ladyk2387's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
sad
tense
slow-paced
5.0
artg3ne's review against another edition
5.0
I believe this is a great primer for anyone who prefers a visual look at the history of Palestine.
I’ve noticed other reviewers mentioning Joe Sacco’s ‘privileged westerner’ perspectives, however I think from reading the book, this perspective is an important reminder of how the West - particularly the U.S. frames Palestine as ‘terrorists’ or ‘below humans’ and showcases unwavering support for Israel.
While I have been familiar with - and followed the apartheid for quite some time, others who may not have prior knowledge fall into the media trap of ‘Israel is good Israel is great’ but Sacco’s work really challenges that and his own perspectives imo.
I also find it interesting, near the end, his conversations with Israelis - and how thirty years later opinions still have not changed (no surprise there). The idea that one of them is “against settlements” but still believes Israel “must exist” made me scream at the book.
Anyways, I highly recommend and it was a good read.
I’ve noticed other reviewers mentioning Joe Sacco’s ‘privileged westerner’ perspectives, however I think from reading the book, this perspective is an important reminder of how the West - particularly the U.S. frames Palestine as ‘terrorists’ or ‘below humans’ and showcases unwavering support for Israel.
While I have been familiar with - and followed the apartheid for quite some time, others who may not have prior knowledge fall into the media trap of ‘Israel is good Israel is great’ but Sacco’s work really challenges that and his own perspectives imo.
I also find it interesting, near the end, his conversations with Israelis - and how thirty years later opinions still have not changed (no surprise there). The idea that one of them is “against settlements” but still believes Israel “must exist” made me scream at the book.
Anyways, I highly recommend and it was a good read.
beanmilkcantread's review against another edition
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
fast-paced
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Genocide, Torture, Gore, Gaslighting, Cursing, War, Violence, Religious bigotry, Forced institutionalization, Death, Death of parent, Racism, Hate crime, Colonisation, Xenophobia, Police brutality, Islamophobia, Confinement, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, and Gun violence
Moderate: Antisemitism, Child death, Excrement, Fire/Fire injury, Death of parent, Deportation, and Blood
mmrohbock's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
informative
sad
tense
slow-paced
5.0
5⭐
To understand the Israel Palestine conflict, this book is fundamental. "Yes, we all want peace, whatever that is, but peace can mean different things too and isn't described identically by all who wish to imagine it."
Would recommend reading a physical copy vs ebook if possible.
To understand the Israel Palestine conflict, this book is fundamental. "Yes, we all want peace, whatever that is, but peace can mean different things too and isn't described identically by all who wish to imagine it."
Would recommend reading a physical copy vs ebook if possible.
moonyreadsbystarlight's review against another edition
emotional
informative
reflective
4.5
Palestine by Joe Sacco is a comic/graphic nonfiction work of journalism that documents his travels through Palestine in the early/mid 1990's. Alongside his own experiences, he tells the stories of many Palestinians that he interviewed. He is invited into many houses for tea and food while hearing stories of brutal imprisonment, death of children, political divides within the community, and much more.
This work will certainly put the Palestinian struggle into perpective if you are unfamiliar. It also makes the crimes against humanity we are witnessing being livestreamed online even more horrific. For example: hospitals are being bombed now with doctors and patients inside, parallel is the story of a boy (15) who had already been shot by a soldier and sent to the hospital only to be beaten inside the hospital by soldier (his arm broken alongside the arm of a member of hospital staff who tried defending him). The horrors we are seeing now have a long history and this comic shows many small snapshots within that history.
Throughout the story of Sacco's time in Palestine, we see some of his thoughts and at times he outright discusses some of his biases. This was a self-aware framing that is supposed to (I think) show us some of the problems with the Western gaze. Even as I understood it, I still found some of it annoying in the moment. As I reflect on it, I do think that parts of this message are quite important in the context of journalism (particularly as we see how much western news has covered Palestine recently). I still have mixed feelings, but ultimately it's small parts that I have conflicted feelings about.
Overall, this was an intense collection of experiences and an important read. I'd definitely recommend it to people who are unfamiliar and wanting to learn more about Palestine. It is western journalism that is self-critical and even if the jurry is out on my full opinion of exactly how he did that framing, I'm glad that it was there.
This work will certainly put the Palestinian struggle into perpective if you are unfamiliar. It also makes the crimes against humanity we are witnessing being livestreamed online even more horrific. For example: hospitals are being bombed now with doctors and patients inside, parallel is the story of a boy (15) who had already been shot by a soldier and sent to the hospital only to be beaten inside the hospital by soldier (his arm broken alongside the arm of a member of hospital staff who tried defending him). The horrors we are seeing now have a long history and this comic shows many small snapshots within that history.
Throughout the story of Sacco's time in Palestine, we see some of his thoughts and at times he outright discusses some of his biases. This was a self-aware framing that is supposed to (I think) show us some of the problems with the Western gaze. Even as I understood it, I still found some of it annoying in the moment. As I reflect on it, I do think that parts of this message are quite important in the context of journalism (particularly as we see how much western news has covered Palestine recently). I still have mixed feelings, but ultimately it's small parts that I have conflicted feelings about.
Overall, this was an intense collection of experiences and an important read. I'd definitely recommend it to people who are unfamiliar and wanting to learn more about Palestine. It is western journalism that is self-critical and even if the jurry is out on my full opinion of exactly how he did that framing, I'm glad that it was there.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Gun violence, Murder, Violence, Religious bigotry, Police brutality, War, Medical content, Injury/Injury detail, Grief, Torture, Genocide, Colonisation, Xenophobia, Misogyny, Death, and Child death
rainehana13's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
5.0
Wow that was a really good book. It’s really crazy to see that Palestine still has the same conditions as 30 years ago. The art in this book really provides context and humanity to what Palestinians experience. Many pages were really horrifying and just unbelievable. There’s so many different perspectives about this issue that this book covers. Must read!!!!!