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somelesbianwriter's review against another edition
emotional
informative
tense
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
3.25
in many ways this was an interesting read, though it felt very jarring to see some of the humanising 'both sides' type perspective given the current genocide.
to read about fictional 'Israeli' soldiers crying over a child not recognising his father whilst in real life, 'Israeli' soldiers laugh over children they murder... I respect this was this Palestinian author's perspective or the way she chose to illustrate it at this point in time and in this book, but it felt very uncomfortable and jarring to read at this moment.
I also think aspects of the storytelling were probably made more stilted in translation, so it flowed less well.
but it was also an interesting book and easy to read quickly, and I found myself intrigued by a lot of the characters and the portrait of intertwining lives in 70s Palestine.
to read about fictional 'Israeli' soldiers crying over a child not recognising his father whilst in real life, 'Israeli' soldiers laugh over children they murder... I respect this was this Palestinian author's perspective or the way she chose to illustrate it at this point in time and in this book, but it felt very uncomfortable and jarring to read at this moment.
I also think aspects of the storytelling were probably made more stilted in translation, so it flowed less well.
but it was also an interesting book and easy to read quickly, and I found myself intrigued by a lot of the characters and the portrait of intertwining lives in 70s Palestine.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Death, Gun violence, Racism, Violence, Colonisation, and War
Moderate: Misogyny, Torture, and Alcohol
serendipitysbooks's review
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
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
4.0
Wild Thorns, originally published in Arabic in 1976, was the first published novel to explore Palestinian life in the West Bank in the relatively early days of the occupation. It’s part family drama, part exploration of how and why different people responded differently to the occupation - why did one family member plan to blow up buses transporting Palestinian workers to jobs in Israel, while another accepted one of those jobs in order to feed his family? - part prison narrative, and so much more. I particularly enjoyed the way the author looked at the different factors which impacted individual Palestinians’ responses to Israeli violence, whether they actively resisted or tried to go about their daily lives, or seemingly accepted the occupation; things like age, class, gender, family responsibilities. The contrast between Usama and Adil, cousins who were once close was particularly impactful in highlighting those differences and exploring different versions of masculinity. The class analysis was strong throughout with a definite Marxian bent. Some readers may find this aspect a little heavy handed and dry. Overall this book did a great job illustrating the situation facing Palestinians under occupation - both the daily petty indignities and the more overt violence - and in highlighting the conundrum of how best to respond. Words were seen as ineffective but direct action and violence would cost the Palestinians dearly. I’m really glad to have read this book. I just wish the recent crisis, far more barbaric than the events of the early days of the occupation depicted here, which put it on my radar had not occurred and was not ongoing.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Racism, and Violence
kiranjoystick's review against another edition
challenging
dark
reflective
sad
slow-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
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gun violence, Violence, Colonisation, and War
Moderate: Alcoholism, Gun violence, Racism, and Alcohol
bookishmillennial's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
fast-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? It's complicated
This novel is fictional but highlights stories of Palestinians living in the West Bank. It was dark, devastating, tense, and provided varied experiences of those who are simply trying to survive, as well as those who are rising up and trying to resist. It’s very short and I found the introduction (which was written in 2023, while the book takes place about 50 years earlier) to be a very helpful. succinct and intriguing review of the book itself! It indelibly helped to frame the book for me.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Racism, Violence, Police brutality, and War