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8- PARRY SOUND NORTH STAR ◆ Wednesday January 10, 2007 Arts & Entertainment Fascinating yet disturbing BY CHARLOTTE STEIN Special to the North Star

DeNiro’s Game Presents by Rawi Hage

Rawi Hage will be the first author to The Wonderful World read at the Charles W. Stockey Centre in 2007. At 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, January 16 he of will read from and talk about his book DeNiro’s Game. When I closed this book on the last RIC page I thought, wow - what a book. E Nominated for both the Governor General’s Literary Award for English Language Fiction and the I was curious to read it. NAGLER This year’s lists of nominated books and his were a surprise to most booksellers as we expected to see the new novels by Outrageous Instruments Michael Redhill, , , Ami McKay, Mary Lawson, and nominated for these awards. Charlotte Stein SUNDAY JANUARY 14, 2007 To discover that all of the short listed books are by relatively unknown assassins. As they lose the people they 2:00 p.m. authors was a surprise. So I thought I love in the ongoing destruction of their would read some, and DeNiro’s Game homeland they become less and less Family Matinee Series of violence and revenge to find a way to seemed to be the one to start with as it concerned about right and wrong, choice make their world a safer and more was nominated for both of these and consequence. George chooses to Tickets: $12 Regular $10 Stu./Sr./Child $32 Family (4) peaceful place. prestigious awards. become more and more involved in a life It is a difficult book in some ways. I of violence and Bassam becomes part of Engaging story Join us for loved the writing right away and found a world he doesn’t understand. The the setting fascinating - but a disturbing description of the lives of the ordinary The writing never ceased to delight HOCKEY DAY IN CANADA subject. people trying to live some sort of a me and I found I was engaged in the story The setting is Beirut, Lebanon - the normal life amidst the bombing, the of these lives from beginning to end. I January 13, 2007 10:00 am time, the 1980s. This city was once a power failures, the lack of water, is couldn’t help but wonder how at the jewel, it is now a city in ruins - bombed harrowing. autobiographical this novel might be - BOBBY ORR HALL of FAME and chaotic. Bassam and George are two These people in some ways have no first novels often are. teenage boys living in a Christian choice - but the George and Bassam do I discovered that Rawi Hage was born neighborhood in this city now torn apart have a choice - which they each make in Beirut in 1964 and lived through nine Box Offi ce: 1.877.746.4466 by religious strife. differently. years of civil war. He later lived in New The Middle East is a discouragingly, York City for several years before www.stockeycentre.com Petty thieves relentlessly violent place, where the immigrating to Montreal, where he still 10152 The wealthy French citizens who had citizens are caught up in the warfare and lives. lived there before the most recent espionage of a country involved in a Congratulations Rawi Hage on a very STAR OFFICE NUMBERS conflict have left, leaving only their fancy seemingly endless war. fine novel - and for contributing to the French dogs to roam the streets, trying George and Bassam are of a wonderful multi-cultural literature of Phone: 705-746-2104 • Fax: 746-8369 to survive in the rubble. As are George generation who have never known our peaceful country. and Bassam. peace. One cannot help but pity them Parry Sound readers will have a rare Email: [email protected] The boys become petty thieves and while at the same time wishing they opportunity next week to meet this web: www.parrysound.com scam artists and graduate to become would find a way to break out of the cycle exceptional author.

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