It listens, it absorbs, then one day, it explodes, relieving you of your suffering.In Afghan writer Atiq Rahimi’s clever novel “The Patience Stone,” the main character finds such a repository in her brain-dead husband. While caring for him alone in the middle of a war zone, the unnamed woman grows increasingly frustrated. She berates him for being injured and leaving her to fend for herself and their daughters. That breaking point unleashes a series of monologues that turn cathartic, as the woman shares some traumatic events from her childhood, secrets from their marriage and her thoughts on life in general.
“How strange this all is! I’ve never felt as close to you as I do right now,” she tells him. “We’ve been married ten years. Ten years! And it’s only these last three weeks that I’m finally sharing something with you.”
Through this story, readers get a glimpse of daily life in a country terrorized by conflict and religious fundamentalism. Rahimi paints this picture with nuance and subtlety. The victims are not helpless and free from sin; rather, at times they use their cunning to overcome oppression, and occasionally take on the role of an oppressor themselves.
“The Patience Stone” is the English translation of the original French text, which won France’s top literary award, Le Prix Goncourt, in 2008. Rahimi’s sparse prose complements his simple yet powerful storytelling prowess. This unique story is both enthralling and disturbing.
“The Patience Stone,” by Atiq Rahimi, published by Other Press, $16.95 in harcover, ISBN: 978-1590513446 Rasha Madkour AP
