Apeirogon is at its heart a very intelligently crafted novel, which is also so very well written. Reading the book, I found myself alternating between feelings of despair in the sections which deal with the tragic senseless deaths of the two daughters: Abir and Smadar and those of admiration for the elegance of McCann's writing and the seemingly random but yet so interesting facts he weaves into his narrative.
On the surface, McCann's novel seems an attempt to present the complexities of the Israel-Palestine issue, while suggesting dialogue as the way out.
However, when chancing upon Susan Abulhawa's critique of the novel (click here to see Abulhawa's review), I realised that perhaps there is more to the book than meets the eye. Is this indeed a book propelled by pro-Israeli forces? Are the references to Steven Spielberg in the latter half of the book a result of a film deal between the writer and publisher? What to make of McCann's judicious selection of facts? Needless to say questions like this brought to mind the age old question of who gets to tell the stories? Is it not possible for an outsider to present an authentic narrative? And what about freedom of expression?
So then, how does one approach a book like Apeirogon, which is so very well written and yet problematic. I guess, as a responsible reader one needs to be mindful of the writer's perspective so as to have a nuanced reading and yet let oneself be free to be transported by the words.
Recommended for when you want a well crafted novel.
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