Reviews

The Shell: Memoirs of a Hidden Observer by Mustafa Khalifa

katha_'s review against another edition

Go to review page

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

3.75

ploganiv's review

Go to review page

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

4.0

theresa95's review

Go to review page

challenging emotional funny informative sad fast-paced

5.0

bergenslabben's review

Go to review page

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

4.0

cmontanari's review

Go to review page

dark reflective sad medium-paced

5.0

mtmteres's review against another edition

Go to review page

5.0

Impresionante crónica de un encarcelamiento totalmente arbitrario, en unas condiciones atroces, que se alarga durante trece años y transforma profundamente al narrador. Me han impresionado las historias de la vida cotidiana en la cárcel, con sus estrategias de supervivencia, sus redes de solidaridad entre presos, su compromiso para recordar los nombres de aquellos que iban cayendo, la valentía de médicos encarcelados que se atrevían a realizar operaciones en condiciones materialmente imposibles: una lección de vida, de valor y de humanidad en un entorno infernal.

corey's review

Go to review page

2.0

A book that is at one and the same time incredibly important and completely unreadable. I made it about halfway through before giving up. It's a Syrian prison memoir, but there's no plot, and very little reflection--just page after page of description of what hell on Earth is truly like. If you can make it through this, you're a better person than I.
More...