misspalah's review against another edition
4.0
“Divide and rule is no more for we can no longer be divided. How can they control us when at last we can all see one another, talk to one another, plan together? First in Arabic and then the rest of the world in English. Empire sows the seeds of its own defeat. They pulled the plug and we fought them, we burned their police stations to the ground, we drove them out of our cities. Let them come again. They are the ones afraid of us now”.
- The city always wins by Omar Robert Hamilton
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How do you rate a book that has a very important subject matter as it covered the Egypt revolutions in 2011-2013 but at the same time the plot made little sense as it teleporting readers to certain notable events with little context and expect us to be okay with it? NGL, this was my first thought. As a fan of literary and historical fiction, i am familiar with this kind of writing. However, that doesnt mean it is my favorite. It really depends on my mood. This time it doesnt work because i felt the characters were not well developed. Dont get me wrong, the writing was tense and gripping, few times throughout the book i did feel i was there with Khalil and Maryam, seeing the events unfolded as seeing the grief portayed by the mothers who have lost their son by the regime brutality, the hurt that experienced by civillians over greedy politicians, the injuries inflicted by ruthless military - Pages by pages but the description of pain, pain and more pain always finds a way in this book. The book is divided into three parts, Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow. Each section brings its own depiction of the uprisings that occurred in Egypt before 25 January until the present day. The author managed to illustrate the emotions and sentiments of ordinary egyptians in dealing with this revolution. Its totally chaotic, disoriented and not one size fits all. We saw opinions and support divided - young people vs old people, liberals vs conservatives, brotherhood or Military, Mubarak vs Morsi Vs Sisi, Foreign intervention and USA meddling in it really hijacked the movement that in the first place was to have a democratic government. The book ultimately highlighting the youth in this piece of events : their hope for a better future, their relentless activism as they never gave up, they running away when the were chased by the law enforcement for standing up for their rights but they will keep coming back again determine to see the fruitful efforts of what they has done so far. I read this book for about 5 days and it exhausted me completely as the going back and forth between the two voices of the young activists Khalil and Mariam and their group of friends and fellow comrades can be slightly jarring though it does fit the storyline. Overall, this is not an easy read at all but an important one and perhaps that was the ultimate intent of the book - to drown us readers in anger, sorrow, hopelessness and rage over the injustice, cruelty and countless bodies being sacrificed for the cause. Thus, when i saw this quote, i was struck by it : "If a revolution's fuel is death, then what will be its end?" Would i recommend this book other readers? If you already familiar of Egyptian revolution and its aftermath then this book is A MUST READ. However, if you are not familiar, i will definitely ask you to read any non fiction book on regards of Egypt revolution first before you decided to read this.
- The city always wins by Omar Robert Hamilton
.
.
How do you rate a book that has a very important subject matter as it covered the Egypt revolutions in 2011-2013 but at the same time the plot made little sense as it teleporting readers to certain notable events with little context and expect us to be okay with it? NGL, this was my first thought. As a fan of literary and historical fiction, i am familiar with this kind of writing. However, that doesnt mean it is my favorite. It really depends on my mood. This time it doesnt work because i felt the characters were not well developed. Dont get me wrong, the writing was tense and gripping, few times throughout the book i did feel i was there with Khalil and Maryam, seeing the events unfolded as seeing the grief portayed by the mothers who have lost their son by the regime brutality, the hurt that experienced by civillians over greedy politicians, the injuries inflicted by ruthless military - Pages by pages but the description of pain, pain and more pain always finds a way in this book. The book is divided into three parts, Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow. Each section brings its own depiction of the uprisings that occurred in Egypt before 25 January until the present day. The author managed to illustrate the emotions and sentiments of ordinary egyptians in dealing with this revolution. Its totally chaotic, disoriented and not one size fits all. We saw opinions and support divided - young people vs old people, liberals vs conservatives, brotherhood or Military, Mubarak vs Morsi Vs Sisi, Foreign intervention and USA meddling in it really hijacked the movement that in the first place was to have a democratic government. The book ultimately highlighting the youth in this piece of events : their hope for a better future, their relentless activism as they never gave up, they running away when the were chased by the law enforcement for standing up for their rights but they will keep coming back again determine to see the fruitful efforts of what they has done so far. I read this book for about 5 days and it exhausted me completely as the going back and forth between the two voices of the young activists Khalil and Mariam and their group of friends and fellow comrades can be slightly jarring though it does fit the storyline. Overall, this is not an easy read at all but an important one and perhaps that was the ultimate intent of the book - to drown us readers in anger, sorrow, hopelessness and rage over the injustice, cruelty and countless bodies being sacrificed for the cause. Thus, when i saw this quote, i was struck by it : "If a revolution's fuel is death, then what will be its end?" Would i recommend this book other readers? If you already familiar of Egyptian revolution and its aftermath then this book is A MUST READ. However, if you are not familiar, i will definitely ask you to read any non fiction book on regards of Egypt revolution first before you decided to read this.
