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     They Said:

"Ali is the first Bahraini author to publish fiction directly in English. Not only is QuixotiQ a huge achievement as a novel, it's also a landmark in Bahraini literature," -- Neil Marr, Editor in Chief of BeWrite Books and co-author of Bullycide.

“This is definitely a spooky and otherworldly story. QuixotiQ is a surreal, dreamy and edgy piece.” -- Fallen Angel Reviews. (Read the full review)

"A fast paced thriller with mystic overtones that is both deep and compelling. Highly entertaining!" -- Suise Hawes, reviewer, Coffee Cramp Reviews. (Read the full review)

"A brilliant debut novel from an author you will want to read again and again. Al Saeed has set the scene for a promising literary career." -- Karen Warner, editor of 'QuixotiQ'.

"A captivating page-turner... I couldn't put it down!" -- Beatrix Berczi, journalist.

"If David Lynch's Mulhollan Drive would be novelized, it would read the same way Ali Al Saeed's QuixotiQ! Al Saeed knows how to use the English language to tell a story" -- Johnny Nys, writer and reviewer.

"Exceptionally gentle in style... Reminds me in places of John Stienbeck," -- Renee Ballerini, editor and owner of Literati Magazine.

“Genre-bending. Sharp and hard-edged. A refreshingly original story!” – Cavan Terrill, author of Blurred Line.

 

"By far the best book I've read this year, it would keep any reader hooked. A great achievement!" -- Reem Ebrahim, editor of COEDS Magazine. 

 

"As big as life itself and as beautifully complex as dreams!" -- Ali Salman, United Nations.

 

“Every word of the book left me impressed by this courageous, talented and challenging writer whose professional style of writing certainly promises him a bright future,” -- Ahdeya Ahmed, columnist and TV presenter.

 

"An impressive debut!" -- David Kelly, manager of Booksplus. 

      Novel Synopsis:

Guy Kelton is a young man with a troubled mind. His shattered dream and the relentless mundane life he’s been living, alone and broken away from his family, takes an unexpected toll on him, driving him to violent, reckless extremes. He falls deeper and deeper into a bloody abyss; through extremes that would eventually lead him to the most devastating discovery about his existence.

Going through his mid-twenties, Patrick Roymint, lost and confused, still struggles to come to terms with the loss of his whole family many years ago. But soon as he decides to change all that and try to rebuild the future he’s not had, he is dragged into the unseen, disturbing and filthy underworld of the little, diminishing Okay County.

As both men go through a series of mysterious and bizarre events, their lives take dramatic turns that lead them to new revelations about their past, present and future. They somehow find their fates connected by some mystic, unfathomable power.

QuixotiQ is a story about hate, love, dark secrets and self-realization, one in which hope and despair are found in the remains of shattered dreams.

 

      Reviews:

 

If I were to use one word to describe it, it would be "captivating."  I found myself drawn to the book...I couldn't put it down.

In essence, the interconnectivity and development of the characters was probably the strongest factor that made it such a "page-turner"  I didn't want to miss anything, I didn't want to walk away from what was happening next...and I normally hate suspense ;)  I liked that the quixotic idea was intertwined within the storytelling as well as the characters themselves. 

 

It spoke to the subconscious and raised issues that I though i was alone in thinking.  Such as our own limitations...what is to stop us from just randomly killing another person...we are so fragile...it is so easy....why does it not happen more? But at the same time...dealing with the psyche and exploring the chain of events that occur from every action. Al Saeed showed so nicely that the world is indeed in equilibrium and that for every action there is an equal reaction.

And as someone who craves closure and happy endings at heart...I appreciated the final message: that change, even if bad, is always for the better...the only thing to fear is stagnancy and that no matter what, it is all out of our control.

 

– Beatrix Berczi.

 

*   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *

 

The word which immediately comes to mind when describing Ali Al Saeed’s debut novel, QuixotiQ, is bleak. The story takes place in the city of Okay, a place overrun with corruption and apathy. The story’s leads are all down on their luck, struggling to come to terms with both the past and the present.

 

QuixotiQ follows the lives of three principal characters. Guy Kelton is estranged from his family and stuck in a life of monotony that has never come close to measuring up to the dreams of his childhood. Patrick Roymint has spent his life tortured by the death of his mother and sister and the suicide of his father. Christina Heywood has been fired from her job, lost her boyfriend of two years and is still troubled by her non-existent relations with a father who left when she was a child. For all three of them, things are only going to get worse as the story goes on.

 

However, at its heart, this is not a story about broken lives. There is something much deeper here; a message about finding our place in a world that doesn’t always give handouts. It’s also very much a story about dreams and how important it is to follow them.

