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kaullan's review against another edition
5.0
“The most tragic of disasters
are those that cause laughter.”
are those that cause laughter.”
linnlivesinbooks's review
5.0
Incredible.
“If you ask me where I’m from it’s not a one-word answer. Be prepared seated, sober, geared up.If hearing about a world other than yoursmakes you uncomfortable,drink the sea,cut off your ears,blow another bubble to bubble your bubble and the pretense.Blow up another town of bodies in the name of fear.”
“I am but my love for my land, by the way,I have chosen you, my homeland, in love and in obedience in secret and in public”
“If you ask me where I’m from it’s not a one-word answer. Be prepared seated, sober, geared up.If hearing about a world other than yoursmakes you uncomfortable,drink the sea,cut off your ears,blow another bubble to bubble your bubble and the pretense.Blow up another town of bodies in the name of fear.”
“I am but my love for my land, by the way,I have chosen you, my homeland, in love and in obedience in secret and in public”
notoriousesr's review
challenging
emotional
sad
medium-paced
3.5
Mohammed El-Kurd’s family made international headlines when Israeli settlers moved into their family home in Sheikh Jarrah. This book of incendiary and affective poetry is named after his grandmother, who always kept the flame of resistance alive.
I’m finding it difficult to review this book. While I think the topic is important and El-Kurd is a necessary voice in the long traditional of Palestinian resistance literature, I wasn’t a huge fan of many of his poems. Outliers include “Martyr”, which made an effective use of rhythm and repetition, and “Amal Hayati”, but I found a lot of the poetry to be one-note. He’s very young, and clearly very gifted, but a shorter more selective group of poems would have perhaps been a better choice for this volume. That way, his writing could shine rather than fade into the sameness among all his others. I look forward to more work from him, and I know that he will continue to be an important voice in the fight for a free Palestine. 3.5 out of 5 jasmine flowers.
I’m finding it difficult to review this book. While I think the topic is important and El-Kurd is a necessary voice in the long traditional of Palestinian resistance literature, I wasn’t a huge fan of many of his poems. Outliers include “Martyr”, which made an effective use of rhythm and repetition, and “Amal Hayati”, but I found a lot of the poetry to be one-note. He’s very young, and clearly very gifted, but a shorter more selective group of poems would have perhaps been a better choice for this volume. That way, his writing could shine rather than fade into the sameness among all his others. I look forward to more work from him, and I know that he will continue to be an important voice in the fight for a free Palestine. 3.5 out of 5 jasmine flowers.
anintrovertrambles's review
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
5.0
lbhreads's review
3.0
“this is why we dance,
because screaming isn’t free.
please tell me: why is anger - even anger –
a luxury to me?”
a moving poetry collection by a palestinian author, largely focusing on the occupation and ethnic cleansing of palestine. the afterword was also very powerful, introducing the author’s late grandmother rifqa who this book is dedicated to and named after.