The Circle
- Publisher
- Libros Libertad
- Initial publish date
- May 2011
- Category
- Literary
-
Paperback / softback
- ISBN
- 9780978186524
- Publish Date
- May 2011
- List Price
- $23.00
Classroom Resources
Where to buy it
Description
The Circle is a political intrigue story that reflects recent world events and their aftermath. The characters are caught between circumstances of their cultures and politics of the times, players who are not what they portray: naïve and cunning, loyal and duplicitous, sentimental and appetite driven. The story peers back at the war in Iraq as through an un-typical lens: that of the Iraqi citizen, whose family members were killed, whose property was destroyed, and who turn to their liberator/aggressor for opportunity, in the process getting close enough to witness some of their hosts' own self-destruction. The Circle is a book attempting to uncover emotional responses to catastrophes that changed the lives of people in an unparalleled way, while it explores the genesis of hatred and its origins. "This the way of a man against himself when one is in the pangs of hatred."
About the author
Manolis was born in the small village Kolibari west of Chania on the Greek island of Crete in 1947. At a young age his family moved first to Thessaloniki and then to Athens where he was educated, achieving a Bachelor's Degree in Political Science at Panteion Supreme School of Athens. He served in the armed forces for two years, and emigrated to Vancouver in 1973, where he worked in several different jobs over the years. He attended Simon Fraser University for a year, taking English Literature in a non-degree program. He has written three novels, a large number of collections of poetry, which are slowly appearing as published works, various articles and short stories in Greek as well as in English. After working as an iron worker, train labourer, taxi driver, and stock broker, he now lives in White Rock where he spends his time writing, gardening, and traveling. Towards the end of 2006 he founded Libros Libertad, an unorthodox and independent publishing company in Surrey, BC, with the goal of publishing literary books.
Excerpt: The Circle (by (author) Manolis Aligiakis)
Hakim sits on the windowsill, his gaze spreading to the other side of the road from his fourth-floor, 1000-square-foot, two bedroom apartment opposite Grandview Memorial Park. He has been renting this small place for the past three years, while trying to save for a down payment to buy a place of his own. The building is fairly new and his rent affordable. His Uncle Ibrahim always told him, "If you want to get ahead in life, make sure you buy real estate." He feels very comfortable and has decorated it well. He is happy with the job he's had for the last one-and-a-half years with a small computer company. A shareholder earning good money, he is able to afford a two-year-old, red Honda Accord, his pride and joy. He also prides himself on the sensible way he leads his life. Hakim comes from a country devastated by war and knows he will have to work hard for a long time to establish himself in his new country. Jennifer, his girlfriend of eight months, has helped him decorate his apartment, in selecting carpets, furniture, bedding, and much more. Although an immense help, Hakim sometimes thinks she goes too far, crowding his space and insisting her view to be correct every time. Jennifer is twenty-five, a beautiful brunette with light green eyes and fair complexion. She has grown up in Los Angeles, has a degree in economics, and works for a small finance company. She earns enough to live on her own, although she still lives with her parents in their house off Glendale toward South Brand Blvd. in Pasadena.
Editorial Reviews
Imagine a spy thriller, written by a poet, in which an Iraqi elite that survived Saddam Hussein's insane endgame with Uncle Sam, sets out to create a new New World Order. Add a liberal sprinkling of sexual romps, financial skullduggery, boardroom backstabbing, and exotic locales. What you have is, The Circle, a novel by Manolis. If you ever wondered about the official version of events, you will want to read The Circle.
Bob Friedland