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dafni's review against another edition
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
4.0
Although a graphic novel, this is still a hard read especially when one reflects on what is happening today in Palestine and when the book was written (1990s). As a reader, I am thankful for the Palestinian stories and resistance to have come to light, and I have learned a lot from this book, as historical information is presented in a very accessible way and through people’s lived experience. However, I felt more hopeless for all the efforts these people have done over the years to feel heard and witness supportive action from the West and neighbour Arab countries, and how we have utterly disappointed them (and we are still doing so). This is probably why it took me ages to finish it. The photojournalistic element and graphic design is outstanding. The only detail I did not appreciate throughout the book is the author’s commentary, which was an effort to be humorous/sarcastic (?), I don’t know, but was definitely not needed and only added to my frustration 🙃
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Confinement, Death, Violence, and Colonisation
Moderate: Ableism and Antisemitism
robinks's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
5.0
A powerful collection of images and information about the occupation of Palestine. The comics cover a wide range of intersectional topics. Sacco also writes about and acknowledges his privileges in being able to travel safely and have comforts in Gaza. It is wild but also unsurprising that this was drawn based on experience in the early 1990s, and 30 years later, it still rings true based on news from journalists in Palestine.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Child death, Confinement, Death, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racism, Sexism, Torture, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Police brutality, Islamophobia, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, Colonisation, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Bullying, Domestic abuse, Homophobia, Rape, Sexual violence, Excrement, Antisemitism, and Deportation
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Fatphobia, Infidelity, Terminal illness, Mass/school shootings, Pregnancy, and War
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, Child death, Death, Genocide, Gun violence, Misogyny, Torture, Violence, Xenophobia, Police brutality, Medical content, Grief, Religious bigotry, Murder, Colonisation, War, and Injury/Injury detail
katharina90's review against another edition
emotional
informative
reflective
medium-paced
4.5
Informative, heartbreaking and infuriating. The author's deadpan commentary provides the occasional comic relief.
This non-fiction comic is roughly 30 years old but sadly it's as relevant as ever (even though some of the language hasn't aged well).
This non-fiction comic is roughly 30 years old but sadly it's as relevant as ever (even though some of the language hasn't aged well).
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Gun violence, Torture, Violence, Police brutality, and Colonisation
Moderate: Ableism, Child death, Sexism, Antisemitism, Islamophobia, and Religious bigotry
Minor: Fatphobia
carleesi's review against another edition
challenging
dark
informative
sad
medium-paced
2.0
The stories in this book are incredibly important but good god I hate the author.
He is so misogynistic. The way he speaks about women is disgusting, and he even ends the measly chapter he writes about women (that’s right, they get a separate chapter because they’re obviously not part of the whole story) with a sexist joke. He acknowledges his sexism and delivers it anyway. He constantly comments on women’s appearances as if that is a sign of whether they deserve respect or attention and he is so dismissive of the women he speaks to. He even admits that he doesn’t see the Palestinian women as people, and is shocked when a Palestinian woman actually speaks to him (so shocked that her dialogue gets a super respectful “blah blah blah”).
He is clearly on the side of Palestine and I really appreciate having access to Palestinian perspectives but he is also super islamophobic sometimes. He critiques the anti-semitism of the Palestinians he talks to, but then jokes about terrorism and repeatedly questions women about their head coverings in a way that’s at best condescending and at worst outright offensive.
He simultaneously positions himself as “in the story” and “above the story”. Like he tells about people begging him for help, crying, pleading, and then makes a flippant comment about forgetting their name or trying to keep the conversation upbeat. He complains about the over enthusiastic hospitality but takes food and shelter from refugees.
To go into this community and take the stories from people for his comic to succeed (as he repeatedly says) and then portray that it was beyond him to offer help… it’s sickening. His blasé attitude towards the stories he shares is enraging. His treatment of people is nothing short of unethical and his view of himself is so beyond inflated.
He is so misogynistic. The way he speaks about women is disgusting, and he even ends the measly chapter he writes about women (that’s right, they get a separate chapter because they’re obviously not part of the whole story) with a sexist joke. He acknowledges his sexism and delivers it anyway. He constantly comments on women’s appearances as if that is a sign of whether they deserve respect or attention and he is so dismissive of the women he speaks to. He even admits that he doesn’t see the Palestinian women as people, and is shocked when a Palestinian woman actually speaks to him (so shocked that her dialogue gets a super respectful “blah blah blah”).
He is clearly on the side of Palestine and I really appreciate having access to Palestinian perspectives but he is also super islamophobic sometimes. He critiques the anti-semitism of the Palestinians he talks to, but then jokes about terrorism and repeatedly questions women about their head coverings in a way that’s at best condescending and at worst outright offensive.
He simultaneously positions himself as “in the story” and “above the story”. Like he tells about people begging him for help, crying, pleading, and then makes a flippant comment about forgetting their name or trying to keep the conversation upbeat. He complains about the over enthusiastic hospitality but takes food and shelter from refugees.
To go into this community and take the stories from people for his comic to succeed (as he repeatedly says) and then portray that it was beyond him to offer help… it’s sickening. His blasé attitude towards the stories he shares is enraging. His treatment of people is nothing short of unethical and his view of himself is so beyond inflated.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Gun violence, Violence, and Police brutality
Moderate: Ableism, Sexism, Antisemitism, and Islamophobia