The last book with my name on the cover was published in 1995. It covered professional topics that I was passionate about and allowed me to write parts of the book with a palpable sense of movement. I remember feeling delighted and honoured to be able to share my thoughts and ideas with my fellow professionals. Perhaps because I had a very busy life, the publication of the book was an event that fitted seamlessly into my daily life. I attended seminars, lectures and workshops focusing on the content of the book and it all felt so natural with little or no emotion other than relief and pride that the book was out there.
When my latest book ‘Tears in Paradise and a Smile in Hell’ was published it felt very different, to say the least, I was overwhelmed. I’m sure the power of the internet had a lot to do with it. I had a huge number of responses from friends, family and my professional network. Those who have been there will agree that when almost two hundred thousand words of your thoughts and feelings become public, doubts begin to set in. Have I made a lot of mistakes? Have I said the right things? And what will people who know me think of all this? This went on for almost three weeks, and as it all started to feel more ordinary and real, the reviews from those who had read the book started to come in. I read each of these reactions, however brief, with anticipation and curiosity. And, of course, you hear that people have spotted typos or potential typos, which I’m sure is every writer’s fear. The past week has been full of such reactions, most of them encouraging, some more than others. What I have found remarkable so far is that people have taken the time to read what I have written, and even more remarkable is how they have understood what I was trying to say. I promise to share the scathing reviews when I receive them, but so far I have had the honour of receiving complimentary feedback, mainly because of the intense emotions that were natural elements of what I was writing about. Here is one of the most comprehensive reviews I have received. The author is an experienced writer himself, with a rich literary background. What I found most impressive was how quickly he had read the book and how he had connected all the major themes in it.
I have just finished reading Hadi Jassim’s remarkable book Tears in Paradise and Smile in Hell (London: Olympia press, 2024). It left a great impression on me to reflect on the trauma and calamity he has experienced. The publisher’s blurb describes the book as a novel but it is more than that as it combines personal narrative of events and persons with his own poetry and reflections on life as a series of circles the ends of which he tries to close to come to terms with problems that he encounters especially emotional relationships. More than that, though prosaic for me as on outsider, he indirectly introduces his readers to the world of IT and running marathons. If a dare to say the book is a long (over 400 pages) poetic venture intimately connected to his life as a kid (who scores ten on all subjects), as a scholarship student in England, a husband (married to an English lady), and a sweet tender lover.
Hadi adopts the cinematic technique of moving chronologically but then going back, as a flashback, to revisit his trauma in his country (the name Iraq is not mentioned), his encounter with his partner and soulmate and her final farewell to life and surrender to an invasive cancer that almost breaks him. We can feel his soul trembling when mentioning her (without naming here). He writes profusely about her and her role on his life and learning from her and recalling her to deal with his own affliction with cancer.
Hadi, the hero of the book, like the other characters, is spiritually strong; he does not show signs of being spiritually destroyed or psychologically exhausted by the loss of his soulmate or his affliction with cancer. He is not a worn out person. He tackles the challenges of loss and illness and completes his tenth marathon. There is an inborn resistance in him not to surrender to pain and suffering but he is not a stoic. I read somewhere about what psychologists call ‘pain catastrophiszing’, i.e. exaggerate a personal problem to the point of portraying it as an existential catastrophe. Not our hero Hadi Jassim. He bore his problems realistically with understanding and dignity like any hardworking committed person to work and family. He does not leave us with an impression that he is a victim, lost and unable to resist and surrender to his pains.
His lyrical poetry that interlaces the narrative is like a soft breeze assuaging his tormented soul for the loss of his soulmate and also for celebrating their love.
If I were to describe the book in few words I would say it is a soul-searching journey, a tapestry of coming to grips with grief.
For some reason Hadi has decided not mention Iraq or name the characters (the novel is written in third person singular). However, the book’s cover provides, with a little introspection, a clear clue that Iraq is the country where he was born and suffered a harrowing trauma that we can easily identify with. The same applies to the birthplace of his soulmate (Surinam).
I recommend reading Hadi’s book. Some of you can link with him at various points of his narrative; I did with regard to obtaining a scholarship and studying in Wales though I am ten years his senior.
Congratulation to Hadi for coming to terms with the problems that he has experienced. Also, exposing to readers his soul and thoughts on life and relationships to us.
Thank you Hadi for writing an inspirational book.