Every Man In This
Village Is A Liar is a gritty look at war reporting and the story of
how one woman was forever changed by the things she had seen. Megan K. Stack
has been reporting on the American occupation of the Middle East almost since
it started in 2001, and has been in situations you couldn't imagine.
Now, a story about reporting a war isn't my cup of tea and I
probably wouldn't have started reading if I hadn't signed up for it before knowing
what it was about, but all I had to do was start reading before I was locked in
for the ride. When TV reporters are doing live coverage of a war zone you can
tell that they are risking their lives, but it never gets through in newspaper
reporting. Just because we can’t hear the bullets flying, or the bombs dropping
we assume that they were safe and heard the story second hand. Stack’s stories
show that it isn't anything like that. You are living in a war zone and any
move you make could put your name on a hit list.
Even that doesn't really put it in perspective, but Stack
does. Her stories are personal, everyone is called by name when possible, and
she makes the people really seem alive. And it hurts when… well I’ll let you
read it yourself. Suffice to say this will not pull any punches.
But this story isn't just about the war; it’s about how the
war affected one specific person, Megan K. Stack. Every journalist has that
dream of ‘the big story’ the one that will get their name out there. The one that
will get them known. That’s what Stack was hoping for when she first went to
the Middle East. She was sure her journalistic ability to detach from the story
would be enough to get her through the occupation, because it couldn't be for
too long, right? And even if she couldn't detach, she could just leave and take
more mundane stories. It can never be that way with war. Get too close and it
gets on you, and you can’t just wash it out. Stack tried to leave once, to go
home and back to a normal life. But there was something that pulled her back
in. she could leave the location, but what she had seen would never leave her.
The book may be bleak (how else can you describe war?), but
that doesn't mean it isn't an enjoyable read. I learned a lot about how the
Middle East was in constant turmoil, no matter what the TV said. Just because
the war wasn't in the news didn't mean it had stopped raging. I would suggest
this book to anyone who likes war stories, or really anything with a bleak
outlook on the world as a whole. I think the best way I can sum up this book is
a quote from the book itself, “that was the first thing I learned about war:
that it was dark and dangerous, that you could survive and not survive, both at
the same time.”
Every Man In This Village Is A Liar sounds like a book I would definitely enjoy. Learning more about what it is like to be in the Middle East during war is horrifying, yet interesting. What has gone on/ is going on there is so complex and I'd love to understand it more. Reading about war puts such a perspective on my life, because the things that I think are so difficult pale in comparison to living with a war going on right around you. Also, having a broader understanding about this subject makes me a more compassionate and aware person. I have read a few books about problems facing the Middle East, and have always enjoyed them. Getting Megan's perspective as a journalist sounds like it would make a good book. I am looking forward to reading this.
ReplyDeleteStories about journalist really get to me, especially being a journalism major. I've had this thing lately for watching these documentaries on HBO about photojournalist who cover war torn countries, and like you said, there's something about these places that make you go back over and over again. All the documentaries I have seen of these photojournalist they have been to these places at least 3 times covering the same, which like you mentioned as well you would not realize how much anger and rage arises in different countries until they tell you how many times they've been. It doesn't hit you until you see the heart wrenching pictures they capture that you sense it. You review reminded me that words too can capture an image. Someone's feelings and emotions can do just the same amount of justice as a picture. I'll pick this book up!
ReplyDeleteYour review makes me want to read the book. And I usually steer away from war stories/ movies; so I commend you, sir. Usually I don't see too many books that are more about the journalist than simply the war. I like that you tell enough about the book but still leave something for the imagination,and that you frankly say that the book is bleak (say 'book is bleak' 5 times fast). It actually made me want to read it more. Oh yes! And I like that you end with the quote. Good move.
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