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A review by thecloudthief
I Saw Ramallah by Mourid Barghouti
5.0
I finished reading I Saw Ramallah by Mourid Barghouti today. Even though I read it slowly, it is a short read. It is a memoir written by a late Palestinian poet. The memoir mainly revolves around his visit to his homeland after years, but also mentions parts of his life, recalled memories and some major events.
It offers a very humane perspective on the subject of displacement and belonging, laced with the author's own experiences and observations. It shows daily nuances of Palestinians, their lives and their struggles. It is a powerful rendering of the human aspects of the Palestinian predicament.
The poet Mourid Barghouti spent thirty years in exile, shuttling among the world’s cities, yet secure in none of them; separated from his family for years at a time; never certain whether he was a visitor, a refugee, a citizen, or a guest. His memoir gives us a glimpse of Barghouti’s emotions, fears, thougths and questions. You are able to get the sense of displacement all over the book, and it helps you grasp what it really feels like.
I really like its poetic language, it is well-written. It’s a good account of dispossession and exile. It’s really good, powerful and poignant. I definitely want to read his other memoir, considered a sequel to I Saw Ramallah, ‘I Was Born There, I Was Born Here’.
The book reminded me some lines from a song of Emel Mathlouthi's:
"No tengo lugar. Y no tengo paisaje. Yo menos tengo patria."
I have no place. I have no landscape. I have no homeland.
I loved the book!
5⭐️
It offers a very humane perspective on the subject of displacement and belonging, laced with the author's own experiences and observations. It shows daily nuances of Palestinians, their lives and their struggles. It is a powerful rendering of the human aspects of the Palestinian predicament.
The poet Mourid Barghouti spent thirty years in exile, shuttling among the world’s cities, yet secure in none of them; separated from his family for years at a time; never certain whether he was a visitor, a refugee, a citizen, or a guest. His memoir gives us a glimpse of Barghouti’s emotions, fears, thougths and questions. You are able to get the sense of displacement all over the book, and it helps you grasp what it really feels like.
I really like its poetic language, it is well-written. It’s a good account of dispossession and exile. It’s really good, powerful and poignant. I definitely want to read his other memoir, considered a sequel to I Saw Ramallah, ‘I Was Born There, I Was Born Here’.
The book reminded me some lines from a song of Emel Mathlouthi's:
"No tengo lugar. Y no tengo paisaje. Yo menos tengo patria."
I have no place. I have no landscape. I have no homeland.
I loved the book!
5⭐️