwealth Writers’ Prize) The Last Gift, Gravel Heart, and Afterlives, which was shortlisted for the Orwell Prize for Fiction 2021 and longlisted for the Walter Scott Prize. He was Professor of English at the University of Kent, and was a Man Booker Prize judge in 2016. He lives in Canterbury.

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