Wees onzichtbaar - BookWyrm

Verglas reviewed Wees onzichtbaar by Murat Isik

Coming of age in the Bijlmermeer

4 stars

This is a coming of age story about a Zaza (Eastern Anatolian culture) child in the Netherlands tackling the intricacies of having an immigrant background and an abusive father in a poverty stricken neighbourhood during the late 80s early 90s heroin crisis. And yes, it's as dire as it sounds but simultaneously, it is just so nice to read a book about this neighbourhood where I also lived at that time (though in much better circumstances than the main character) which highlights the good with the bad -and- lays the blame where it's supposed to be, with the government who let the area down from its inception, rather than placing it (like all the media did at the time) with the residents. Much love for this book for that reason.

Andrew (andrewspink@mastadon.green) reviewed Wees onzichtbaar by Murat Isik

Review of 'Wees onzichtbaar' on 'Goodreads'

4 stars

In the beginning, I was a bit daunted by the 600 pages before me, but they flew by in just over a week. Murat Isik is a great storyteller and definitely has the knack of keeping you wanting to know what is coming next. The length of the book is also necessary, because it enables him to let the characters grow and develop.
Despite not having lived in the Bijlmer, there were a lot of recognisable points in the book for me. The flats were very reminiscent of the flats I lived next to in Manchester in that period - also demolished in the end, only in that case after a campaign from the residents to have them knocked down. I also clearly remember that evening in October 1992 when a plane flew really low over my head, obviously in trouble, before crashing in Amsterdam. The book also made me …

In the beginning, I was a bit daunted by the 600 pages before me, but they flew by in just over a week. Murat Isik is a great storyteller and definitely has the knack of keeping you wanting to know what is coming next. The length of the book is also necessary, because it enables him to let the characters grow and develop.
Despite not having lived in the Bijlmer, there were a lot of recognisable points in the book for me. The flats were very reminiscent of the flats I lived next to in Manchester in that period - also demolished in the end, only in that case after a campaign from the residents to have them knocked down. I also clearly remember that evening in October 1992 when a plane flew really low over my head, obviously in trouble, before crashing in Amsterdam. The book also made me think about how being an immigrant from an EU country (which I am) is very different from being an immigrant from a country like Turkey.
I read the book because it was available in the Brommer op Zee app. The author's commentary was a great added benefit. It was very interesting to see what thoughts were behind the way he structured the book.