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robinks's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
sad
tense
medium-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
5.0
Phew, this little novel packs a punch. Adania does a masterful job of narrating from the perspectives of two very different characters. What happened and continues to happen in Palestine is horrific. #FreePalestine
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Racism, Child death, Colonisation, Confinement, Genocide, Gore, Pedophilia, Sexual violence, Violence, Child abuse, Vomit, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Islamophobia, Murder, Police brutality, Rape, Sexual assault, and Torture
goodthingsread's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
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? It's complicated
3.5
Excellent writing, harsh and brutal. I found the first half to be a bit too "literary." The soldier has an infection; he is sick physically and morally, yes. I also found the ending, while impactful, a little off. I can't think of any other result, but the small detail that gets us there feels silly in context.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Rape, Religious bigotry, Murder, Islamophobia, and Sexual assault
Minor: Animal cruelty
aprettybookshelf's review against another edition
dark
emotional
informative
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Physical abuse, Rape, Death, Hate crime, War, Sexual assault, Racism, Sexual violence, Violence, Colonisation, Kidnapping, and Murder
linaherondale's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
It's only 100 pages but it's a punch in the guts. It's a book I would recommend to everyone. Adania Shibli, a palestinian writer, recounts the story of a young Bedouin palestinian girl who was gang r*ped and killed by iof soldiers in 1949, a year after the Nakba. Decades later, a young woman living in Ramallah decides to look into this "minor detail" of history and crosses the borders of occupation to go after the truth.
I've rarely read books with such skillful writing. Through a spiralling narration that felt almost out of breathe, the author encapsulates the anxiety and terror of living under occupation and the alienation of a people dispossed of their land as well as the dehumanization of the colonial project. Mostly, despite taking place decades ago, this story read as awfully relevant to the horrors happening in Palestine right now. It's a testimony of how the past haunts the present.
This is a must-read!!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Rape and Sexual assault
Minor: Murder
djbobthegirl's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- 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
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Confinement, Gun violence, Sexual violence, Medical content, Torture, Animal death, Colonisation, Death, Genocide, Islamophobia, Murder, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Violence, and War
elislittlelibrary's review against another edition
dark
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
This book is not easy to read, but I can only recommend it!
The book is split into two parts, which are very distinctively different from one another. The writing, showing the personality of the characters, is so different, it's quite astonishing it was written by the same person. As implied by the title, the book relies on 'minor details'. Sounds, places or small events that seem minor in the first part are used again, sometimes in a totally different context, in the second part. While very subtle, this repetition is really strong. This is not an easy read at all and this repetition adds to that.
This book is a literary masterpiece and the story itself is so important as well. This is a truly disturbing read and will probably shock you (especially if you haven't read a lot about Palestine and Israel). So please keep in mind that this book will (and should) disturb you, but if you can handle it, please, please read this book! I have picked this book up in light of the fact that the author was uninvited from the Frankfurt book fair, where she was due to receive a prize for 'Minor Detail'. While I'm still enraged this happened, I'm glad I found this book and have bought a physical copy of the book after reading a copy from the library.
The book is split into two parts, which are very distinctively different from one another. The writing, showing the personality of the characters, is so different, it's quite astonishing it was written by the same person. As implied by the title, the book relies on 'minor details'. Sounds, places or small events that seem minor in the first part are used again, sometimes in a totally different context, in the second part. While very subtle, this repetition is really strong. This is not an easy read at all and this repetition adds to that.
This book is a literary masterpiece and the story itself is so important as well. This is a truly disturbing read and will probably shock you (especially if you haven't read a lot about Palestine and Israel). So please keep in mind that this book will (and should) disturb you, but if you can handle it, please, please read this book! I have picked this book up in light of the fact that the author was uninvited from the Frankfurt book fair, where she was due to receive a prize for 'Minor Detail'. While I'm still enraged this happened, I'm glad I found this book and have bought a physical copy of the book after reading a copy from the library.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape, Murder, Death, and War
thetenaciousbookworm's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape, Colonisation, Death, Animal cruelty, and Murder
maddamreads's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
Challenging and poetic prose. The parallels between the two sides of the story are worth exploring. I felt as though I would have enjoyed it more if I knew more about Palestinian history and was more patient.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault, Rape, Murder, and Violence
manicake's review against another edition
4.0
Twisted my stomach. I almost had to put it away at a point, but I’m happy I pushed through. Free Palestine! 🇵🇸
Content Warnings
Graphic: War, Sexual assault, Murder, Child abuse, and Pedophilia
Moderate: Rape and Grief
joymargot's review against another edition
As others have said, it somehow doesn’t feel right to give this a star rating.
An uncomfortable read, but an important one. I confess I wasn’t completely drawn in by the mundane matter-of-fact writing style, but it serves as a contrast to the ending of each chapter.
A quick read, and a valuable insight into life under occupation. Free Palestine! 🇵🇸🍉🕊️
Content Warnings
Moderate: War, Genocide, Death, Violence, Murder, Sexual assault, Rape, Injury/Injury detail, and Grief