Reviews tagging 'Colonisation'

The Island of Missing Trees by Elif Shafak

29 reviews

rena_raven's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child death, Death, Homophobia, Colonisation, and War

Moderate: Alcoholism and Suicide

daniellekat's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.25

Beautifully written. The descriptive, almost lyrical writing was reminiscent of Middle Eastern story telling, and was fitting for this book. The characters were believable despite not being overly developed and I enjoyed the way Shafak moved between past and present. I originally loved the chapters from the POV of the fig tree but later chapters felt repetitive and I thought the tree was aware of too much information. My main issue with this book was that there was too much telling and not enough showing. No mysteries were left unsolved and everything was explicitly explained. The interweaving of ecological awareness and advocacy was done really well and added to the overall plot. The historical rooting of the book was also well written and the author struck a perfect balance between historical and fiction. Looking forward to checking out more from this author in the future.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Death of parent, and War

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Homophobia, Mental illness, Violence, and Colonisation

Minor: Alcoholism, Child death, Suicide, and Abortion

Environmental destruction

bootrat's review against another edition

emotional informative reflective medium-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

3.0

I enjoyed this book, and I learnt some more about the history of Cyprus and the struggle of the people living there, but I struggled to connect with the characters. I found myself liking the fig tree more than any of the humans, I wish I'd been able to sympathise with them more. 
Beautiful prose, metaphors, and comparisons, so if you like that then you'll love this book (but that style of writing isn't usually my thing).

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Xenophobia, Grief, Alcohol, and War

Moderate: Alcoholism, Hate crime, Homophobia, Mental illness, Suicide, Religious bigotry, Abortion, Death of parent, Murder, and Colonisation

Minor: Child death

kaanda's review against another edition

emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.75

So descriptive that I can clearly see the tavern and every character in it. A very beautiful and painful story with seamless flow. Loved it!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Death, Violence, Xenophobia, Grief, Abortion, Death of parent, Abandonment, and War

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Hate crime, Homophobia, Racism, Sexism, Suicide, Murder, and Pregnancy

Minor: Gun violence, Misogyny, Sexual content, Colonisation, and Classism

mr_cain's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

I love the fig tree as a narrator!!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Child death, Death, Violence, Xenophobia, Grief, Alcohol, Colonisation, and War

Moderate: Gun violence, Hate crime, Homophobia, Police brutality, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, and Fire/Fire injury

Minor: Alcoholism and Torture

nineinchnails's review

with everything going on right now the last thing i want to read is coloniser sympathising. there’s something especially disturbing to me abt revisionism favoring the oppressors in historical fiction specifically - it had potential but left a really bad taste in my mouth

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Xenophobia, Grief, Colonisation, and War

Moderate: Death of parent

Minor: Abandonment

Partition/Segregation

utopiaandmelancholy's review

challenging emotional inspiring reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Stunningly written. The subject matter is difficult, but the hope shines through as well. I wasn't very aware of the history around the Cyprus civil war, which is still in very recent history, but this was a vivid and personal introduction. The fig tree sections I also thought were beautiful. I already have an interest in plant science so I did already know some of the amazing facts that are shared, but I loved the way they also support the story. A fantastic exploration of love against the odds, generational trauma, and the fracturing of a community in a troubled time.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Child death, Gun violence, Hate crime, Homophobia, Mental illness, Police brutality, Islamophobia, Medical content, Grief, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, War, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Drug abuse, Drug use, Pregnancy, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Colonisation

Minor: Abortion

miaaa_lenaaa's review

challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

There were a lot of things that i really enjoyed about this book and i do think it is very good but i think because i liked it, it frustrated me more at times
Like the bits from the fig tree: super interesting idea, love that as a way to tell history! But should have been edited down way more, and sometimes it felt too non fictiony for a fiction book
Also there were several different quotes i really liked but if that because sometimes it feels like she just keeps saying the say thing until she can get it across perfectly? Idk felt like it should have been edited more
So yeah would recommend, and it was v good and with a really interesting topic that ive not read about before but also why would a bee be able to read? Y’know?

‘People assume it's a matter of personality, the difference between optimists and pessimists. But I believe it all comes down to an inability to forget. The greater your powers of retention, the slimmer your chances at optimism.’

‘when you leave your home for unknown shores, you don't simply carry on as before; a part of you dies inside so that another part can start all over again.’

‘'Because the past is a dark, distorted mirror. You look at it, you only see your own pain. There is no room in there for someone else's pain.'’

‘sometimes what you called a perpetrator was just another name for an unacknowledged victim.’

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Gore, Hate crime, Homophobia, Mental illness, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Abortion, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Colonisation, and War

jenlovesbooksandcoffee's review against another edition

emotional hopeful reflective relaxing sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Sometimes, what you call the perpetrator was just another name for an unacknowledged victim.

The audio is so good!

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Bullying, Drug abuse, Genocide, Hate crime, Homophobia, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Xenophobia, Abortion, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Colonisation, and War

jayvdw's review against another edition

emotional hopeful reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

I really enjoyed this book. I loved the different perspectives whilst reading, especially the fig tree. The different perspectives really teach that everyone has their own struggles, past and emotions that shape that person. Furthermore, I loved reading the perspective of the fig tree, this really gave me a better appreciation of nature and all the intertwining forms of life. The book is also full of small life lessons, about how to deal with trauma, loss and love. One thing I was very happy to find out whilst reading, is the way Shafak talks about Cyprus, the fact that she speaks of the island and of it's inhabitants as islanders. I also learned more about the personal effects the civil war had on the residents of the island. A good friend of mine is from Cyprus and warned me that a lot of books about Cyprus get lost in the politics of the island and are almost always biased for one side, I was very happy to learn that this was not the case for this book.

Concerning the ending, 

I always had a suspicion that the fig tree might be more than it let on, but to find out that it was the spirit of Defne was a very nice ending. It really ties together the different themes of the book, about spiritualism from Meryem and the love for trees from Kostas. I also liked that some things in the book were left open-ended, such as the question Ada asks Meryem and the exact way that Defne dies.

 

Overall, I really enjoyed my reading of this book, sometimes it made me sad whilst at other moments it was very joyful. I loved learning about the different perspectives and about the island of Cyprus. Writing-wise, I really enjoyed the small chapters, it made the book way more accessible. Overall I give it a 4.75. For me, it's just barely not a full 5, the book just missed a certain spark that would keep me hooked to read it nonstop, but overall it's an amazing book. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: War

Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal death, Bullying, Child death, Death, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Grief, Abortion, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Colonisation

Minor: Hate crime