Anyone who has lived in Saudi Arabia will probably know the country is not known for its safe drivers, especially with 49 people per 100,000 dying on Saudi roads each year, according to the World Health Organization.
It is a safe bet that this ominous statistic was probably at the back of Yasser Alireza’s mind when he compiled his ambitious anthology “Collision.” This collection of 24 stories (with a bonus addition) uses real-life accounts from people affected in different ways by traffic accidents and other road-related incidents to drive home one simple message: reckless driving kills. In fact, if the Saudi government ever wants harrowing case studies for any future awareness campaign about safe driving, they should probably give Alireza a call.
One thing is for sure. This is not a book for someone looking for a light-hearted read. The stories are dark, depressing and bleak, punctuated with moments of irony and black humor that often raise a wry smile. The anecdotes, which typically consist of death, carnage and mayhem, can also get rather repetitive, almost to the point of tedium.
Yet, it is the fact that Alireza has sourced true accounts from people who have been involved or lost their loved ones in road accidents that ultimately engage the reader’s attention right up till the last page. There are also genuine moments of hope in a few of the stories that saves the book from becoming a one-way trip into depression mode.
In “Fallen Bougainvillea” a family deals with a bereavement that reverberates throughout their neighborhood until closure and redemption comes from the most unlikely of sources. In “Conjecture Just for the Sake of it” Alireza sensitively tackles the taboo subject of rape, with the protagonist making a life-changing decision that ultimately uplifts and conveys the simple point that adversity, no matter how potent, is not insurmountable.
Other stories are more somber, such as “An Offender’s Testimony to his Conscience” in which a man directly involved in a road accident as a teenager candidly discusses how the event changed his life. “A Cop’s Testimony to his Conscience” explores a traffic police officer’s almost utopian vision of a safe Saudi road. While “Whose Path Should I Follow?” is a stark first-hand account of a child who contemplates whether it would be wise to follow his friend’s example and try some stunts in his father’s car, with a rather disturbing, albeit predictable, twist at the end.
Despite the singular theme running through “Collision,” Alireza has endeavored to introduce different stylistic modes of writing into the text, such as transcripts of conversations, diary entries and even poetry (“Drive in Peace”). This is a smart move, as it actually helps the anthology maintain a brisk pace and keep the reader interested.
In many ways, this is a ground-breaking and brave effort. Alireza has attempted to shine light on the harsh realities associated with Saudi roads and in this he largely succeeds. It is questionable whether the author needed to include a code of conduct for Saudi motorists in his conclusion, considering the reader can elicit his own messages from the stories.
However, this remains a very sensitive and personal collection of stories centered on a subject that continues to evoke strong emotions, and for that Alireza should be applauded.
Collision (KSA EDITION)
Yasser Alireza
Published by:
Dar Annahda Al-Arabia
RRP approx. $15
