“I would be reading at my desk, something she deemed part and parcel of my job, and considerate as she was, she kept me company but left me undisturbed. We were two solitudes benefiting from a grace that was continuously reinvigorated in each other’s presence, two solitudes who nourished each other.”
“I identify with outsiders, with the alienated or dispossessed. (…) I like men and women who don’t fit well in the dominant culture, or, as Alvaro de Campos calls them, strangers in this place as in every other, accidental in life as in the soul.”
An Unnecessary Woman by Rabih Alameddine tells the story of Aaliya, a 72-year-old woman living in Beirut. She is a recluse who lives her life through literature. The novel portrays an older woman reflecting on her life, questioning whether it was meaningful and whether she was, in some way, “necessary.”
This tale is a confession of an introvert—a love letter to literature. It is full of reflections on loneliness, disconnection, and society’s treatment of outsiders. In an interview, Alameddine mentioned the influence of Bruno Schulz, the great Polish-Jewish writer, whose work inspired him to ponder what defines a “necessary” or “unnecessary” life and what makes someone’s life valued.
We follow Aaliya across the present and the past, exploring her family history and her failed marriage. The complex, rich history of Lebanon forms the backdrop of the story, shaping both Aaliya and the world she inhabits.
An Unnecessary Woman is full of nuanced musings and inner monologues from a woman who has chosen to defy social norms and live according to her true self. Reflections on literature, art, music, and philosophy will warm the heart of any bibliophile. The book is filled with references to giants of European and Latin American literature, including Fernando Pessoa, E.M. Cioran, Stendhal, W.G. Sebald, Spinoza, Marcel Proust, Franz Kafka, Albert Camus, Tadeusz Borowski, Lorca, Bukowski, Hemingway, Sławomir Mrożek, Rilke, Sartre, Imre Kertész, Primo Levi, Flaubert, Dostoyevsky, and my personal favourite, Bruno Schulz. There are also multiple references to classical music, especially the great Polish composer Frédéric Chopin.
This book resonates deeply as it reflects on the power of the written word and its ability to connect us with the rest of humanity. The stories allow us to humanise—or re-humanise—“the other,” helping us feel what “the other” experiences.
“When I read a book, I try my best, not always successfully, to let the wall crumble just a bit, the barricade that separates me from the book. I try to be involved. I am Raskolnikov. I am K. I am Humbert and Lolita. I am you. If you believe you’re not like me (…), then you’re unable to empathize.”
(Alameddine, 2015, An Unnecessary Woman)
The novel also addresses the position of a woman who does not fit into the stereotype prescribed by her family or society. I particularly love that the protagonist is elderly, as there are few novels or stories focusing on older women. Aaliya’s story demonstrates that women’s lives can be rich and nuanced regardless of their ethnicity or background.
Beirut is not just the setting; it is an essential part of Aaliya’s identity and almost a character in its own right. The novel depicts the city’s impact on individual life choices.
“Beirut is the Elizabeth Taylor of cities: insane, beautiful, tacky, falling apart, aging, and forever drama-laden. She’ll also marry any infatuated suitor who promises to make her life comfortable, no matter how inappropriate he is.”
(Alameddine, 2015, An Unnecessary Woman)
The portrayal of solitude and its importance in every introvert’s life is beautifully shown throughout the story.
If you love books and literature, are interested in women’s lives, or want to see the world from an outsider’s perspective, I highly recommend An Unnecessary Woman by Rabih Alameddine.
This novel is a love letter to literature and to the importance of living a life true to oneself. Although set in Beirut, Lebanon, the emotions reflected on the pages are universal. Reading about a life defined by a relationship with literature is a deeply moving experience.
“I prefer slow conversations where words are counted like pearls, conversations with many pauses, pauses replacing words.”
(Alameddine, 2015, An Unnecessary Woman)
Alameddine R (2015) An Unnecessary Woman