And whatever you do, you said, don’t fucking call it A Lebanese Lesbian in Lesbos, just don’t.
-- Mina (You Made Me Do It)

Importance: This quotation, which is Mina’s depiction of the writer character speaking to her, ties together the Greek setting of the novel, its etymological connection to Mina’s sexual orientation, and its linguistic similarity to the place of her birth. It calls attention to the artificial and playful potential of fiction, as it suggests that Alameddine as writer (possibly along with the fictional writer character, who may be behind the narration) could have chosen to invent Mina — a Lebanese lesbian — based on this bit of wordplay.

By the way, Nikolaos said my French was much better than yours. Be jealous!
-- Mina (I Missed You by This Much)

Importance: This quotation is a humorous and intriguing aside in Mina’s narration, directed towards the writer character early in the novel, that may strike the reader as odd. She is in...