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jono_lawrence's review
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Death, Genocide, Gun violence, Hate crime, Racism, Self harm, Violence, Police brutality, Islamophobia, Grief, Colonisation, and War
deedireads's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
All my reviews live at https://deedireads.com/.
It’s easy to see why Enter Ghost won the Aspen Words Literary Prize and was shortlisted for the Women’s Prize (which I also think it could have won). I loved this tender and propulsive look at the warfare in Palestine through the lens of relationships between Palestinians.
In this novel, Sonia, a stage actress living in London, returns to Palestine for the first time since summer trips as a child to visit her sister and take a break from work. But despite her initial reluctance, she ends up in an Arabic production of Hamlet in the West Bank. As we get closer to opening night, the threat of violence looms larger.
This was gorgeously and effectively written. It explores not only the power and importance of art in times of war, but also generational trauma and heart and heartbreak of resilience and resistance. I savored it over several days, but I also couldn’t look away while I was reading. I highly recommend you do, too.
Final note: Some sections are presented like a script, so be aware of that if you try to go audio-only — I’m not sure it would work perfectly or easily in that format. I listened as I read, which was great.
It’s easy to see why Enter Ghost won the Aspen Words Literary Prize and was shortlisted for the Women’s Prize (which I also think it could have won). I loved this tender and propulsive look at the warfare in Palestine through the lens of relationships between Palestinians.
In this novel, Sonia, a stage actress living in London, returns to Palestine for the first time since summer trips as a child to visit her sister and take a break from work. But despite her initial reluctance, she ends up in an Arabic production of Hamlet in the West Bank. As we get closer to opening night, the threat of violence looms larger.
This was gorgeously and effectively written. It explores not only the power and importance of art in times of war, but also generational trauma and heart and heartbreak of resilience and resistance. I savored it over several days, but I also couldn’t look away while I was reading. I highly recommend you do, too.
Final note: Some sections are presented like a script, so be aware of that if you try to go audio-only — I’m not sure it would work perfectly or easily in that format. I listened as I read, which was great.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and War
Moderate: Miscarriage
cassielaj's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
This book offered a perspective I’ve never encountered and a great insight into a small sliver of lived experience in Palestine. I appreciated the theme of art/theatre as revolutionary and the bleeding of the play’s themes into the characters real lives.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Genocide, Gun violence, Infertility, Miscarriage, Violence, Police brutality, Grief, Abortion, Colonisation, and War
nadia's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This is a great book! The writing and use of varying narrative forms/media was excellent and I appreciated the setting and the themes, especially how art, via theatre and Shakespeare, intertwined with war, politics, and identity. The book started off really strong for me: I was intrigued, immersed, and could feel the tension between the characters. And it does unfold masterfully on the whole.
However, at some point it started to drag a little and I couldn't keep track of all of the characters introduced. This made it hard for me to fully believe or be invested in some of their decisions and actions. To be fair, I was super tired while reading this and also trying to read it super quickly in advanced of the Women's Prize winner announcement. And, although I don't think it necessary, I do wish I had a stronger grasp of the story and characters in Hamlet as that would have enhanced my engagement with the debates and discussions featured in the book.
Current Women's Prize 2024 Fiction Shortlist rankings:
1. Brotherless Night
2. River East, River West
3. Enter Ghost
4. Soldier Sailor
5. Restless Dolly Maunder
Despite being my third ranked book, I see Enter Ghost being a worthy winner of the Women's Prize, more so than River East, River West!
However, at some point it started to drag a little and I couldn't keep track of all of the characters introduced. This made it hard for me to fully believe or be invested in some of their decisions and actions. To be fair, I was super tired while reading this and also trying to read it super quickly in advanced of the Women's Prize winner announcement. And, although I don't think it necessary, I do wish I had a stronger grasp of the story and characters in Hamlet as that would have enhanced my engagement with the debates and discussions featured in the book.
Current Women's Prize 2024 Fiction Shortlist rankings:
1. Brotherless Night
2. River East, River West
3. Enter Ghost
4. Soldier Sailor
5. Restless Dolly Maunder
Despite being my third ranked book, I see Enter Ghost being a worthy winner of the Women's Prize, more so than River East, River West!
Content Warnings
Graphic: War
isobel_laura's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Genocide, Violence, Islamophobia, and War
Moderate: Miscarriage
apersonfromflorida's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Miscarriage, Colonisation, and War
Moderate: Death, Islamophobia, and Murder
Minor: Infidelity, Sexual content, and Alcohol
booksillremember's review against another edition
informative
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Really interesting to learn about the everyday life of Palestinians and the layers of privilege and oppression that affect different Palestinians differently depending on what class they belong to, what languages they know, where they live, and what ID they hold.
The book also makes you think about the complex connection between art, audience and resistance.
However, I almost DNFed this because I couldn't connect with the narrator - she's too much of a teenager for a 38-year-old woman which feeds into the cliché of the self-absorbed and vain actress. The relationships between Sonia and her sister (and wider family) and Sonia and director Mariam were really promising but ultimately underwhelming. I think this novel would have benefited from multiple POVs.
The book also makes you think about the complex connection between art, audience and resistance.
However, I almost DNFed this because I couldn't connect with the narrator - she's too much of a teenager for a 38-year-old woman which feeds into the cliché of the self-absorbed and vain actress. The relationships between Sonia and her sister (and wider family) and Sonia and director Mariam were really promising but ultimately underwhelming. I think this novel would have benefited from multiple POVs.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Police brutality, and War
Minor: Miscarriage and Abortion
anushareflects's review
adventurous
dark
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
A unique story focused on the Israel-Palestine conflict through the lens of Hamlet.
Very intriguing writing using a theatre production of Hamlet to convey underlying meanings of the conflict in Israel-Palestine. A good book for theatre nerds or people who want fiction based in Palestine and focused on Palestinian perspective of the war. But there are a lot of unnecessary details about the protagonist who by the way is so unbearably dull. The audiobook narrator is simply horrendous and I think I lost so much of the charm of this book because the narrator straight up botched the reading. There are no inflections, it’s just read in a monotone. Overall, interesting plot but please don’t get the audio version on audible.
Very intriguing writing using a theatre production of Hamlet to convey underlying meanings of the conflict in Israel-Palestine. A good book for theatre nerds or people who want fiction based in Palestine and focused on Palestinian perspective of the war. But there are a lot of unnecessary details about the protagonist who by the way is so unbearably dull. The audiobook narrator is simply horrendous and I think I lost so much of the charm of this book because the narrator straight up botched the reading. There are no inflections, it’s just read in a monotone. Overall, interesting plot but please don’t get the audio version on audible.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Genocide, Miscarriage, and War
abisnail564's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Miscarriage, Violence, Colonisation, and War
Moderate: Islamophobia and Murder
Minor: Infidelity and Sexual content
salemander's review
5.0
absolutely phenomenal. heartbreaking and poetic and truly incredible storytelling. reminded me a lot of station eleven but much more impactful and real.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Genocide, Miscarriage, Grief, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, and War