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justmasha's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
3.0
this book was beautiful, but so tragic for no apparent reason :(
i know it was a short story, and the style of story/writing is very particular, but i would have liked a bit more building of the characters and actual story. it was very lyrical and sweepy, and full of beautiful sentiments throughout.
i liked the ideas it brought out regarding love and lebanese society at the time, i thought it was interesting to see the author’s perspective on such matters.
overall i thought it was nice but i wished i liked it more.
i’d recommend this to those who like a classic tragic romance story with a focus on the poetic writing, and a lovely spark of the middle eastern setting.
i know it was a short story, and the style of story/writing is very particular, but i would have liked a bit more building of the characters and actual story. it was very lyrical and sweepy, and full of beautiful sentiments throughout.
i liked the ideas it brought out regarding love and lebanese society at the time, i thought it was interesting to see the author’s perspective on such matters.
overall i thought it was nice but i wished i liked it more.
i’d recommend this to those who like a classic tragic romance story with a focus on the poetic writing, and a lovely spark of the middle eastern setting.
cha_cha's review against another edition
5.0
this was easily the most melodramatic, bizarre thing I've ever read in my life. LOVED IT. There were times where some of the allegories and metaphors were a weird as heck and over the top, but the parts that were good made up for it. One of the rare, rare books that make me tear up reading certain passages, the prose melted my heart.
It removed from my shoulders the wings of youth and made me like a pond of water between mountains which reflects in its calm surface the shadows of ghosts and the colours of clouds and trees, but cannot find an outlet by which to pass singing to the sea.
I answered her, saying, “I will do all you have said and will make my soul an envelope for your soul, and my heart a residence for your beauty and my breast a grave for your sorrows. I shall love you, Selma, as the prairies love the spring, and I shall live in you in the life of a flower under the sun’s rays. I shall sing your name as the valley sings the echo of the bells of the village churches; I shall listen to the language of your soul as the shore listens to the story of the waves.
The sun is the mother of earth and gives it its nourishment of heat; it never leaves the universe at night until it has put the earth to sleep to the song of the sea and the hymn of birds and brooks. And this earth is the mother of trees and flowers. It produces them, nurses them, and weans them. The trees and flowers become kind mothers of their great fruits and seeds. And the mother, the prototype of all existence, is the eternal spirit, full of beauty and love.
It removed from my shoulders the wings of youth and made me like a pond of water between mountains which reflects in its calm surface the shadows of ghosts and the colours of clouds and trees, but cannot find an outlet by which to pass singing to the sea.
I answered her, saying, “I will do all you have said and will make my soul an envelope for your soul, and my heart a residence for your beauty and my breast a grave for your sorrows. I shall love you, Selma, as the prairies love the spring, and I shall live in you in the life of a flower under the sun’s rays. I shall sing your name as the valley sings the echo of the bells of the village churches; I shall listen to the language of your soul as the shore listens to the story of the waves.
The sun is the mother of earth and gives it its nourishment of heat; it never leaves the universe at night until it has put the earth to sleep to the song of the sea and the hymn of birds and brooks. And this earth is the mother of trees and flowers. It produces them, nurses them, and weans them. The trees and flowers become kind mothers of their great fruits and seeds. And the mother, the prototype of all existence, is the eternal spirit, full of beauty and love.
mtun's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
asia_b's review against another edition
3.0
3.5
Tragedia moderna per colpa di uno stato ancora troppo legato alle vecchie leggi. Un amore tenero che meritava di essere vissuto.
Gibran poi, trasuda poesia e potrebbe anche elencare la lista della spesa in maniera squisita.
Tragedia moderna per colpa di uno stato ancora troppo legato alle vecchie leggi. Un amore tenero che meritava di essere vissuto.
Gibran poi, trasuda poesia e potrebbe anche elencare la lista della spesa in maniera squisita.
sulata's review against another edition
5.0
A beautiful and tragic poetic love story ❤
The mastery Kahlil Gibran possesses in writing in the most beautiful way is beyond possible. It's a simple love story but with his style of writing, you'll be swept from the floor and taken to the realm of love and nature.
The most romantic yet tragic book I have ever read.
Oh, Selma .. I feel you the most ❣❣
"Selma was the symbol of the future Oriental woman, but like many who lie ahead of their time, she became the victim of the present."
"Poets are unhappy people, for no matter how high their spirits reach, they will still be enclosed in an envelope of tears."
“Have mercy, O Lord, and strengthen all the broken wings.”
The mastery Kahlil Gibran possesses in writing in the most beautiful way is beyond possible. It's a simple love story but with his style of writing, you'll be swept from the floor and taken to the realm of love and nature.
The most romantic yet tragic book I have ever read.
Oh, Selma .. I feel you the most ❣❣
"Selma was the symbol of the future Oriental woman, but like many who lie ahead of their time, she became the victim of the present."
"Poets are unhappy people, for no matter how high their spirits reach, they will still be enclosed in an envelope of tears."
“Have mercy, O Lord, and strengthen all the broken wings.”
adorecat's review against another edition
4.0
4.5! this book is so beautiful but it just felt like something was missing unfortunately
waadyk's review against another edition
emotional
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
eyanyuc's review against another edition
5.0
this book broke my heart but man, if there isn’t something worth highlighting on every page