The Broken Wings by Kahlil Gibran is a poetic classic love story from the early 1900s. It is a short book, under 150 pages, about a love between a doomed couple. The novel takes place in early twentieth-century Beirut, Lebanon, and details a tragic love story between our narrator, who most likely represents Gibran himself, and a woman named Selma, who is engaged to a wealthy man’s nefarious nephew. While the novel is about their love, the book is not necessarily a romance. It is more about their ill-fated relationship and the tragic turn that befalls them.
It follows a young man who reconnects with an old man who used to be close to his father. In reconnecting with him, he meets and quickly falls in love with the man’s daughter. However, because of the older man’s flaws and honest mistakes, their relationship takes a heartbreaking turn. Selma is also promised to an awful man’s horrible nephew. Their separation and eventual doom play out throughout the novel, and it details an unfortunate end to their all-encompassing relationship.
The narrator is designed after Kahlil Gibran himself, but there is no evidence the story itself is factual in any case. It is more likely that Gibran used himself as inspiration for the main character, which makes him more sympathetic in his plight of heartbreak. The fact that he is unnamed adds to this as well, as it is easy to imagine yourself in his shoes and experience the heartbreak and tragedy firsthand. The story feels more personal with this choice because it allows you to experience the story from both your own and his perspective.
The Broken Wings is great if you want to explore more classic novels and more translated fiction. The story is easy to follow, and since it is a short novel, it is quite easy to finish. The love story between Selma and our protagonist is interesting and is easy to fall for. All of the dynamics between the characters are compelling, and it makes you want to finish the story faster. The relationship between Selma and the narrator is both lovely and heartbreaking, living up to the tragic tale it is supposed to be. The length of the novel also makes it simple to finish and appreciate.
The fact that the novel is so short is not a detriment to the novel but a positive. The rise and fall of their relationship plays like a classic epic, adding further emphasis and credibility to the shortness of their romantic affair. It reads like a tragic poem, which benefits the overall story. I feel that if the novel were longer, it would cause the story to drag and lose its momentum.
However, one slight detriment to the novel could be its prose and writing style. Not only is this a classic novel written in 1912, but it is also a novel that has been translated from Arabic. While the language is accessible and fairly easy to understand, there is a possibility that certain translations may be a little wonky and will not flow as intended. Even if the translation is good, which most are, it was still written in the early twentieth century. However, the prose should still be easy to follow, as the poetic nature of the writing style is purposeful. Gibran’s other works follow a similar style in their composition. I actually enjoy the way that he writes because while it is not challenging, it allows you to engage deeper with the story as it makes you focus on what is being said.
