Men in the Sun. Review on Men in the Sun - Ghassan Kanafani

Men in the sun is a book about three different Palestinians who are smuggled to Kuwait. Their goal is to escape the oppression of the Israelis just as the Israelis are taking over Palestine. There are three men. One young, one middle aged the third old. These men are a symbol of the three stages of life. The past, the present and the future. There isn't much hope for the future in this book. The three fail to make it to Kuwait (their promised land). The man who takes them is money orientated and smuggles them in a dried up tanker. The heat finally suffocating them while they are waiting for him to stamp his passport at a checkpoint. The all consuming question is why don’t they call for help? Are they more afraid of captivity than death? Are they so desperate that nothing will stand in their way? Do they trust the driver unquestionably?

The book does not continue so we are left with these questions, plus wondering is the driver a bad guy or doesn't it matter? Does he ever repeat the experience, after a fatal first try to make extra cash? If you know anything about the history and the culture you will know that they have nothing to lose and this is portrayed in the symbolism in the book.

This writer was himself assassinated in Syria, but his work goes on as a symbol of everlasting life, the story must go on even if the writer can not! Even if you don't understand the hidden meanings it's still a book worth reading, as are all his books that have been translated.