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n_asyikin_'s review against another edition
4.0
TW: graphic violence & rape
This story was told from the perspectives of 10 people who were connected with each other in some way. It was not the sort with a clear resolution; I'd see meant to be contemplative; meant to be seen as excerpts to a person's life. These characters were seeking a different sort of something, & we were meant to listen to their story.
The mysterious figure, a woman who had many names yet unclear identity & purpose made for an interesting storyline. Her function & existence was clearly important; one might even consider her the driving force between the parallels & connections these 10 people shared. But again, the readers wouldn't really know who she is. I think this book is best summed by this quote:
"I promise you that nothing, in the end, will seem conclusive. Stories...happen. They do not happen. They are right here. They exist in some other place entirely."
At the end, I think what Reiken did well was engaging the readers to see the complexities of our being. Issues regarding the Palestinian-Israeli conflict was brought up, & what I derived from it was how we should & must questioned our views. This aspect in the story was not meant to provide a commentary on what it was about & how it should be solved. Though, fair warning, I thought there was a paragraph that seemed oversimplifying the conflict-in-hand, which also was related to the Jewish-Muslim relationship as well. But, what I extracted from the character's (Amnon) reverie, was that, in order to be a decent human being, one must first questioned our beliefs, particularly when it comes to our tendency to demonize a whole community of people.
The cast of characters were all seeking for something; I gauged an understanding of their living, being the ultimate "something" they were being. In a sense, their perspectives might be exhaustively tautological for some; but I personally found their stories worth listening (reading) to.
This story was told from the perspectives of 10 people who were connected with each other in some way. It was not the sort with a clear resolution; I'd see meant to be contemplative; meant to be seen as excerpts to a person's life. These characters were seeking a different sort of something, & we were meant to listen to their story.
The mysterious figure, a woman who had many names yet unclear identity & purpose made for an interesting storyline. Her function & existence was clearly important; one might even consider her the driving force between the parallels & connections these 10 people shared. But again, the readers wouldn't really know who she is. I think this book is best summed by this quote:
"I promise you that nothing, in the end, will seem conclusive. Stories...happen. They do not happen. They are right here. They exist in some other place entirely."
At the end, I think what Reiken did well was engaging the readers to see the complexities of our being. Issues regarding the Palestinian-Israeli conflict was brought up, & what I derived from it was how we should & must questioned our views. This aspect in the story was not meant to provide a commentary on what it was about & how it should be solved. Though, fair warning, I thought there was a paragraph that seemed oversimplifying the conflict-in-hand, which also was related to the Jewish-Muslim relationship as well. But, what I extracted from the character's (Amnon) reverie, was that, in order to be a decent human being, one must first questioned our beliefs, particularly when it comes to our tendency to demonize a whole community of people.
The cast of characters were all seeking for something; I gauged an understanding of their living, being the ultimate "something" they were being. In a sense, their perspectives might be exhaustively tautological for some; but I personally found their stories worth listening (reading) to.
jadorelire's review against another edition
4.0
Very different ... at first I was disconcerted by the change in viewpoint in the different chapters, as well as the shift in tone, etc. But by the end I was intrigued by how the various stories wove together.
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