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jewelrybonney's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide, Ableism, Death of parent, Grief, Misogyny, and Colonisation
Moderate: Mental illness, Fatphobia, War, and Pregnancy
Minor: Murder, Abortion, Religious bigotry, and Rape
hortongr's review against another edition
5.0
This book was originally assigned to me as a required reading for my Writing II class (Anthro M67W / Middle Eastern Studies 50CW) which was focused on Middle Eastern modern history. Unfortunately I got super sick last quarter (mono :( ) and only got through the first 20 pages before I decided it would be best for me to move on to the next assignment so I wouldn’t fall so far behind. I really enjoyed the first part when I read it originally and decided to keep it with me at school through winter quarter rather than taking it home, just in case I had time to read it. That was the best decision I could have made.
This book is absolutely breathtaking especially in its portrayal of emotions. The love, despair, and grief the main character experiences are so tangible because of how effectively Idilbi writes. Beyond how beautifully this book was written, I also enjoyed reading it because it was refreshing to read something outside Western literature. It’s obvious how the writing styles of authors from the “west” differ from that of authors of the middle east, and I am glad that they differ so clearly. It challenged me to abandon my preconception of what a book should sound like, read like, or feel like, and put me into a headspace where I was able to appreciate the novel for what it really is: a form of art.
“Why is it that the people of my country demand freedom and at the same time cannot grant it to each other?”
This book is absolutely breathtaking especially in its portrayal of emotions. The love, despair, and grief the main character experiences are so tangible because of how effectively Idilbi writes. Beyond how beautifully this book was written, I also enjoyed reading it because it was refreshing to read something outside Western literature. It’s obvious how the writing styles of authors from the “west” differ from that of authors of the middle east, and I am glad that they differ so clearly. It challenged me to abandon my preconception of what a book should sound like, read like, or feel like, and put me into a headspace where I was able to appreciate the novel for what it really is: a form of art.
“Why is it that the people of my country demand freedom and at the same time cannot grant it to each other?”
aliquid's review against another edition
sad
sabriyas life... how brutal. poor girl :(
wish salma and sabriya interacted more / salma talked more abt the journal. salma existed as a person til the journal was found and then she was a vessel to talk abt sabriya. which i get it but shrug emoji
wish salma and sabriya interacted more / salma talked more abt the journal. salma existed as a person til the journal was found and then she was a vessel to talk abt sabriya. which i get it but shrug emoji
alisarae's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Sabriya is the story of a girl in 1920s Damascus. A major nationalist movement is underway, and Syria's youth are bubbling with patriotic ferver to overthrow the imperialist French rule. Sabriya eagerly consumes underground literature that her brother and his friend pass along to her; she longs to join them in the rebel cause -- if only she could be accepted as a woman. As one blow after another hits the Syrian movement for independence, Sabriya's family life suffers mirrored tragedies.
Before reading this novel I had no idea about this chapter in Syria's history. There is a good overview of this turbulent time here: https://countrystudies.us/syria/. But what really struck me was Idilbi's sharp analysis of how cultural misogyny held back the movement for independence and how it directed Sabriya's life down a certain path. I'm glad I had the opportunity to read this book, and I loved the rich drama. I'd definitely recommend it, but I have to warn you to not be scared off by the clunky English translation.
Before reading this novel I had no idea about this chapter in Syria's history. There is a good overview of this turbulent time here: https://countrystudies.us/syria/. But what really struck me was Idilbi's sharp analysis of how cultural misogyny held back the movement for independence and how it directed Sabriya's life down a certain path. I'm glad I had the opportunity to read this book, and I loved the rich drama. I'd definitely recommend it, but I have to warn you to not be scared off by the clunky English translation.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexism and Misogyny
Moderate: Mental illness, Death of parent, Death, Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, War, Suicide attempt, Bullying, and Murder
Minor: Domestic abuse, Infidelity, Body shaming, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Alcoholism, Police brutality, and Abortion
nightwater32's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
melissalouisereads's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
emelir's review against another edition
5.0
“That night I dreamt sweet dreams. I saw Adil and myself in our house sitting under the jasmine tree where I had once seen my parents flirting with each other. I saw him pulling me to him and hugging me violently. He would kiss me fervently on the mouth and my neck. I woke up, excited and happy. Then I closed my eyes again hoping that the dream would return. But I couldn’t get to sleep. I stayed awake, drunk till dawn with my sweet dream.”
