“Ali and Nino” by Kurban Said (Azerbaijan)

Review

Readers enjoyed the book immensely. They liked the historical, political and cultural context of the story and the different perspectives of East and West, Muslim and Christian. One reader particularly felt how the protagonists were trapped by these contexts. They found the descriptions of the places colourful and vivid, bringing the different scenes very much alive for them. At times it felt like reading a beautifully written travel guide to the region! The simplicity of the writing style was appreciated, as was the humour scattered throughout the book. Most readers found the love story between Ali and Nino very poetic, with a likeness to Romeo and Juliet. Overall, they found it a captivating read, well worth delving into more than once. The book averaged an 8.5 out of 10.

Synopsis

Ali Khan and Nino Kipiani live in Baku, the cosmopolitan, oil-rich capital of Azerbaijan which, at the beginning of the twentieth century, is a melting-pot of different cultures. Ali is a Muslim, with his ancestors’ passion for the desert, and Nino is a Christian Georgian girl with sophisticated European ways. Despite their differences, the two have loved each other since childhood and Ali is determined that he will marry Nino as soon as she leaves school. But there is not only the obstacle of their different religions and parental consent to overcome. The First World War breaks out. As the Russians withdraw, the Turks advance, and Ali and Nino find themselves swept up in Azerbaijan’s fight for independence.

From the Introduction

This wonderful novel – beautifully constructed, vivid and persuasive, a love story at once exotic and familiar – is living proof that art is indestructible and transcendent. ‘Ali and Nino’ is both a love story and a cultural artefact, and part of its message is that governments rise and fall, wars rage, cities are laid waste, people are displaced, authors die. What remains? Well, written words remain, and perhaps it is of little consequence who wrote them. – Paul Theroux, March 2000

Nicola’s Book Club reading list

Season 8 – “Love & Passion in World Literature” (Sep 2008 – Jan 2009)

“A Concise Chinese-English Dictionary for Lovers” by Xiaolu Guo (China)
“Ali and Nino” by Kurban Said (Azerbaijan)
“Tracks” by Louise Erdrich (U.S.)
“The Bad Girl” by Mario Vargas Llosa (Peru) *
“Wide Sargasso Sea” by Jean Rhys (Dominica) 

* The book club favourite
In italics, Nicola’s Coup de Cœur

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Re-read in January 2021 as part of the 2020 Vision Read-a-thon

Readers enjoyed this book describing it as delightful and well-paced. They liked the historical context which they found highly interesting. They felt the descriptions brought many things visually to life. Readers warmed to the protagonists who they thought were likeable, and they loved the romance between them. They agreed that the cultural differences between East and West were cleverly portrayed and loved the use of similes of the desert and the trees. Nicola asked readers to give the book a score at the end of the discussion and it averaged a 9 out of 10. Recommended reading for all book lovers.