ies80 's review for:

Een klein detail by Adania Shibli

4.0

dark tense medium-paced

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This short book leaves a lasting impact. 

Part 1 follows an Israeli commander and his soldiers in the Negev Desert in 1949. The narration style reminded me of a nature documentary—detached and observational. We see everything unfold but never truly get inside his head. 

Part 2 shifts to the first-person perspective of a Palestinian woman decades later, giving insight in her experience of life in Israel/Palestine. Through this, we come to realize that history keeps repeating itself. The book reinforces this idea by mirroring several details from Part 1 in Part 2, including the haunting "minor detail" that concludes the story. 

At first, I wondered if these connections were a bit too deliberate, but the novella lingered in my mind long after I finished it. Overall, I was impressed.