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A review by theliteraryescapade
The Thinking Heart: Essays on Israel and Palestine by David Grossman, David Grossman
5.0
• ARC review • I'm grateful to Vintage and netgalley for the eARC of the book.
The Thinking Heart by Booker prize winner author David Grossman, is a collection of essays and speeches that were published initially in different journals/newspapers/magazines in the time period between 2017-2024, along with a poem at the end of the book.
The titular speech was Grossman's acceptance speech at The Erasmus Prize honors in November 2022.
The essays are a flicker of hope in the darkness and doom that has been hovering over the Israel - Palestine conflicts over the years. The book has elements of reminiscence, grief, and heart wrenching reality, but is not entirely factual. They are David Grossman's personal take on the various condemning measures made by his government and the devastatingly cascading effects they have shown to cause.
He continuously focuses on the point that Peace must be the most important element in the country's security policy. He writes that real tragic human stories are melted and carved into manipulated accounts which even if effective for a while, fade into existence.
It's a metaphorical double edged sword that the people have continuously hanging over their heads. A generation, and more, relapsing into destruction and dark ages.
The essays/speeches are translated by Jessica Cohen,
and the poem at the end, "Suddenly a cry flew (Tell Aviv, 24 June 2024) is translated by Leon Wieseltier.
The translations are brilliant, easy to read, and serve true to their objective.
⚠️Trigger warning: Mentions of and the impacts of continuous war, religious fanaticism, abuse, death, conflicts, destruction.
The Thinking Heart by Booker prize winner author David Grossman, is a collection of essays and speeches that were published initially in different journals/newspapers/magazines in the time period between 2017-2024, along with a poem at the end of the book.
The titular speech was Grossman's acceptance speech at The Erasmus Prize honors in November 2022.
The essays are a flicker of hope in the darkness and doom that has been hovering over the Israel - Palestine conflicts over the years. The book has elements of reminiscence, grief, and heart wrenching reality, but is not entirely factual. They are David Grossman's personal take on the various condemning measures made by his government and the devastatingly cascading effects they have shown to cause.
He continuously focuses on the point that Peace must be the most important element in the country's security policy. He writes that real tragic human stories are melted and carved into manipulated accounts which even if effective for a while, fade into existence.
It's a metaphorical double edged sword that the people have continuously hanging over their heads. A generation, and more, relapsing into destruction and dark ages.
The essays/speeches are translated by Jessica Cohen,
and the poem at the end, "Suddenly a cry flew (Tell Aviv, 24 June 2024) is translated by Leon Wieseltier.
The translations are brilliant, easy to read, and serve true to their objective.
⚠️Trigger warning: Mentions of and the impacts of continuous war, religious fanaticism, abuse, death, conflicts, destruction.