Moving the Palace by Charif Majdalani, translated by Edward Gauvin

Review by Will Dossett

The Short: A gorgeously composed and translated modern odyssey of a young Lebanese soldier, his unique treasure – an entire palace, dismantled piece by piece and laden on camelback – and his journey home. 

The Long: Samuel Ayyad joins the British army on the eve of World War I and finds himself serving in colonial wars and ethnic jihads in Sudan. He encounters a fellow countryman attempting to sell an entire palace, some assembly required, and is determined to bring it home to Beirut. In the meantime, however, war has erupted, and its vagaries take Ayyad and his eccentric cargo from Lake Chad to the Nile, to T.E. Lawrence’s camp in Arabia and into Syria in uproar. 

To Read or Not to Read: Read! Originally written in French (as Caravanserail), even in translation Majdalani’s beautiful prose dances off the page. The Ulyssean storyline vividly showcases the diverse settings and cultures of the Middle East in the early 20th century, with a few nuggets of historical detail. A perfect book for a casual reader looking for an alternative take on the region and its past.