The Name of Red
(Red #1)
Author: Beena Khan
Published: May 15th 2020
Number of pages: 328
Format: ebook
Purchase: Amazon, B&N, Smashwords
Synopsis:
Two strangers on the same path.
Survivors. Companions.
They will be each other’s salvation.
On a rainy, winter night, a mysterious woman in a red dress seeking shelter comes inside the restaurant Kabir was busy working in —primarily the bar— and night after night, drink after drink, she comes back to the same spot. That is where he sees her for the first time.
Hundreds of patrons around her try to speak with her daily, but she dismisses them. It appears she wants to remain in a blissful peace alone with her booze and books. After seeing the mysterious woman reading a book, and because of his shy nature, Kabir gains entrance into her life by anonymously leaving books with notes for her.
The Name of Red is the story of two strangers, two different personalities who meet on a winter, rainy night who challenge each other. They have a connection which blossoms into a friendship due to their fondness of books. But they both have secrets that can bind them together or threaten their newfound relationship forever.
My Review
"How can you learn to heal if the past is a place you want to stay in?"
As soon as I saw the possibility to apply for this tour I was super excited, since I had a bookstagram friend who really enjoyed this reading. Honestly, I have to say that this book was not at all what I expected but not entirely in a negative way.
I read a lot of reviews all saying the same thing: that the beginning was really fascinating. I'll go with the crowd and tell you the same thing: the beginning is perfect. We have a mysterious, fashionable lady, who casually enters a bar on a winter night with a book in her hand. Nobody seems to catch the girl's attention, so Kabir decides to anonymously seduce her with a new book every evening. The strong reference to the literary world was interesting, more so when I saw mentioned titles I could relate to. The friendship ( or courtship) that begins with a book exchange is a daydream, everything an avid reader could hope for.
But after a few chapters about the growth of this relationship, I started to get annoyed by the repetitiveness of the situation. The Name of Red is really a particular book, because I honestly never read something so static and centered on the two protagonists only. There was never a change in the background, the whole story is basically set in Kabhir's restaurant and the main focus of the book is on the discovery of Red ( or Elif) 's past, without a proper narration of events occurring. Let's be clear, there will be some twists and other characters' appearings, but it is clear that they are just passersby in what is just Khabir and Elif's story.
Speaking of the development of their bond, it was at times exhausting and frustrating to follow Khabir constant chase of the girl and her swinging mood. Elif is not as complex and mysterious as she appears at the beginning: she is presented as this "femme fatale" but in the end I coudn't stand some of her behaviour, especially the way she exploited her beauty and her effect on the weakest or her incertitude. Khabir, too, should have showed more atittude since he appears as a love-sick puppy for great part of the story: there were some things he said, real romantic clichès, that often made my skin itch!
All things considered, though, I really liked the ending. The closure the author provides for this story kind of justifies all the ups and downs of the protagonists' story by highlighting the pure affection that was born from their friendship. With this final, renewed, interpretation, it was easier for me to reconsider Khabir and Elif's bond, but especially Elif's character. I just wished that she had that same clarity earlier in the book so I could have grown more fond of her.
Rated 3.0
Beena Khan lives in a suburb in Queens, New York in her apartment. She's's a Literary Fiction Novelist and Poetess. She is 27 years old and from Azad Kashmir, Pakistan. She's an immigrant who moved to New York when she was five years old. She currently holds a Masters Degree in Developmental Psychology from Cuny School of Professional Sciences. She enjoys reading, writing, and netflixing.
The Name of Red is her debut novel.
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The Name of Red is her debut novel.
Sign up for her newsletter below where you can subscribe for book news, writing tips, and exclusive content such as, upcoming releases, cover reveals, ARCS, giveaways, and book trailers!
The Giveaway!
Thanks for being on the tour! :)
RispondiEliminaI do like this cover.
RispondiElimina