Reviews with content warning for Animal cruelty - Minor Detail

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Reviews tagging 'Animal cruelty'

Minor Detail by Adania Shibli, عدنية شبلي

58 reviews

yomireads's review against another edition

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dark informative reflective sad fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

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serendipitysbooks's review against another edition

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challenging dark reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

A Minor Detail unfolds in two sections. The first is set in the summer of 1949 and follows an Israeli soldier in charge of a platoon patrolling a border area. He and his soldiers commit an horrific act of brutality. This section was sparse and haunting, with a cold detached character and very precise prose that built up a sense of dread and anticipation. The second section, set 25 years later, follows a Palestinian woman who travels to Israel in the hope of learning more about the incident. What really struck me here were the details that mirrored those from the first chapter - a spider, the smell of petrol, the barking dog. A chilling reflection of the Palestinian experience highlighting the violence and disempowerment which mar their lives.

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emilily's review against another edition

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challenging dark reflective sad tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

This book is hard to review, and harder to read.

Utterly challenging, this book feels sluggish and repetitive at times, but shocking and jarring at others. This books is divided into two parellel stories of Israeli soldiers in 1949 who capture, assault, and kill a young girl, followed by the modern day story of a young woman who learns of the historic tragedy, and becomes obsessed with uncovering more about the murdered girl.

The prose is carefully considered, but uncomfortable to read. 'Minor details' are ever present -- the storytelling often gives much attention to little, mundane details, to the point of feeling irritating. I often wanted the author to get on with it, instead of spending such a long time on seemingly irrelevant details... but I think that was the point. The author seemed to want the reader to feel uncomfortable while reading these passages. It hits harder when you realise that exceptional care is taken to describe these minor details in the commander's life, while virtually no detail is provided about the captured girl. This creates space to reflect on the fact that 'history is told by the victors', while victims seldom have their stories recorded in the same detail.

The book is also filled with minor details drawing attention to the similarities and differences between the region in 1949 vs the present. Throughout the story of the modern day women, readers are provided insight into the current challenges of living as a Palestinian, while noting how little has changed since the troubles of 1949.

Minor Detail is not an easy read. It is horribly uncomfortable and challenging, yet there is no denying that it is impactful. I'll be thinking about this read for a long time.

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nadia's review against another edition

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challenging dark tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

Such a brutal, powerful read focusing on the experiences of Palestinian life under Israeli occupation, told in a unique fashion — both in the narrative style and the choice of perspectives. I went into it not knowing what to expect and I was intrigued from the beginning.

Given the themes and content warnings, this is not easy reading at all, but it's incredible how Shibli's almost unassuming writing made even the most supposedly mundane details fascinating.

This is a short book but there's lots packed in here to think about.

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