APEIROGON
BY COLUM McCANN

Apeirogon is a shape with infinite sides and angles to it. Thus is the endless conflict that takes place between Israel and Palestine for as long as I can remember. In this stunning story that is both multifaceted drawn from both fiction and facts comes an unlikely friendship between two friends from opposite countries rooted together drawn by love, unimaginable loss and the desire to spread their commonalities as often as they can to try to spread peace wherever they can. For these two men who live day to day being told what roads they can drive on, who must navigate checkpoints and drive with color codes license plates that are monitored by the huge blimps in the sky: are united by the most staggering losses and heartbreak that a parent will ever face. They don't dwell in resentment or crippling hatred but instead share common ground by sharing their stories in whatever venues they can to tell about their two beloved daughters in an effort to bring peace to a senseless world sometimes.. Certainly these two friends live in uncertain worlds. Their two lives will never again be quiet and peaceful. Ever!

Bassam Aramin is of Palestine descent and lost his ten year old daughter, Abir when she was shot in the back of the head and killed by a rubber bullet while she had just been outside of a store buying candy. Rami Elhanen of Israel lost his beautiful, sparkling daughter, Smadar after school while she was out buying books in broad daylight by a suicide bomber who blew up eight people including lovely Smadar. Smadar was just thirteen years old and her name was meant to mean grape from the vine. Both men and their families are forever united in grief and yet for as much as they tell their stories describing their daughter's they are both extending an olive branch to anyone who will listen and just maybe internalize and with always the hope that they can save others from having that ugly, crooked finger of fate pointed at some other family. There is much beauty and hope to be gained from these two men whose lives intersect by tragedy. But for these two men they refuse to let their heartbreak continue to define them. Although this is a novel, the transcripts taken from both Bassam and about Abir and Rami about Smadar are factual.

Thank you to Net Galley. Colum McCann and the publisher for providing me with my ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.

"I think it is our job, as writers, to be epic. Epic and tiny at the same time. If you're going to be a fiction writer, why not take on something that means something. In doing this, you must understand that within that epic structure it is the tiny story that is possibly more important." So said Colum McCann in an interview, and so has he done once again with Apeirogon: A Novel. What could be more epic and meaningful than the roiling relationship story of Israel and Palestine? Mc Cann tells the tiny story of 2 fathers connected by tragedy and inspired by hope. He tells it sensitively and believably with a pinch of hope.

Israeli Rami Elhanan and Palestinian Bassam Aramin have both lost their beloved daughters in the seemingly unending warzone of disputed land in Israel. Colum McCann takes his title, Apeirogon, from a multifaceted shape of countable infinite sides, which still makes my brain hurt just thinking about. But repeatedly it reverts to the day in 1997 when Rami's daughter 13-year-old Smadar is killed by suicide (or homicide if you will) bombers, and 10 years later when 10-year-old Abir is felled by a rubber bullet. We learn about these methods of terror, their genesis, the effect on a normal family and how these two grieving fathers become well known travelling the world in an effort to promote peace. But there is so much more.

McCann has a distinct style of writing, weaving disparate stories together into a patchwork, which forms a quilt in the mind. Here he is at his most ambitious, incorporating so many elements, such an astounding feat. Birds overhead, their migratory patterns as well as the roles they play for humans, and even Philipe Petit in his walk across the Hinnom Valley. McCann even gives a patch to his native Ireland, which usually plays a part in any of his works. Mitterand, the divisive wall, even Banksy. It's long and there's quite a bit of repetition, but never boring and forever haunting.

In what I might expect, Colum McCann writes with beauty and an attention to humanity. This novel demands to be read and I would love to incorporate it in a literature course.

At one level, this is a simple story to tell. Two fathers, one Israeli and the other Palestinian, both see their daughters killed by atrocious acts in the conflict that grips their shared homeland. Through their grief, the fathers resist the almost overwhelming urge to seek revenge, realizing that no amount of pain they could inflict would bring their children back. Instead, they befriend one another through their association with a group of bereaved parents dedicated to understanding the causes of the violence and promoting a peaceful resolution. But that is where a simple tale gets very complicated because the roots of this struggle go back thousands of years and has more dimensions than seem possible to unravel. The conflict is, in fact, an <i>apeirogon</i>—an object with a countably infinite number of sides.

