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4.29 AVERAGE
4.29 AVERAGE
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
dark
emotional
sad
tense
fast-paced
dark
emotional
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
What a haunting book. It eloquently tied the two women together through minor details. This book will stay with me for the rest of my life.
dark
reflective
sad
fast-paced
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
This was such a huge punch to the gut with the emotional destruction this novella caused. I went in very blind and I will say, it may be beneficial to look up the synopsis and TWs for this book before diving in. Highly recommend picking this up.
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
After reading some of the reviews I begin to wonder how the two narratives in this novella are connected with one another -- particularly, in light of the title, Minor Detail. One reviewer noted that Shibli really was meant to draw us to the minor details in the narratives, such as the Commander's fever and his systematic cleaning of himself, and the woman's exposure to the heat and her drive on highways. Another reviewer mentioned that the narratives are mirrored, in that they share the common theme of violence, oppression, erasure, and so on. These strike me as astute observation, and I would only like to point out some instances of contrasting minor details that I am unsure what to make of.
1. The Commander patrols the endless Negev desert, endowed by nature, as the woman navigates around the established Walls, constructed by humans.
2. The narrator's detached tone of voice succeeds in creating the claustrophobic environment in which the Commander and his team occupy, but how should we think about the woman's insider voice?
3. Suffering from the bite, the Commander seeks no help whatsoever from his team, while the woman constantly praises her colleagues as "very nice."
4. The Commander controls usage of water to his liking, pouring water from a jerry can to a tin bowl and controlling a hose with his fingers. On the other hand, the woman does not even have enough water to get by in her everyday life, thus indulging in a long shower during her stay in a guesthouse.
5. It seems that we can anticipate the ending of the Commander -- he is likely to die from the bite, as it has been getting worse throughout the narrative. However, the soldier's shot at the woman seems to have come out of nowhere -- her search for chewing gum is mistaken as one for weapon, sure, but what should her unexpected death signify?
1. The Commander patrols the endless Negev desert, endowed by nature, as the woman navigates around the established Walls, constructed by humans.
2. The narrator's detached tone of voice succeeds in creating the claustrophobic environment in which the Commander and his team occupy, but how should we think about the woman's insider voice?
3. Suffering from the bite, the Commander seeks no help whatsoever from his team, while the woman constantly praises her colleagues as "very nice."
4. The Commander controls usage of water to his liking, pouring water from a jerry can to a tin bowl and controlling a hose with his fingers. On the other hand, the woman does not even have enough water to get by in her everyday life, thus indulging in a long shower during her stay in a guesthouse.
5. It seems that we can anticipate the ending of the Commander -- he is likely to die from the bite, as it has been getting worse throughout the narrative. However, the soldier's shot at the woman seems to have come out of nowhere -- her search for chewing gum is mistaken as one for weapon, sure, but what should her unexpected death signify?
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character