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Beirut Hellfire Society by Rawi Hage

Beirut Hellfire Society

by Rawi Hage

  • Critics' Consensus (4):
  • Readers' Rating (26):
  • Published:
  • Jul 2019, 288 pages
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There are currently 26 reader reviews for Beirut Hellfire Society
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Sue D. (Hudsonville, MI)

Chaos Reigns
This is my first Rawi Hage, but not my last. The absurdity and chaos of trying to live in a city in the midst of war is brilliantly conveyed through a writing style that is frenetic, poetic, often energetic, and insane. Pavlov is a relatable, somewhat unreliable, sometimes lovable, main character. I highly recommend this disturbing, important novel.
Ann W. (New York, NY)

Wisdom...you know nothing
Beirut Hellfire Society is a profound, beautiful and discomforting. Pavlov, the undertaker's son learned well. Pavlov's harrowing tale haunts, compels the reader. Conditioned by culture, religion, folktales, we travel with him and those he meets in war-torn Beirut and environs.

He breaks bread with the living and dead. His crematorium burns the bodies of all, infidels, non-believers, family, foe, dreamers, the deceived. Each is treated with respect. His father's legacy, his observations of those around him during the years Lebanese Civil War educated him. Pavlov, his faithful dogs haunt the war-torn, ravishedmore
Eileen C. (New York, NY)

The absurdity of life during a senseless war
A riotous, profane, sensual, philosophical examination of the absurdity of life during a senseless war. This examination of violence and how people respond to death—by either turning towards life or trying to protect themselves against it—contains a great deal of pathos and dark humor. The main character, Pavlov, is driven by a sense of obligation to care for those who in the face of great disapproval and danger continue to live their lives as they choose. It is a marvelous ride, and Hage's writing hits hard, but it isn't for anyone who is easily offended or upset by casual violence and sex.
Power Reviewer
Rebecca R. (Western USA)

Cormac McCarthy Meets Orhan Pamuk in Modern Civil War
This gritty novel forces the reader to ponder the futility of mankind's never-ending history of wars.The absence of quotation marks propels the reader into the midst of war-torn lives in which morals, modesty, and motives are in a constant state of flux and are often absent. How sensible are wars when undertakers for different sides can exchange bodies but leaders can not exchange sensible plans to bring peace? The book can be shocking at times and confusing in a few places (is a scene a dream, a delusion, or real), but ultimately this book is a sad reflection on war narrated in the first-person by a mortician'smore
Naomi Benaron (author of Running the Rift)

A Dance of Life, Death, and War
In Beirut Hellfire Society, Rawi Hage creates a dance that is savage, devastating, tender, mournful, and darkly, wickedly humorous. The novel is loosely a modern-day version of Antigone, set during one year of the Lebanese civil war. Rather than a sister intent on burying her brother, the protagonist, Pavlov, lover of Greek mythology and culture, is the son of an undertaker following in his father's footsteps in his pledge to lay to rest those who have been denied a traditional burial. The story interweaves vignettes of an outrageous cast of characters, complete with talking dogs and ghosts, vicious gangsters,more
Shirley T. (Comfort, TX)

Beirut Hellfire Society
Set in a war torn Beirut, a multi-cultural, multi-religious city, the story of Pavlov is both tragic and brave. The Hellfire Society, into which Pavlov is initiated by his father exists to deal with the final wishes of both the unconventional and irreligious after death.

Although this book is not for the faint hearted, the many characters that Pavlov encounters are exquisitely developed, they are obscene, violent and pathetic in this civil war of the 1970s. The tender dog theme throughout serves to lighten the human tragedy.

It is an unusual and ironic tale by a master of language. and is well written
Recommendedmore
Rosemary C. (Golden, CO)

Dramatically Displays the Horror of War
This is a hard book to describe, but I found it profound, touching, visceral, honest and full of dark humor. Hage writes beautifully, lyrically, angrily and starkly about living in a city consumed by war and death. The main character, a young man who is the son of an undertaker, and all the strange and haunting people with whom he interacts, all paint a vivid picture. I think this book would be a good one for a book group. There are many metaphors, references to classical literature, and some mysticism that could be explored. Hage has written a fine book that kept me engrossed.
Borderlass (Belmont, MA)

Wildly Good, Crazy Accurate, and Perhaps a Dance....?
Rawi Hage, our author, through uncensored images of war and use of spare language simultaneously elegant and profane, provides us with one of the best novels about war anyone possibly could imagine... Using magical realism, he exactly captures the randomness of life and loss and the dark humor one finds in such circumstances... The symmetry and rhythm of his prose engage his readers in a dance from beginning to end - inviting you to join his characters who dance when words and religion by themselves fall short .. Not for the violence-averse, repressed or prissy set, this book would appeal to serious readersmore

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