Which begs the question: How do you capture the scope and scale of such a complex problem in a single work? In <i>Apeirogon</i>, Colum McCann gives us his answer and what a response it is. Although subtitled “A Novel”, this book is not really fiction in a conventional sense. Indeed, it defies any straightforward description, much like the subject matter it addresses. In the process of telling the very personal accounts of two real men—Rami, the Israeli father, and Bassam, his Palestinian counterpart—the author weaves in much relevant history of these two ancient cultures in order to provide the necessary context for understanding how the situation got to the point that it has. McCann goes far beyond mere forensic journalism, however, creating an impressive pastiche of vignettes involving personal memories, historical narratives, cultural references from literature and music, scientific and medical analysis, military history, and even ornithology (yes, birds serve as an important metaphor throughout the story).

It is worth noting that <i>Apeirogon</i> is a book with a very unique and inventive structure. The text is organized into 1,001 short chapters that vary in length from a few pages to a single sentence. This ordering is meant to pay homage to <i>One Thousand and One Nights</i>, the classic collection of Middle Eastern folk tales from which McCann draws much inspiration. The chapters are then grouped into sections of fifty and listed from 1-500 and then back from 500 to 1 at the end, with the middle chapter being numbered 1,001. This device permits something of a symmetry in the storytelling, which begins and concludes with the heartbreaking tales of the deaths of Smadar and Abir as well as their families’ efforts to create something positive from those senseless tragedies. To his credit, the author resists suggesting an easy answer to the violence and oppression, although he does underscore that the Israeli occupation of the West Bank is significant factor in the continuing tension.

So, what should the reader take away from having consumed this lengthy volume? Above all else, it offers the opportunity to learn so much more about one of the defining global conflicts of the past century, as seen through the sad experiences of two men from different walks who become unlikely comrades. Beyond that, the breadth of knowledge that McCann incorporates into the story makes it a singularly remarkable work of scholarship. On the other hand, it is difficult for me to think of the considerable contents of this book as anything but a non-fictional record of people who actually exist and events that actually occurred. Further, in candor, some of the narrative regarding the fathers’ on-going attempts to “tell their story” were quite repetitive and made the entire project longer than it needed to be. Still, this is a moving and well-written account that adds an important voice to the chorus chronicling the seemingly endless Israeli-Palestinian dispute.

Set in Jerusalem and surrounding area, each of two fathers, a Palestinian and an Israeli, has lost a daughter to radical violence. United in loss, they become friends and join Combatants for Peace, “a bi-national, volunteer based, movement working throughout Palestine and Israel to promote peace.” Their friendship is grounded in fact. This book provides insight into how their daily lives are impacted by the conflict. The primary theme is how we are similar in our response to grief, despite whatever differences we have in life. McCann’s message is geared at instilling a spirit of peace and understanding in the world.

“In geometry, an apeirogon (from the Greek apeiros, ‘infinite, boundless’ and gonia, ‘angle’) is a generalized polygon with a countably infinite number of sides. It can be considered as the limit of an n -sided polygon as n approaches infinity.” Thus, as more sides are included, it approaches the form of a circle. McCann has structured his book in such a manner. He takes pieces and parts of history, nature, war, art, and geography, and each becomes a “chapter.” Many of these subjects are further elaborated in subsequent chapters. Some include only a single sentence, while others are many paragraphs in length. The chapters count up to 500, then back down to 1. It is an inventive and unusual way to tell a story, or in this case, series of stories showing the interconnectivity of seemingly disparate entities.

The storyline is intentionally fragmented, with snippets of information scattered here and there. It is up to the individual to piece it all together in the mind’s eye. This aspect will appeal to some readers more than others. I found it extremely creative and applaud the author for attempting to bring more harmony into a discordant world. I will be interested to see how it is received by those that live in the areas described. This ambitious book will appeal to readers of experimental fiction. I expect it will win literary awards.

Colum McCann's "Apeirogon" is ambitious, experimental and heart warming in spite of the urgent subject matter, Palestine vs Israel. Israeli Rami and Palestinian Bassam suffer a loss of each own daughter, one by a Palestinian suicide bomber and the other by a rubber bullet shot by an Israeli. The novel follows their grief and shared effort to bring peace to the region in a very unique form.

The novel has 1001 short chapters as if reflecting "Arabian Nights". The literary delights in this otherwise tragic story can be found in McCann's use of references. Not only "Arabian Nights" is mentioned in many cases, but also the original translator or collector of the stories Sir Richard Francis Burton shows up as a character in this novel. The same goes to Jorge Luis Borges, whose influence on this novel is obvious. Borges also becomes a character in this novel when the historical episodes of his visit to Israel are described. As if to provide a self reference to his own book, "Let the Great World Spin," French high-wire artist Philippe Petit appears in this novel, crossing the Hinnom Valley with a white dove (actually a pigeon).

