You need to sign in or sign up before continuing.
Scan barcode
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
kirstym25's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Miscarriage, Colonisation, and War
Moderate: Death, Islamophobia, and Murder
rorikae's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
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
4.0
'Enter Ghost' by Isabella Hammad is a contemplative novel about a woman returning home to Palestine and acting in a production of Hamlet.
While visiting her sister in Haifa, Sonia is introduced to Mariam, who is staging a production of Hamlet in the West Bank. In need of more actors, she casts Sonia as Gertrude. As rehearsals ramp up, so too do the obstacles that the production has to being put on. As Sonia reconnects with her past and works to heal from her time in England, the production of Hamlet becomes an act of resistance.
Hammad has created a deeply human story rooted in the importance of art as resistance. Sonia is a flawed, complex character, which makes her all the easier to sympathize with. Her past slowly unfolds as she reconnects with her sister and the land. This story also showcases the stark realities of occupation in Palestine, including the violence and persecution that Palestinian people are subjected to. Parts of the story were told through scripts, which was a great use of form though it didn't translate as well to audio as I think it does in print. My favorite aspect of this story is the actual production of Hamlet and how the company uses the play to speak to their current situation.
While visiting her sister in Haifa, Sonia is introduced to Mariam, who is staging a production of Hamlet in the West Bank. In need of more actors, she casts Sonia as Gertrude. As rehearsals ramp up, so too do the obstacles that the production has to being put on. As Sonia reconnects with her past and works to heal from her time in England, the production of Hamlet becomes an act of resistance.
Hammad has created a deeply human story rooted in the importance of art as resistance. Sonia is a flawed, complex character, which makes her all the easier to sympathize with. Her past slowly unfolds as she reconnects with her sister and the land. This story also showcases the stark realities of occupation in Palestine, including the violence and persecution that Palestinian people are subjected to. Parts of the story were told through scripts, which was a great use of form though it didn't translate as well to audio as I think it does in print. My favorite aspect of this story is the actual production of Hamlet and how the company uses the play to speak to their current situation.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Miscarriage, Medical content, Grief, Pregnancy, Colonisation, and War
Moderate: Islamophobia
Minor: Death and Violence
tashtasher's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Genocide, Gun violence, Miscarriage, Racism, Violence, Police brutality, Islamophobia, Grief, Pregnancy, and Colonisation
Moderate: Death, Toxic relationship, Pregnancy, and War
Minor: Abandonment and Alcohol
mlewis's review
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
fast-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: Death, Genocide, Xenophobia, Islamophobia, Colonisation, and War
Moderate: Infertility, Miscarriage, Misogyny, and Murder
Minor: Pregnancy and Alcohol
serendipitysbooks's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
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
5.0
I found Enter Ghost to be a really well-written and thought provoking novel. Reading it now at a time when violence in the region is at an all time high added an extra layer of poignancy, depth and meaning to my reading experience. The plot begins when Sonia, an actress of Danish- Palestinian descent, travels to Haifa to visit her sister, a trip she hasn’t made for eleven years. While there she is persuaded to join a production of Hamlet which is being planned for the West Bank. I especially appreciated the parallels which were drawn between Hamlet and the political situation faced by Palestinians. Links could also be drawn between Hamlet and its staging for this performance, and between Hamlet and issues in Sonia’s life. Those parallels and the way the play was used as a form of political protest shows why Hamlet is considered a classic and highlights the importance of the arts and what they offer to society. I was struck by the many differences between the Palestinian characters - some lived in refugee camps, some in Israel, some in the West Bank, some were born there, some were born elsewhere, some had left and some had chosen to stay. Sonia, only ever a visitor and one who had been long absent, had to negotiate her identity as a Palestinian personally and politically. The difficulties of everyday life in Israel for Palestinians was undeniable - the passports, the checkpoints, the restrictions on who would go where, the ever changing roadblocks - and frequently exacerbated by the capriciousness of Israeli authorities and soldiers who seemed to enjoy exerting power simply for the sake of it and appeared far too willing to reach for the trigger on their ever present, prominent gun. In the wider scheme of things - and certainly compared to the current situation - these aggressions were relatively minor. And yet they still made me think; they are all part of the same continuum. The prose was excellent, some sentences exquisite, and the fact that some parts were written as a play script and unexpected bonus. All in all an excellent reading experience and one I’d recommend.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Miscarriage, Violence, Police brutality, and Islamophobia
mmefish's review
emotional
reflective
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
5.0
Amazing. I'm so glad I've stumbled upon this book—it is, to me, an embodiment of a perfect novel.
I never know what to say in a 5 star review; I just loved everything about it.
I never know what to say in a 5 star review; I just loved everything about it.
The sex was like his rehearsal room: he drew me out, I waited for his approval, his adjustment, his suggestion; he the leader, I the star. I told him one evening that I wanted him to destroy me. I was shocked by the sound of that word in my mouth. He responded by becoming slightly violent, although the violence was more suggested than actual, more fleeting reminders of his physical strength. The oblivion I was asking for but did not understand persisted on the horizon of our affair like a summer thundercloud, and in the nights I ran through its long shadow as though I might reach it, while it remained there, taunting me from a distance, unbroken rain.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Eating disorder, Gun violence, Miscarriage, Islamophobia, Murder, Colonisation, and War
Minor: Sexual content
jenmcreads's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Miscarriage, Xenophobia, Abortion, and War
Moderate: Genocide, Hate crime, Sexism, Torture, Police brutality, Islamophobia, Medical content, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, Pregnancy, Colonisation, and War