Scan barcode
k_atrina's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
juliagoolia275's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
gansey_02's review against another edition
emotional
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
3.5
marcymurli's review against another edition
3.0
For the most part this collection is quite moving, but on the whole it is uneven. What's good about these stories is the way they give the reader insight into the quotidian of Palestinians in Gaza - and surprisingly this is not entirely centred on the state of war and siege that Gaza is subjected to.
saffysarah's review against another edition
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
This book is very much needed in today's current situation. A must read for those who support the people of Gaza and Palestine, and a good way to see the people in the book as that, people with hopes and dreams.
sharkybookshelf's review against another edition
4.0
A collection of a dozen short stories written by a range of Gazan authors, painting a complex portrait of the city and strip.
As with any collection of short stories, particularly when it involves a variety of authors, some of the stories worked better for me than others. But the range of authors also means that the stories cover a cross-section of Gazan society, and together, they draw a rich and diverse portrait of Gaza and its many inhabitants - a bittersweet, particularly poignant one given that every location mentioned has almost certainly been razed by this point.
I found Abu Saif’s introduction very interesting - it gives context to the stories and authors, explaining the different waves of short story writers over time. Some of these stories are recent, some first published several decades ago, and I would have greatly appreciated a little note at the start of each story stating when it was written or first published. It would situate the story in time (not always obvious) but also help to compare the stories, what has and hasn’t changed over time. Yes, the reader can trawl the copyright page to figure it out, but it would be a simple inclusion that wouldn’t interrupt the flow of reading. (Obviously this is an extremely minor quibble.)
A collection of short stories that weave a rich, diverse and poignant portrait of Gaza - now a testament to some of what has been lost.