Matt McAvoy Book Review

An in-depth and intriguing insight into the world of international business and cultural barriers, as a Danish professional and his business partner attempt to sell their services to counterparts in Saudi Arabia, amidst religious factional turmoil at the end of the 1970s.  It is an eye-opening exposé of a country and a region which has been changed dramatically since events at that time, and hints at the long-lasting effects on global politics and terrorism today.  But at the time, as outlined in Hans Peter Bech’s exceptionally well-written, semi-fictional account, there was a certain air of naivete about people and their knowledge of Islamic fundamentalism and sectarian conflict; now, of course, sadly we are all much more informed.  I say semi-fictional because, while the story and the characters are fabricated by the author, events and situations depicted were real, including the shocking events later in the book; Bech discerns between them in the book’s epilogue (which I felt might perhaps more accurately be called an afterword). 

In my opinion, this book will appeal to those who have an interest in transnational business or the sharia politics of the Middle East around that time, and how they have been shaped since.  Most of the rest of us, if I’m truly honest, will probably consider the book something of a slow burner, or perhaps of niche interest.  Of course, what it does it does extremely well, and there is no doubt that Bech is a tremendously good writer, though it has to be considered that this is his first foray into fiction, his previous books all being non-fiction business books, and you can see how heavily this has influenced the chosen genre.  Obviously I don’t criticize this, for it is his area of expertise and the subject matter he wishes to write about; I’m just advising that if it is not to your taste, you may find it a little slippery to grip to, for dramatic events and actions come very late in the book.  If, however, it is your cup of tea – and I believe it will appeal to many – then it is a superb piece of corporate literary fiction.  The minutiae of bureaucratic and operational detail is very fine indeed, and no stone is left unturned in the painstaking negotiations of the characters – although, if I’m honest, I do wonder if one or two decisions made by the Danish chancers would have worked in their favour, and presented them as the top-level professionals they were at times perceived as; I did wonder at the credibility in one or two of these moments.  That said, I’ve no wish to offend the author, for I have no idea how much of the book is biographical, though I suspect a fair amount of it.  On top of that, we are following the main protagonist on his life journey back in Denmark generally, including his relationship, his studies, his professional progress and adoption of children.  Amidst all this, a large part of the premise is that, for some reason, the character is desperate to visit Mecca – a decision he comes to regret.  It isn’t as long as it sounds, but you certainly feel you know every aspect of Henrik’s life. 

Expect a well-written book, a little – though not particularly profound – background into Saudi religion and politics, and drama in the mainly commercial sense, by an author who absolutely knows what he’s doing.