Only in London Review

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Only in London ReviewAs a woman writer from the Arab world who openly explores such taboo subjects as women's sexuality and gay/lesbian relationships, Hanan al-Shaykh has become something of a darling among the cultural left. Intrigued by an interview with al-Shaykh that aired last spring on CBC Radio (Canada) as part of a series about writers from the Islamic world -- and seduced by the delightful cover art (a personal weakness) -- I put my money down eagerly as soon as the paperback edition of "Only in London" became available.
This novel promises to show us the "other" London as it is seen through the eyes of its Arab immigrants. What the four main characters see and experience there, however, could take place not "only in London" but in any other large European or North American city with a large immigrant population. London is nowhere to be found in this novel and perhaps its Arab characters -- and al-Shaykh herself? -- are such outsiders that this becomes the point. Lamis, the Iraqi divorcee sees the city from the inside of her own flat and that of her lover's and makes only minor excursions outside to obvious London landmarks and institutions. Amira, the Moroccan prostitute, familiarizes herself only with the haunts of her wealthy Arab clients. Samir, the frustrated homosexual, never ventures far beyond the Middle Eastern shops and restaurants at the heart of London's Arab community.
Nicholas, the one English character in the novel, is a true enigma. A specialist in Islamic art who works for Sothebys, he appears to be interested in Lamis as just one more acquisition from the Oriental world that intrigues him. But on the flip side of the same coin, Nicholas himself fears that his lover is only interested in him for what he represents: the "typical Englishman". Unfortunately, al-Shaykh does not explore the intriguing possibilities of this mutual misunderstanding. Rather, she ends the novel rather abruptly with its identification.
While I found this novel generally disappointing, I found it to be particularly so in its perpetuation of stereotypes, both Arab and English. The Arab characters are obsessed with either money or sex (or both) and the English (represented by Nicholas) are placed on a pedestal where they remain distinctly "other".
To give Al-Shaykh her due, there are a few lovely moments in the novel, as when Lamis's father sends a tape recording of his childhood memories of the Marshes in the south of Iraq and of being a musician in the holy city of Najaf where music was forbidden. The most successful moment in the novel occurs when Amira, bereft of her best friend who has died of cancer, visits a mosque -- but not, as one might expect amid so many stereotypes, to repent.
If you're undecided, I would recommend spending your time and money elsewhere.Only in London Overview

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