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A review by elislittlelibrary
Minor Detail by Adania Shibli
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