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4.55 AVERAGE
4.55 AVERAGE
“We were naïvely full of dreams and hope then, blessedly unaware that we were the world’s rubbish, left to tread in its own misery and excrement.” (Abulhawa 174)
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
challenging
emotional
Hard read that's worth understanding deep historical context. Beautifully written.
I think this is my second read from this author and I don’t enjoy her style. I feel detached from the text, almost like reading a report about events rather than a novel. On the other hand I would say my formal education never covered Israel’s expansion and atrocities, so a useful eye opener perhaps
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This book was informative, heartbreaking, and though provoking novel that portrays the conflict between Israelis and Palestinians across three generations of one family.
The novel depicts the many devastating events and racist treatment that has happened to Palestinians, and though it was difficult to read, I felt appreciative to Susan Abulhawa for capturing these plights so that we as readers may reckon with current events that various countries are contributing to/involved in.
Throughout the story, there is also a robust portrayal of the Palestinian family’s love for one another and their homeland while also noting the complexity associated with England’s involvement in the conflict, the ripples from the persecution of Jews, and how culture can create ginormous gaps in connection.
At the end I felt like my eyes have been opened and at the same time very sad about the reality of this world.
The novel depicts the many devastating events and racist treatment that has happened to Palestinians, and though it was difficult to read, I felt appreciative to Susan Abulhawa for capturing these plights so that we as readers may reckon with current events that various countries are contributing to/involved in.
Throughout the story, there is also a robust portrayal of the Palestinian family’s love for one another and their homeland while also noting the complexity associated with England’s involvement in the conflict, the ripples from the persecution of Jews, and how culture can create ginormous gaps in connection.
At the end I felt like my eyes have been opened and at the same time very sad about the reality of this world.
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
informative
inspiring
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
challenging
emotional
informative
sad
tense
medium-paced
DNF June 2025 p.66/338 20%
I’ve previously read & loved Against the Loveless World by Susan Abulhawa so I thought this would be good too, but unfortunately I’m not getting along with how it’s written.
There’s just so much telling and not enough showing, and it’s also only a little over 300 pages, yet is spans all the way from 1941 to 2002.
Obviously I can’t speak for the whole novel, but so far we’re just not spending enough time with the characters and the events for me to connect with it. It feels like reading an overview of a story, rather than the full one.
Obviously I can’t speak for the whole novel, but so far we’re just not spending enough time with the characters and the events for me to connect with it. It feels like reading an overview of a story, rather than the full one.
For me this would have worked so much better had it focussed on a shorter time frame, or if it had like 200 more pages so everything could get the time it deserves.