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4.29 AVERAGE
4.29 AVERAGE
the second I realized what was happening at the end I just had to sit there.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Genocide, Racism, Rape, Violence, Injury/Injury detail
<i>‘Man, not the tank, shall prevail.’</i>
free palestine
free palestine
This was dense and highly literary in a way that made the effectiveness a mixed bag for me, but nevertheless a worthwhile read.
The first half of the book is told from the perspective of an early Israeli soldier in the aftermath of the Nakba, in 1949. This portion of the narrative ruminates on the mundanity of military life: the repetition of the soldier's grooming routine, a dog that won't stop barking, and the monotonous military duties of his platoon. The tone of casual indifference and boredom persists even after the plot takes a violent turn when the platoon murders a group of unarmed nomadic Arabs and kidnaps, repeatedly rapes, and eventually murders the young girl that was the sole survivor of the massacre.
The second half of the book takes place in present day (2017) occupied Palestine near the site of the massacre and tells the story of a young woman who becomes obsessed with the crime and embarks on a journey to find details of the girl's story. Similar 'minor details' to those repeated in the soldier's story are echoed in the woman's story, connecting her to victims of the past and connecting her conditioning of living under military occupation to the perpetrators of the same story.
It's stark, weary, and matter-of-fact tone create a haunting portrait of a place groomed to expect violence and the soldier's story left a particular impression on me as such an unflinching depiction of indifference to human life. If I'm being completely honest, I felt like the woman's story got muddled by the details by comparison leaving me wanting for more weight towards the end of the book hence my 4-star rating. It's a more literary approach that may not be to all reader's liking as it asks a lot of the reader to be in touch with their own evoked emotions since the characters are so distant from their emotions as a trauma response. It's a book of 'minor details' that tells two very small stories as a way to zoom in on the individual human consequences of a geopolitical situation that is often over-contextualized to the point of purposeful obfuscation.
I think it's a worthwhile read, but reader's will have to work for those short 106 pages.
The first half of the book is told from the perspective of an early Israeli soldier in the aftermath of the Nakba, in 1949. This portion of the narrative ruminates on the mundanity of military life: the repetition of the soldier's grooming routine, a dog that won't stop barking, and the monotonous military duties of his platoon. The tone of casual indifference and boredom persists even after the plot takes a violent turn when the platoon murders a group of unarmed nomadic Arabs and kidnaps, repeatedly rapes, and eventually murders the young girl that was the sole survivor of the massacre.
The second half of the book takes place in present day (2017) occupied Palestine near the site of the massacre and tells the story of a young woman who becomes obsessed with the crime and embarks on a journey to find details of the girl's story. Similar 'minor details' to those repeated in the soldier's story are echoed in the woman's story, connecting her to victims of the past and connecting her conditioning of living under military occupation to the perpetrators of the same story.
It's stark, weary, and matter-of-fact tone create a haunting portrait of a place groomed to expect violence and the soldier's story left a particular impression on me as such an unflinching depiction of indifference to human life. If I'm being completely honest, I felt like the woman's story got muddled by the details by comparison leaving me wanting for more weight towards the end of the book hence my 4-star rating. It's a more literary approach that may not be to all reader's liking as it asks a lot of the reader to be in touch with their own evoked emotions since the characters are so distant from their emotions as a trauma response. It's a book of 'minor details' that tells two very small stories as a way to zoom in on the individual human consequences of a geopolitical situation that is often over-contextualized to the point of purposeful obfuscation.
I think it's a worthwhile read, but reader's will have to work for those short 106 pages.
dark
slow-paced
dark
emotional
medium-paced
dark
tense
medium-paced
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
N/A
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
N/A
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
Besides, sometimes it’s inevitable for the past to be forgotten, especially if the present is no less horrific.
dark
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
“Besides, sometimes it’s inevitable for the past to be forgotten, especially if the present is no less horrific;”
The tone of this book is so matter-of-fact, I found it so paralysing and unnerving. I will forever be distressed that we witnessed this, on our phones, no less.
The tone of this book is so matter-of-fact, I found it so paralysing and unnerving. I will forever be distressed that we witnessed this, on our phones, no less.