Ulfat Idilbis verk ger en mångfacetterad bild över Damaskus på 1920-talet. Häri kommer en mängd olika människor – med vitt skilda värderingar – till liv bland alla sidor. Men centralt för berättelsen finner vi den unga Sabriya som kämpar sig igenom livet utifrån de förutsättningar hon har tilldelats. Hon genomgår en resa av inre reflektion där en strävan efter mer personlig frihet växer sig allt starkare: hon bär på en önskan att på liknande villkor som sina bröder kunna komma och gå lite som hon vill, och kanske framförallt kunna älska den hon vill. Det hela flätas samman med den syriska revolutionen mot den franska koloniala regimen som pågick under samma tid. Och det kan liknas lite med hur männen kämpar för sin egen frihet i samma veva som (framförallt) många kvinnor i sin tur tvingades föra två kamper samtidigt – dels den för sitt eget land och dels en feministisk sådan. Det är en väldigt smärtsam roman, men samtidigt också så otroligt vacker. Sabriyas lycka blev min lycka, och hennes sorg blev min sorg. En av de bästa böckerna jag har läst i år.
Ulfat Idilbis verk ger en mångfacetterad bild över Damaskus på 1920-talet. Häri kommer en mängd olika människor – med vitt skilda värderingar – till liv bland alla sidor. Men centralt för berättelsen finner vi den unga Sabriya som kämpar sig igenom livet utifrån de förutsättningar hon har tilldelats. Hon genomgår en resa av inre reflektion där en strävan efter mer personlig frihet växer sig allt starkare: hon bär på en önskan att på liknande villkor som sina bröder kunna komma och gå lite som hon vill, och kanske framförallt kunna älska den hon vill. Det hela flätas samman med den syriska revolutionen mot den franska koloniala regimen som pågick under samma tid. Och det kan liknas lite med hur männen kämpar för sin egen frihet i samma veva som (framförallt) många kvinnor i sin tur tvingades föra två kamper samtidigt – dels den för sitt eget land och dels en feministisk sådan. Det är en väldigt smärtsam roman, men samtidigt också så otroligt vacker. Sabriyas lycka blev min lycka, och hennes sorg blev min sorg. En av de bästa böckerna jag har läst i år.
jilianh's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
5.0
I sought this novel out for the Storygraph Reads the World Challenge to cover a Syrian story/author. This book was not the easiest to obtain a copy of, but man is it worth it!
I highly recommend Sabriya, I am so glad I found it.
I have at least 20 stickies in my book for annotations marking lines that were particularly impactful in one way or another. Beautiful prose to tell a very impactful story. I found myself flipping back to reread certain parts before I had even finished. There are so many strong themes including the following: honour and duty within a family, individual desires and ambitions, feminism and a patriarchal system, belief/religion, grief, "forbidden" love, nationalism, education, loss, death, and suicide among so much more. It is shocking how much of this story still feels relevant to the human experience. For example, it is hard to not compare to the current events with Iran when reading parts about the veil, or the general oppression of women still seen in the world today.
All of the universal themes mentioned above still hit home, even if I can't relate to the specific atrocities in Sabriya's life. So many of the issues in this story are still modern day struggles in one form or another, even if the setting and context changes to be milder. The human experience can be wonderful, and it can be ruthless.
A few of my favourite quotes (but there are many more):
I highly recommend Sabriya, I am so glad I found it.
I have at least 20 stickies in my book for annotations marking lines that were particularly impactful in one way or another. Beautiful prose to tell a very impactful story. I found myself flipping back to reread certain parts before I had even finished. There are so many strong themes including the following: honour and duty within a family, individual desires and ambitions, feminism and a patriarchal system, belief/religion, grief, "forbidden" love, nationalism, education, loss, death, and suicide among so much more. It is shocking how much of this story still feels relevant to the human experience. For example, it is hard to not compare to the current events with Iran when reading parts about the veil, or the general oppression of women still seen in the world today.
All of the universal themes mentioned above still hit home, even if I can't relate to the specific atrocities in Sabriya's life. So many of the issues in this story are still modern day struggles in one form or another, even if the setting and context changes to be milder. The human experience can be wonderful, and it can be ruthless.
A few of my favourite quotes (but there are many more):
" I found myself asking Allah to let me die young, Was it not better for a person to die with some usefulness in him, so there could at least be some genuine grief?" p.3
" Death! How awful it is! And frightful it is to contemplate. But it is the inescapable fate of us all. I do not know how we can remove it from our minds, how we pretend to forget about it. Even if we reach a great age, or suffer from the most awful diseases, we put our trust in miracles or fantasies that might enable us to elude it as far as possible." p.30
" Why is it that the people of my country demand freedom and at the same time cannot grant it to each other? Half the nation is shackled in chains created by man. That is a wrong we refuse to acknowledge." p. 120
" I felt I had sprouted wings that allowed me to fly high, in spite of the black headdress that hung from my head to my feet and the thick veil that covered my face. I felt that I was a defiant wave in the sea surging in front of me. I was overwhelmed by a strong sensation. For the first time I felt I was a human being with an identity and an objective, in defence of which I was ready to die. (...) There is no power in the world that can get in the way of what I want." p. 132
There is heavy repetition of the use of "Allah", but given the story and setting it felt natural. There was also a couple places where the transition to the journal entry felt choppy, or the tense did not quite line up, but overall those are nitpicking observations and could be related to the translation as well. It did not detract from my enjoyment of this story.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Suicide, War, and Death