 

QuixotiQ is a rather difficult read for two very different reasons. The first is the result of grammar; constantly changing tenses, sometimes even in the same sentence, consistently throw the reader off-guard. The other is that, as Al Saeed says himself, the story is a “confused fusion of quite a variation of elements.” It’s a statement that’s certainly on the mark, for this story never quite sticks to one direction. Although it does make for a more difficult read, it also makes the novel far more intriguing. Al Saeed is not at all afraid to challenge genre boundaries, jumping from mystery to supernatural to family saga and then back to mainstream. What it makes for in the end is a refreshingly original story.

 

Even though it’s hard to read, Al Saeed doesn’t lose the reader’s attention because of his well-crafted characters. They are compelling enough that they pull the reader along with them as they progress through events.

 

Al Saeed also uses dreams to foreshadow events in the novel quite well. The dream sequences are where he really shines, making every image sharp and hard-edged, yet never really leaving that ethereal feeling of the dream world behind. In fact, reading the opening dream sequence after finishing the novel is one of the most rewarding experiences of the book.

 

QuixotiQ is, when all is said and done, a genre-bending journey of self-realization. Though plagued by a lack of editing, Al Saeed’s poignant observations about life and human behaviour make this a worthwhile read.

 

                                                                                                         -- Cavan Terrill

*   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *

'QuixotiQ'. . .  Originating from Cervantes' literary masterpiece 'Don Quixote', the title of this debut novel by new Bahraini author Ali Al Saeed certainly gives every clue to its content. You are taken on an intriguing of fantastical self-discovery through the lives of central characters Guy and Patrick, a journey that leaves you feeling an affinity of sorts with at least one aspect of each character, thanks to the perceptive ability of Al Saeed to ensconce you into the minds of the characters; love, hate, hurt, betrayal, hope, loss, confusion. . . we've all been there at some point. 

Introduction to the characters in the opening chapters, with a cleverly secreted correlation between each of them, may leave you initially with the feeling that here's another 'it's all a dream then they wake up' storyline.

However, the pace quickens sufficiently to bring the realization that here is a tale that by-passes that notion. Al Saeed uses a very perceptive insight into the core of what makes us who we are, and the dream sequences are essential to the emerging plot, and are linked extraordinarily well, giving thought to how dreams and reality are at times separated only by circumstance and how being in the wrong place at the wrong time, or the right place, can have life-altering affects. The author weaves you in and out of them brilliantly.

'QuixotiQ' is a fluently told tale of the intricate way in which lives can be fated to interweave, a tale of the complexities of the mind, the simplicity of life, the entanglement of emotions and discoveries and how they affect us.

Guy and Patrick are poles apart morally and emotionally but find themselves on the same path to destiny. This is a powerful story about people trying to piece together their lives, overcoming devastating psychological damage, unflinching in its exploration of suffering and loss, while cleverly exploring the potential that life can hold.

This is a fantastical story that combines extremities to their fullest; love, hate, sorrow, joy, truth, lies, dreams, realities, strengths, weaknesses. It is an insightful, exciting and intriguing thriller, with a touch of the supernatural thrown in. 'QuixotiQ' is a brilliant debut novel from an author you will want to read again and again.

This new young writer has used shifting timeframes and shocking revelations effectively to make this an engrossing read. Al Saeed has set the scene for a promising literary career.

-- Karen Warner

*   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *

If David Lynch’s “Mulholland Drive” would be novelized, it would read the same way Ali Al Saeed’s “QuixotiQ” does. 

Al Saeed introduces us to a series of real characters, people like you and me, people you meet in the street, in a bar, at a bus stop. People living their own lives and subsequently dealing with their own problems. Guy and Patrick, the male leads, or in their twenties. Both of them are in the same situation: alone. The only difference is that Guy left his family on purpose, while Patrick’s family has been violently taken away from him. While Patrick tries desperately to avoid further violence in his life, Guy becomes the source of much violence himself.

 

The kids they once were are now growing up in a frightening world. Reading about their experiences no doubt hurls you back to when you were in their shoes, finding our first-handed how the world works. Female readers aren’t left out, because next to these two men we follow Christina, a young woman trying to figure out her place in the world.

 

Al Saeed incorporates several brilliant philosophical viewpoints in his story, most dealing with dreams – the main plot of the novel. Stuff you probably pondered yourself some day and even wrote down in your diary if you happened to keep one.

 

The most peculiar thing about this novel is that it is the first Bharaini novel written and published directly in English. Al Saeed knows how to use the English language to tell a story – although a little more editorial assistance here and there would have made this novel even greater.

 

   -- Johnny Nys

 

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