Reviews

Minor Detail by Adania Shibli

wondering_wildflower's review against another edition

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dark medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

elislittlelibrary's review

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dark reflective sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

This book is not easy to read, but I can only recommend it! 
The book is split into two parts, which are very distinctively different from one another. The writing, showing the personality of the characters, is so different, it's quite astonishing it was written by the same person. As implied by the title, the book relies on 'minor details'. Sounds, places or small events that seem minor in the first part are used again, sometimes in a totally different context, in the second part. While very subtle, this repetition is really strong. This is not an easy read at all and this repetition adds to that. 
This book is a literary masterpiece and the story itself is so important as well. This is a truly disturbing read and will probably shock you (especially if you haven't read a lot about Palestine and Israel). So please keep in mind that this book will (and should) disturb you, but if you can handle it, please, please read this book! I have picked this book up in light of the fact that the author was uninvited from the Frankfurt book fair, where she was due to receive a prize for 'Minor Detail'. While I'm still enraged this happened, I'm glad I found this book and have bought a physical copy of the book after reading a copy from the library. 

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janakib's review

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challenging reflective tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

rovingreader's review

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dark informative slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

kris_80's review against another edition

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sad
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.75

ellabirt's review

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dark emotional informative reflective sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? N/A
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

nadiahzkr's review against another edition

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dark emotional informative reflective sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? N/A
  • Diverse cast of characters? N/A
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

nanabells's review

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dark reflective sad slow-paced

4.0

thetenaciousbookworm's review

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challenging dark emotional sad tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? N/A
  • Strong character development? N/A
  • Loveable characters? N/A
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

5.0


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deadtobeginwith's review

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5.0

I picked this book up today and finished it just a few minutes ago. This story is split into 2 parts, just over 100 pages, with both perspectives being connected by the murder and SA of a Bedouin girl in 1949. The first part is told in the third person, following an Israeli soldier over the span of a few days. The second part is in the first person, a woman becomes obsessed with this girl's story and she struggles greatly to learn more about it.

This is another book I could probably write an essay on and this mini review does not do the power and beautiful writing of this book justice. It's so short, yet so deeply impactful. The "minor detail" of the girls death was insignificant to the Israeli soldier, but meant everything to the narrator. It is an example of how the trauma of this occupation sends shockwaves for generations to come, how information is so hard to access when there is constant violence and erasure, how day to day Palestinian life is impacted in every way by Israeli occupation. I urge you to read this.