The design and UX isn't done, Rob and Abbie, okkurrrr! 😌
slow_spines's review against another edition
challenging
informative
reflective
fast-paced
4.5
An engaging, well written and conversational account of the role images play in depicting suffering that can easily read in a single sitting.
The themes of the essay are summed up early on when Sontag writes, "to photograph is to frame, and to frame is to exclude". It covers a lot of ground and leaves many questions for the reader, but I think the central ones are: in what sense is an image objective, how do we respond as a result of that presupposition, and with regards to representing suffering, how do art and photography differ? The book closes with some thoughts on how we ought to respond, living as we do in a world of image and information hypersaturation. It was an unexpected conclusion given everything that came before it, but it was at least vaguely hopeful.Â
Its heady stuff, but was far more readable than I expected it to be. I wish she had written more.Â
The themes of the essay are summed up early on when Sontag writes, "to photograph is to frame, and to frame is to exclude". It covers a lot of ground and leaves many questions for the reader, but I think the central ones are: in what sense is an image objective, how do we respond as a result of that presupposition, and with regards to representing suffering, how do art and photography differ? The book closes with some thoughts on how we ought to respond, living as we do in a world of image and information hypersaturation. It was an unexpected conclusion given everything that came before it, but it was at least vaguely hopeful.Â
Its heady stuff, but was far more readable than I expected it to be. I wish she had written more.Â
saintakim's review against another edition
4.0
brillant et virtuose comme on peut l'attendre de Sontag, certes. mais c'est dans les moments polémiques et les affirmations d'une conviction ancrée dans ses expériences du siège de Sarajevo que l'on découvre une perspective qui complexifie la petite musique postmoderne parfois un peu trop nihiliste et invite à faire preuve de courage.
ru_th's review against another edition
informative
reflective
medium-paced
4.75
To designate a hell is not, of course, to tell us anything about how to extract people from that hell, how to moderate hell’s flames. Still, it seems a good in itself to acknowledge, to have enlarged, one’s sense of how much suffering caused by human wickedness there is in the world we share with others.Â
aframe's review against another edition
dark
informative
fast-paced
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and War
juliettetheureau's review against another edition
medium-paced
4.0
Regarding the pain of others deals with war photography: how these images are produced, received, what their aim is, what impacts they can have. At a time when it feels like 60% of the news is war coverage, it is a very enlightening read.
ciaochow's review against another edition
5.0
Growing up, you see films get content rated for violence, but I don't think I ever really thought why. This was such an interesting exercise in thinking, re-thinking the ethics of looking at (or portraying) suffering...until I realised how immune we have become to violence and images of suffering.
What is the point of compassion? Surely it is worse to evoke empathy and compassion if there is no defined course of action to actively help (if that is even the right thing to do, save for white saviour syndrome)? What about on the part of the portrayed? Why is it always the question of power at stake?!?!?!?!!
What is the point of compassion? Surely it is worse to evoke empathy and compassion if there is no defined course of action to actively help (if that is even the right thing to do, save for white saviour syndrome)? What about on the part of the portrayed? Why is it always the question of power at stake?!?!?!?!!