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My Cat Yugoslavia: A Novel
ONE OF THE BOSTON GLOBE'S BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR
A love story about what it means to be an outsider from the most imaginative new voice in international fiction.
In 1980s Yugoslavia, a young Muslim girl is married off to a man she hardly knows, but what was meant to be a happy match goes quickly wrong. Soon thereafter her country is torn apart by war and she and her family flee. Years later, her son, Bekim, grows up a social outcast in present-day Finland, not just an immigrant in a country suspicious of foreigners, but a gay man in an unaccepting society. Aside from casual hookups, his only friend is a boa constrictor whom, improbably--he is terrified of snakes--he lets roam his apartment. Then, during a visit to a gay bar, Bekim meets a talking cat who moves in with him and his snake. It is this witty, charming, manipulative creature who starts Bekim on a journey back to Kosovo to confront his demons and make sense of the magical, cruel, incredible history of his family. And it is this that, in turn, enables him finally, to open himself to true love--which he will find in the most unexpected place.
A love story about what it means to be an outsider from the most imaginative new voice in international fiction.
In 1980s Yugoslavia, a young Muslim girl is married off to a man she hardly knows, but what was meant to be a happy match goes quickly wrong. Soon thereafter her country is torn apart by war and she and her family flee. Years later, her son, Bekim, grows up a social outcast in present-day Finland, not just an immigrant in a country suspicious of foreigners, but a gay man in an unaccepting society. Aside from casual hookups, his only friend is a boa constrictor whom, improbably--he is terrified of snakes--he lets roam his apartment. Then, during a visit to a gay bar, Bekim meets a talking cat who moves in with him and his snake. It is this witty, charming, manipulative creature who starts Bekim on a journey back to Kosovo to confront his demons and make sense of the magical, cruel, incredible history of his family. And it is this that, in turn, enables him finally, to open himself to true love--which he will find in the most unexpected place.
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Community Reviews
The book became much more coherent and smooth after the initial awkwardness. Upon closer inspection, the book also employs a lot of symbolism, not to mention it strongly exudes allegory. Although, I must say, his portrayal of the homophobic cat-man (?) hanging around in gay bars seems highly suspicious. Also, the mother's story and the son's story don't really complement each other thematically. I was also unconvinced why the protagonist would think about his father so much after his death, given their disconnected relationship for ages, and his father not being involved with him and his siblings for a long time.
3.5/5
3.5/5
This was confusing and honestly a bit off-putting at the start [- a little more open door than I prefer], but I persevered. And I'm glad I did. The story begins with Bekim, but a second timeline starts soon that tells of his mother Emine's marriage and life. The characters are Kosovan, and escape to Finland just before war breaks out at home. They make a home in Finland, but it never really feels like home. This creates a variety of effects in the characters and through it all, there is the imagery of cats, regular ones and talking ones; as well as snakes, pets and predators. These animal images likely represent facets of the complicated cultures experienced by this family.
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