jessicahyf's review against another edition
4.0
I don’t think I enjoyed this novel - it took me freaking forever to finish it, but it’s a necessary and good read. It’s bleak, brutal, relentless, and doesn’t give you much space to breathe, just like the revolution itself. I imagine it’s going to hit home for many given the global wave of protests over the past few years. At least it hits home for me. It’s the closest I’ll ever get with a revolution, be it successful or failed, and I deeply appreciate its honesty to not shy away from all the difficult decisions facing everyone who took part in it.
robin_vdputte's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
mirias's review against another edition
dark
emotional
inspiring
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
5.0
therkive's review against another edition
4.0
Speechless, honestly. My heart aches because isn't the betrayal of revolution worse than the act of anarchy itself? I haven't read much about the 2011 Egyptian revolution, outside of what was taught through the American lens during world history in high school. That being said, it's palpable in this book, of how the younger generation would do anything for a better life under a better government - for themselves, for their loved ones, for their fellow Egyptians - and in overthrowing one corrupt leader, elected someone who made false promises only to turn his back (like most leaders inevitably do) on the people to push forward his own agenda. The use of social media in this is remarkable as well; the revolution occurred during the rise of globalization and its effects - diaspora returning home to protest, journalists internationally covering it through their own rose-tinted lenses - are evident in the aftermath of the revolution. The ending fell short; I understood the concept of Khalil, a Palestinian diaspora, fleeing after his friends began being murdered and arrested, but it left a sour taste in my mouth. How it is easy for someone who has no permanent ties (you can argue that Mariam and what he had stake during the revolution could be permanent) to pack up and leave in order to protect themselves, while their loved ones stay back to continue fighting for their rights and beliefs. Regardless, I feel like this is such an important read, to bring forth and understand the pain so many face when attempting to overthrow corrupt regimes in the face of Western imperialism.
nowwar's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
baekhyjn's review
3.0
I loved learning about the 2011 failed Egyptian Revolution in such a lyrical way. The author writes page-long sentences in critical moments that often make you run out of breath in your mind. I learnt a lot.
noursie22's review
2.0
I want to give this book a better rating because it is beautifully written. It took me a long time to read, the writer demands so much emotionally (especially from Egyptians, who were there, who know, who experienced what is written). I need to take the time parse out why this book makes me uneasy, and perhaps I can't say that I 'liked it' because it was so difficult to get through and while the fracturing felt very real and relatable, the writing felt like it stood on its emotional triggering alone (for me), and I had a hard time dividing myself from that without dissociating basically from the text.
05hamiltonk's review against another edition
5.0
Wow. I completely fell in love with this book. The first thing I’ve read in a while that I couldn’t put down and was burning to read.
It really transports you to Cairo, to the middle of the revolution, through the eyes of the young people who led it. An emotional rollercoaster that leaves you heavy hearted and hoping for change.
It really transports you to Cairo, to the middle of the revolution, through the eyes of the young people who led it. An emotional rollercoaster that leaves you heavy hearted and hoping for change.