The Silence and the Roar by Nihad Sirees

The Silence and the Roar

Nihad Sirees

The action of this short novel takes place during 24 hours in an unnamed Muslim country (Syria) with a totalitarian government. Amid the heat, the noise and the violence a writer, now out of favour with the regime, has to make a momentous decision. Interesting, enlightening, atmospheric - and there are some touches of humour in life under the beloved 'Leader'.

Extract
The roar produced by the chants and the megaphones eliminates thought. Thought is retribution, a crime, treason against the leader. And insofar as calm and tranquillity can incite a person to think, it is essential to drag out the masses to these roaring marches every once in a while in order to brainwash them and keep them from committing the crime of thought.
Parallels
  • Lost Bodies by Francois Gantheret
  • The Archivist's Story by Travis Holland