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ponckumari's review against another edition
2.0
Some fables were really wonderful and hard hitting, others not so much. Some of them were barely bigger than a haiku, I suppose they are more like micro-tales than short stories.
Wonder if it is the translation that did it in but I wasn't entirely loving the style.
Wonder if it is the translation that did it in but I wasn't entirely loving the style.
ensara's review against another edition
beautiful writing. i love ~literary~ books like this! made me feel, made me reflect.
amityvillehorror's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
slow-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
4.0
thishannah's review against another edition
This was an interesting little collection of pieces that blur the line between a story, poem, fable, allegory, and at times even a joke (or an anti-joke)? Some stories were extremely short, no more than a sentence long, while the longest spanned just a few pages. On the surface, there wasn't much forward momentum connecting a story to the one that followed, but the thematic through lines and repeated symbols kept the pieces connected. The overarching pessimism about human nature and the state of the world really resonated with my current mindset (sorry!) so even when the morals of the stories were a little heavy-handed, I could tell it came from a place of sincere anger and it made them ring.
unavezmas's review
dark
funny
hopeful
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
4.25
"Humans must be result if marriage between heaven and hell".
I am not normally a poetic girlie. But it was the shortest book by a Syrian writer I could find for storygraph reads the world challenge and there's no pain in trying I guess.
I was not prepared by how relatable it's gonna be. I don't know anything about the author or their beliefs for that matter.
I suppose inserting all the quotes I highlighted and screaming LOOK HOW SMART IS THIS! wouldn't help anyone but I am tempted to do it nonetheless.
bealmg's review
2.5
Some short stories were wonderful, and although I enjoyed learning more about flash fiction (or micro fiction) and its tradition in Arabic literature, most of this collection didn't work for me. The micro stories followed a similar formula, which felt too repetitive throughout the book, even though the allegories were always different. I tend to have a hard time getting into the short story format, so maybe this is why this collection didn't work that well for me. Still, some of them were really good and thought-provoking.
annabolson's review against another edition
reflective
medium-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
2.0
redlamp's review against another edition
4.0
A collection of some of Osama Alomar's very short stories (al-qissa al-qasira jiddan, this "microfiction" has roots in Arabic literary tradition). Overall there were some very thought-provoking and emotional ones, others that went over my head. Here's a quick one:
Satan tasted with the tip of his finger a very tiny amount of human hatred. It poisoned him and he died right away.
bethebookworm's review against another edition
4.0
Excellent little book of little stories that strike home.
dallasfangmann's review against another edition
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5