Beirut 2020 Diary of the Collapse by Charif Majdalani

Review by: Alex Doyle

The short

Beirut 2020 details Lebanon as it was at the beginning of the summer of 2020 through the eyes of novelist Charif Majdalani. The book starts by describing the ongoing economic crisis and the effect the pandemic had on an already disheartened society and then becomes a record of the impact the Beirut port explosion had that August.

The long

Majdalani had no idea what tragedy would befall his country when he began his diary in the early months of summer of 2020. He describes the world as he sees it, using examples of his day-to-day to show the balance between the familiar and unpredictable in Beirut. With daily entries, Majdalani offers a uniquely human perspective to the headlines we see in the news. He touches on the electricity and garbage crises framed by skyrocketing inflation rates, denouncing the corrupt actions of the government while pointing out that the systemic issues Lebanon faces have yet to be solved anywhere

To read or not to read?

If you’re at all interested in Lebanon’s current situation I would highly recommend Majdalani’s account. He expertly ties in the history of each crisis while highlighting the humanity in the everyday Lebanese resident.