Take a photo of a barcode or cover
loiscc's Reviews (313)
Perfectly worded, convincingly put together and articulated in such a way as to make the arguement irrefutable. Oluo discusses the validity of racial inequality in a sweeping manner covering education, cultural appropriation, so-called 'reverse-racism' and much more. This book is written more so for white people in terms of helping them become more socially conscious but it's also an amazing resource for minority ethnic readers as well.
I was immediately drawn to the title of this book as one who has essentially grown up in an environment where I was surrounded by Kosovans and Albanians, particularly during my school years, when there was a sharp increase in the number of migrant Kosovans to London in the aftermath of the war. Many of my schoolmates were Kosovan yet I knew little to nothing about the political unrest in their country and had the vaguest knowledge of a war that ravaged their land so when Robert asked me to review this book, I was very much eager to do so.
The writing in this novel is flawless; it sets the scene perfectly and the plot progresses at a comfortable speed that eases the reader into the story before the pacing suddenly picks up towards the end.
Interlude In Kosovo is the second novel written by former doctor turned author, Robert Hedley. It was published in 2018 by Michael Terence Publishing.
The story is loosely based on Hedley’s own experiences, also working for the World Health Organization in Kosovo during the post-war period, therefore there is a strong medical presence in this novel, however this didn’t detract from the book’s other core themes of political uncertainty, destitution, criminality and infidelity.
I particularly enjoyed the arc surrounding one of the ethnic Albanian characters, where the story conveyed an air of mystery and villainy, the development of which I found to be extremely multi-layered and made me sympathize with their character.
However, I was mostly underwhelmed by the development of the main characters; Claire and James, particularly the latter, not because of his lack of his restraint, or the fact that women seem to want to take their clothes off when there’re around him, but because of the bad decisions he constantly makes throughout the novel which made it difficult for me to empathize with his character.
I also wasn’t keen on the ending which felt a bit too sudden and rushed. The pacing of the novel picked up towards the end which I loved as it built suspense but it also meant that some of the mystery was handled with only cursory detail and therefore left underdeveloped. I was overall satisfied with how it ended but not so much on its execution.
Interlude In Kosovo was nonetheless an extremely enjoyable and insightful read that I would easily recommend. I would definitely read this book again purely for the enjoyment value and not as a critic as I love the story-telling and the light it sheds on the history and culture of Kosovo as well as the cataclysmic effects of oppression at the hands of a Serbian dictator.
The writing in this novel is flawless; it sets the scene perfectly and the plot progresses at a comfortable speed that eases the reader into the story before the pacing suddenly picks up towards the end.
Interlude In Kosovo is the second novel written by former doctor turned author, Robert Hedley. It was published in 2018 by Michael Terence Publishing.
The story is loosely based on Hedley’s own experiences, also working for the World Health Organization in Kosovo during the post-war period, therefore there is a strong medical presence in this novel, however this didn’t detract from the book’s other core themes of political uncertainty, destitution, criminality and infidelity.
I particularly enjoyed the arc surrounding one of the ethnic Albanian characters, where the story conveyed an air of mystery and villainy, the development of which I found to be extremely multi-layered and made me sympathize with their character.
However, I was mostly underwhelmed by the development of the main characters; Claire and James, particularly the latter, not because of his lack of his restraint, or the fact that women seem to want to take their clothes off when there’re around him, but because of the bad decisions he constantly makes throughout the novel which made it difficult for me to empathize with his character.
I also wasn’t keen on the ending which felt a bit too sudden and rushed. The pacing of the novel picked up towards the end which I loved as it built suspense but it also meant that some of the mystery was handled with only cursory detail and therefore left underdeveloped. I was overall satisfied with how it ended but not so much on its execution.
Interlude In Kosovo was nonetheless an extremely enjoyable and insightful read that I would easily recommend. I would definitely read this book again purely for the enjoyment value and not as a critic as I love the story-telling and the light it sheds on the history and culture of Kosovo as well as the cataclysmic effects of oppression at the hands of a Serbian dictator.
Reduction Fired is a ponderous collection of stunning poetry that you can easily get lost in. I loved the abundance of nature imagery that was a consistent theme throughout. It worked really well with the structure of this collection, punctuated by seasons. For example, the poem 'Place' beautifully imagines a life lived underwater and the poem 'Thoughts After Reading Haiku - XXXVI.' personifies nature by likening the exposing of a tree's roots to human immodesty.
Camara effectively constructs verse that mimics the mood of her poems, such as with 'Chalk drawings - V.' where she uses oceans to depict continuity but also structures each stanza in such a way that emulates the rippling motion of waves. You could definitely tell that every sentence was carefully placed and had a clear sense of purpose. This is also true for the poem 'Enough,' about a tall tree that doesn't flower as abundantly as the other trees. In this case, shortened sentences are used to create a lengthy verse that resembles the height of a tree.
Reduction Fired is an impressive collection that develops such themes as love, strength, loss and so much more. It also felt like a personal, embodied work, reminiscent about life, both the highs and lows. I thought it was a joy to read.
Camara effectively constructs verse that mimics the mood of her poems, such as with 'Chalk drawings - V.' where she uses oceans to depict continuity but also structures each stanza in such a way that emulates the rippling motion of waves. You could definitely tell that every sentence was carefully placed and had a clear sense of purpose. This is also true for the poem 'Enough,' about a tall tree that doesn't flower as abundantly as the other trees. In this case, shortened sentences are used to create a lengthy verse that resembles the height of a tree.
Reduction Fired is an impressive collection that develops such themes as love, strength, loss and so much more. It also felt like a personal, embodied work, reminiscent about life, both the highs and lows. I thought it was a joy to read.