Review for "This Life or the Next" by Demian Vitanza, translated by Tanya Thresher

This Life or the Next by Demian Vitanza
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I don’t think I’ve ever read a story written in this format before. Heck, I don’t even think I’ve read a book fiction or non, related to this subject matter, either. But I’m so thrilled that I did.

This story follows a Norwegian Muslim, Tariq, as he recounts his journey as an “average” guy, who ends up feeling out of place by society, and ends up leaving to go fight in Syria as a jihadist, & this is told to an invisible and silent journalist that is interviewing him while he is in prison.

The book is based on an actual jihadist inmate, held in a Norwegian Prison, with details and names fictionalized, thereby placing this novel in the fictional realm. That’s really here nor there. What makes “This Life or the Next” such an impressive work is the beauty in how it was told.

So, a little about the ‘invisible/silent” journalist- as Tariq is telling his story, in the present day, where he’s remembering his friends with fondness & remorse, to his childhood/ growing up a minority (Pakistani & Muslim, in Norway), and the resulting spiritual journey he undertook, leading up to the point where he finally left the war, the whole time he is speaking to a person who is obviously interviewing him and asking him questions. Only thing is- the questions are NOT written down in the book, just his answers. And it’s up to the reader to divine what was asked. I don’t know why I liked this aspect so much, but it really put me into an intimate setting with the prisoner, and I could feel him and all of his human emotions, deeply; the feelings of rejection, of love, of rage & anger, of wanting to help & do what’s right…

I don’t want to get political here, so I’ll refrain from letting this review go that way. But what I will say is that while the story was by no means pleasant, due to the subject matter (really ugly war depictions & situations), nor was it enjoyable in a “feel good” kind of way… the novel was STILL an excellent read. It gave a very clear account of what drives a seemingly ordinary person to become a passionate and driven, potential killer for a righteous cause. (It) showcases the dichotomy that exists between right & wrong by exhibiting the many different factions that branch off from a singular root “cause”, with their own interpretations of what qualifies as either… illustrating beautifully just how difficult it is to determine who is more in line with your own values; and how un-unique we all, really are.

This is a novel I would NOT recommend to just anyone, although to some, I recommend it ENTHUSIASTICALLY… to anyone with an open mind, who can appreciate a unique writing style/format, and who can love without prejudices and connect with a character who has been broken down, bit by bit, and has journeyed into Hell, with the best of intentions.


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