The experimental music of John Cage and Palestinian doctoral student, Dalia el-Fahum amplifies the importance of art and invention used in the writing of this book. It can be read as a vindication of this "circular" or "apeirogon" writing.

The main story line is quite circular as if to prove "If you divide death by life you will find a circle," revisiting the same scenes with added details and sentiments, though the novel itself starts with Rami and ends with Bassam in a single day.

Though there are numerous historical facts and scienfic information on migrant birds, water and weapons woven into this patchwork novel, the political statement and call of peace are foremost and urgent. McCann describes the emotion depth of grief and still tries to hold on to hope.

This novel is a great tribute to art as a storytelling and a great achievement in storytelling itself.

(Thank you, NetGalley, for providing this generous offer to read this book in advance!)

I could hardly wait to dig into “Apeirogon”. I have been a Colum McCann admirer since “Zoli”. I think that he is a genius.

With that said, “Apeirogon” totally exceeded my expectations. I am not going to adequately be able to put into words what this work did to me, but I will try.

Reviewers often choose to focus on describing plot through references to genre. I am not able to do this. “Apeirogon” has elements of every literary genre wrapped into one. There is so much authentic history, natural history, true crime, family drama, mystery, romance – all wrapped up in one, coming at you simultaneously. McCann’s sense of detail is exquisite. The balance in the sentences is superb. There is a cadence that dominates most of the book where you are encouraged to read quickly, but should instead re-read slowly.

I must share an experience that I have never had before. I was reading along for a good while before I discovered that I had inadvertently jumped way ahead on my e-reader. I thought it odd because it didn’t feel that the 50 or so pages that I had just read were as out of place as they “should have” been. I continued to ponder this as I went back to where I had left off, as well when I later returned to where I had jumped. I decided that I may have discovered at least one reason for the title – Apeirogon: a countably infinite number of sides. I began to feel that I could have started anywhere and eventually found a path to the truth of this remarkable work of literature.
Now I can hardly wait to hear what others have to say.

Finally, a semi-spoiler alert for fans of “Let the Great World Spin” – Phillippe Petit makes a cameo and it is wonderful.

Thank you, Random House and NetGally for the eArc.

Everything about this book is extraordinary. I was not surprised since Colum McCann is one of my favorite writers. I’ve read all of his published books. This book though, is different from anything I’ve read by him. McCann’s words best describe it : “This is a hybrid novel with invention at its core, a work of storytelling which, like all storytelling, weaves together elements of speculation, memory, fact, and imagination....” The heart of the book is the real story of Rami Elhanan, an Israeli whose thirteen year old daughter Smadar was killed by suicide bombers and Bassam Aramin, a Palestinian, father of ten year old Abir who was shot after leaving a candy store. Their friendship is forged on shared sorrow and on empathy, meeting through organizations for grieving families, both Israeli and Palestinian, working together sharing their stories with each other and the world.

This book is breathtaking, literally in the detailed descriptions of what happened to these two young girls, breathtaking in how it conveys the depth of grief of their families and equally in the illustration of empathy and in the unique structure. It’s not a straight forward narrative. It’s an all encompassing blend of stories about historical figures, quotes from literature, biblical references, art and science and even a few photographs, none of which are more affecting than those of Abir and Smadar. The linkages are both fascinating and jolting. And the birds, so many images - real, sculptured , none more affecting than the dove. Everything is connected. Everything has meaning. Everything is related to the deaths of ten year old Abir and thirteen year old Smadar, to the deaths of those who were killed with them, to the deaths of those who were killed before them and those who we’re killed after them, to those who happened to be Israeli, and those who happened to be Palestinian and to the Holocaust victims, to all these human beings. It’s epic in scope. I read it slowly because I didn’t want to miss a single word or a connection between people past and present, between events past and present, between things past and present and the heart of this story. The emotional impact is quite stunning.

The book moves around in time, from their pasts to their presents to the moments that their daughters were killed. This book is as cerebral as it is emotional and the combined effect leaves me in awe of Colum McCann. The prose is unparalleled. It’s the kind of book that left me changed. I highly recommended it to fans of the author and to anyone who is looking for an absolutely unique reading experience. My favorite of the year and definitely one of my all time favorites. Of course, I had to find out more about Bassam and Rami and I read numerous articles, interviews, etc and it was obvious that McCann more than does justice to their stories. It’s worth taking the time to read and listen to some of these in their own words . What hope, what empathy is possible even after the impossibly horrific thing that happened to their daughters.

I received an advanced copy of this book from Random House through NetGalley.