Reviews

The Butterfly's Burden by Mahmoud Darwish

losethegirl's review against another edition

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emotional informative reflective

3.75

floatinthevoid's review

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emotional reflective sad slow-paced

4.25

God, this collections of poetry made me feel things!! 

"Take me to the end
of the earth before morning rises on a moon that used
to cry blood in bed gently
as a star takes the dreamers in vain"

Sometimes it's seductive and intimate, sometimes it's detached and desolate. 

"After your night, night of the last winter,
the soldiers pitched their camp in a faraway place and a white moon alighted on my balcony
and I sat with my freedom silently staring into our night: Who am I? Who am I after your night
night of the last winter?"

He got the range! It's heartbreakingly beautiful overall.

nako's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional reflective sad slow-paced

5.0

boekentip's review against another edition

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4.0

Ik schreef een (kort) paper over deze bundel in combinatie met mensenrechten in het conflict Israël-Palestina. Wat ik heel fijn vond, is dat de originele Arabische tekst behouden was in deze bundel. Ik kon het dan wel niet lezen, maar het is zo waardevol om dat te behouden.
Ik weet (te) weinig van Arabische cultuur en absoluut niets van het gewicht van de Zionistische kolonisatie en de systematische onderdrukking dat op de schouders van het Palestijnse volk weegt. Dat maakt het lastig deze gedichten te interpreteren, omdat deze cultuur en ervaringen zo vervlochten zijn met de woorden en interpretaties. Ze zijn zo ingebed in een wereld die mij onbekend is. Desalniettemin zijn de gedichten prachtig, de beelden sterk en de emoties voelbaar. Ik heb dan misschien maar een fractie van de vele lagen en betekenissen begrepen, slechts de oppervlakte verkend, het is een bijzondere bundel. Taal is krachtig en vertalen is een prachtig vak.

danabook's review against another edition

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4.5

beautiful……

milffiction's review against another edition

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challenging emotional inspiring mysterious slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? N/A
  • Strong character development? N/A
  • Loveable characters? N/A
  • Diverse cast of characters? N/A
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

5.0

honey_reads98's review against another edition

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challenging emotional mysterious reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? N/A
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

maeclegg's review against another edition

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emotional reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? N/A
  • Strong character development? N/A
  • Loveable characters? N/A
  • Diverse cast of characters? N/A
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

3.5

alexiasophiia's review against another edition

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dark emotional hopeful reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? N/A
  • Strong character development? N/A
  • Loveable characters? N/A
  • Diverse cast of characters? N/A
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

Very moving book about home, longing, loss of sense and purpose.

warnetteluvr's review against another edition

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4.0

(4⭐️) Everytime I read poetry translated from Arabic I’m like damn half of the meaning is gone with the translation. Translations can never do justice to Arabic texts half of the time no matter how well done it is. But I still really enjoyed this. Arabic and Persian poetry is something made in heaven