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geesjournals's review
dark
emotional
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- 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
Minor Detail was such a rollercoaster of emotions. The intertwined plots are deliberate, the writing is expertly done, and the symbolism is unmatched. Adania Shibli did a fantastic job sharing the complex depth of tragedy while not sensationalizing or romanticizing it.
There is so much tucked within 144 pages that one read is not enough to fully unfold the intricacies. I'm convinced that you get from this book what you give to it. So much remains open for interpretation that any conclusion the reader arrives at is more a commentary on us rather than the book.
Minor Detail is a heart-wrenching must-read.
There is so much tucked within 144 pages that one read is not enough to fully unfold the intricacies. I'm convinced that you get from this book what you give to it. So much remains open for interpretation that any conclusion the reader arrives at is more a commentary on us rather than the book.
Minor Detail is a heart-wrenching must-read.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Genocide, Gun violence, Rape, Sexual assault, and Murder
evakarolina's review against another edition
challenging
dark
informative
sad
tense
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gun violence, and War
Moderate: Sexual violence
bo0kf4n2's review against another edition
challenging
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape and Colonisation
Moderate: Gun violence
bellavictoria's review
dark
emotional
sad
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gun violence
Moderate: Child death, Rape, and Violence
racheldoesthing's review against another edition
challenging
dark
informative
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Gun violence, Rape, Violence, and War
Minor: Genocide and War
kshertz's review
dark
emotional
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
It’s actually really hard to review this book because it has such beautiful writing but such awful content. It’s uncomfortable to read at times but it’s also extremely important and well done. Sometimes I got lost in the narrative. But if you have any interest in Palestine and want to dive into a narrative that will absorb you into this situation through two stories.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Body horror, Death, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Blood, Islamophobia, Murder, Abandonment, War, and Injury/Injury detail
artemy_se's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gun violence, Hate crime, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Sexual assault, Xenophobia, Kidnapping, Mass/school shootings, Murder, Colonisation, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Islamophobia
carbs666's review
challenging
dark
emotional
tense
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
Ok I'm not giving this book a starred rating and I will explain.
This book is doing something totally masterful at the craft level. We talk often about novels being either windows or mirrors, and this one is a window open wide to an expansive view that is completely foreign to me. At first the book might feel boring, but after a few pages pass you realize that the author is using monotony to build tension, and she's doing so very effectively. The book is all impressions, anything momentous that happens isn't described in any detail, while the rote, unimportant things are contemplated and documented at length, giving readers and unsettling feeling of not being able to identify what's "important." The change in tone between the first and second halves is so drastic, taking you from a perspective that's somewhat removed, where emotional responses and inner workings of characters are only vaguely hinted at, to a very intimately centered and driven first-person POV. Recurring motifs - dust, dogs barking, the sound of gunfire, cars, the body's physical responses to emotions, heat, colours associated with different landscape features - and the persistent focus on minor details give the book an overall air of unease and inevitability, like whatever happens in this book was always bound to happen, no matter what other choices the characters may have made.
All that said, while I recognize the significance and skill of the writing, translation, and topics of the book, I did not like it. It goes without saying that the subject matter is unpleasant, but that's not what I don't like about it - the style isn't one that resonates with me as a reader. It somewhat gave me the feeling I would get when reading a book assigned to me in class, where I can understand why we're reading the book and all the important things the book is doing, but it's not a book I would choose to read in my free time. However, it's good to challenge yourself to read differently than you normally would, and I will be thinking about this book for a very long time to come.
This book is doing something totally masterful at the craft level. We talk often about novels being either windows or mirrors, and this one is a window open wide to an expansive view that is completely foreign to me. At first the book might feel boring, but after a few pages pass you realize that the author is using monotony to build tension, and she's doing so very effectively. The book is all impressions, anything momentous that happens isn't described in any detail, while the rote, unimportant things are contemplated and documented at length, giving readers and unsettling feeling of not being able to identify what's "important." The change in tone between the first and second halves is so drastic, taking you from a perspective that's somewhat removed, where emotional responses and inner workings of characters are only vaguely hinted at, to a very intimately centered and driven first-person POV. Recurring motifs - dust, dogs barking, the sound of gunfire, cars, the body's physical responses to emotions, heat, colours associated with different landscape features - and the persistent focus on minor details give the book an overall air of unease and inevitability, like whatever happens in this book was always bound to happen, no matter what other choices the characters may have made.
All that said, while I recognize the significance and skill of the writing, translation, and topics of the book, I did not like it. It goes without saying that the subject matter is unpleasant, but that's not what I don't like about it - the style isn't one that resonates with me as a reader. It somewhat gave me the feeling I would get when reading a book assigned to me in class, where I can understand why we're reading the book and all the important things the book is doing, but it's not a book I would choose to read in my free time. However, it's good to challenge yourself to read differently than you normally would, and I will be thinking about this book for a very long time to come.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Gun violence, Rape, Murder, and War
julkaim's review
dark
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
4.5
„Sometimes it’s inevitable for the past to be forgotten, especially if the present is no less horrific”.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Genocide, Gun violence, Rape, and War
airahkaz's review
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape
Moderate: Gun violence, Sexual assault, and War
Minor: Vomit