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A review by pangnaolin
Sitt Marie Rose by Etel Adnan
adventurous
challenging
dark
reflective
sad
tense
fast-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? Yes
5.0
this was such a short book but it absolutely stunned me. i was only assigned the first 20 pages for a class, but couldn't keep myself and ended up reading the whole book in a day. it was genuinely so incredible. it takes place during the lebanese civil war, centering on a lebanese christian woman (sitt marie rose) who we know pretty much from the beginning is doomed to be killed for supporting palestinian resistance. it was a little hard to follow at first because i felt dropped into the middle of a situation i knew nothing about (especially with a fairly non-linear narrative), but once i found my footing, i was flying through it
adnan writes with this detached calm that makes everything feel even more brutal. especially the violence, which is constant and never quite explodes but simmers under everything-- it’s horrifying, but not gratuitous. she’s not trying to shock you-- she’s trying to make sure you feel it and remember it, and it works.
the structure’s fragmented in a way that really works, in my opinion. we hear about marie rose from everyone except marie rose, and the way they talk about her says more about them than it does about her. it makes sense, because everyone’s projecting onto her, talking around her, using her. she becomes this mirror or symbol or target, depending on who’s speaking. especially the men-- each one tells on himself in a different way with the way he talks about her. the men are actually incredibly well-written (as are all the characters, to be fair)
(examples of characters & traits with some vague references to things they do)fouad, for example, is genuinely a horrifying character. his violence isn’t a breakdown, but a worldview; he feels no shame, no hesitation, no guilt. he talks about cruelty like it’s his right. and then mounir sort of wants to be better, but really just wants marie rose to be willing to be ignorant & worse with him. he can’t let go of his comfort or cowardice. even if he doesn’t hurt her himself, he stands there and lets it happen. his whole section made my stomach turn in a quieter way. and the palestinian doctor she truly does love who seems to truly love her, too, we get very little of. his point of view still isn't important in the dominant culture, even as a man
finally, there’s the the deaf-blind children marie rose teaches, who speak in chorus (one character, speaking as an "us" and “we” like a single being). they were probably one of the most interesting & devastating parts to me. i love the way they talk about marie rose-- their voices full of reverence and fear and so much love, almost as if they’re talking about a god. she's held the world together for them, and they speak about her the way no one else can: without agenda, without ego, just love and loss and a sense that something beautiful has been broken
this novella is also just beautifully written. not in a flowery way-- adnan’s style is spare and strange and dreamlike, with things shifting suddenly and an expectation that you can keep up with it-- but i liked that. it felt honest. this is a novel doesn’t try to explain war to you; it shows people changing inside it.
it’s not an easy read, and it’s definitely not comforting, but i finished it and immediately wanted to read it again. i think i'll likely stay thinking about it for a while, and i can't wait to read some more of her poetry
adnan writes with this detached calm that makes everything feel even more brutal. especially the violence, which is constant and never quite explodes but simmers under everything-- it’s horrifying, but not gratuitous. she’s not trying to shock you-- she’s trying to make sure you feel it and remember it, and it works.
the structure’s fragmented in a way that really works, in my opinion. we hear about marie rose from everyone except marie rose, and the way they talk about her says more about them than it does about her. it makes sense, because everyone’s projecting onto her, talking around her, using her. she becomes this mirror or symbol or target, depending on who’s speaking. especially the men-- each one tells on himself in a different way with the way he talks about her. the men are actually incredibly well-written (as are all the characters, to be fair)
(examples of characters & traits with some vague references to things they do)
finally, there’s the the deaf-blind children marie rose teaches, who speak in chorus (one character, speaking as an "us" and “we” like a single being). they were probably one of the most interesting & devastating parts to me. i love the way they talk about marie rose-- their voices full of reverence and fear and so much love, almost as if they’re talking about a god. she's held the world together for them, and they speak about her the way no one else can: without agenda, without ego, just love and loss and a sense that something beautiful has been broken
this novella is also just beautifully written. not in a flowery way-- adnan’s style is spare and strange and dreamlike, with things shifting suddenly and an expectation that you can keep up with it-- but i liked that. it felt honest. this is a novel doesn’t try to explain war to you; it shows people changing inside it.
it’s not an easy read, and it’s definitely not comforting, but i finished it and immediately wanted to read it again. i think i'll likely stay thinking about it for a while, and i can't wait to read some more of her poetry