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Nema Al-Araby's Reviews > Mornings in Jenin
Mornings in Jenin
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I don't know..I'll try.
This was, most certainly, the most heartbreaking novel I have ever, so far, come to read. I literally left it aside and swam in a river of my own tears and hatred. I can't really write a review that will give this novel all of its credit. I just know that I hated myself, I hated being an Arab. And I hated that words will never, ever portray the true situation in Palestine, nor the death statistics will embrace the idea of death itself. I cried in nearly every single chapter of this novel. I've always wanted to read and read more about Palestine, and now that I started, I don't think I want to ever stop, just to be reminded, whenever I forget, that we're so selfish, superficial and empty-hearted.
Susan's vivid language helped me imagine every scene int he novel as if it is real. One of the things I really enjoyed in this novel. It was like living all of the people in it, generation after generation. I'd also like to mention that it reminded me of two novels: One of Khaled Husseini's A Thousand Splendid Suns in the sense of a never-ending loss and helplessness (although this one was much better in my opinion). And the other of Radwa Ashour's Trilogy, in the sense of passing every memory and experience from generation to generation.
I wholeheartedly admired how Susan used Darweesh's and Gibran's poems in the novel in such a poetic way that matched the topics. The songs of Fayrouz, oh how they so much reminded me of the Palestinian Intifada back then.
I will always long for a visit to Palestine. To Jerusalem. And I will always remember this novel. I will never be proud to be an Arab again, though.
If you ever intend to read this novel, be sure to be either in a good mood so that you won't get really depressed after reading, or be in a bad mood already that reading the novel will make you feel like your depression is nothing. You will love Hassan, Dalia, Amal, Yousef. You will love being in Palestine. You will love being in Beirut. You will hate al ghorba. You will hate the whole world. And centralize your feelings around Palestine. You will love Palestine, like you've never known it ever before.
This was, most certainly, the most heartbreaking novel I have ever, so far, come to read. I literally left it aside and swam in a river of my own tears and hatred. I can't really write a review that will give this novel all of its credit. I just know that I hated myself, I hated being an Arab. And I hated that words will never, ever portray the true situation in Palestine, nor the death statistics will embrace the idea of death itself. I cried in nearly every single chapter of this novel. I've always wanted to read and read more about Palestine, and now that I started, I don't think I want to ever stop, just to be reminded, whenever I forget, that we're so selfish, superficial and empty-hearted.
Susan's vivid language helped me imagine every scene int he novel as if it is real. One of the things I really enjoyed in this novel. It was like living all of the people in it, generation after generation. I'd also like to mention that it reminded me of two novels: One of Khaled Husseini's A Thousand Splendid Suns in the sense of a never-ending loss and helplessness (although this one was much better in my opinion). And the other of Radwa Ashour's Trilogy, in the sense of passing every memory and experience from generation to generation.
I wholeheartedly admired how Susan used Darweesh's and Gibran's poems in the novel in such a poetic way that matched the topics. The songs of Fayrouz, oh how they so much reminded me of the Palestinian Intifada back then.
I will always long for a visit to Palestine. To Jerusalem. And I will always remember this novel. I will never be proud to be an Arab again, though.
If you ever intend to read this novel, be sure to be either in a good mood so that you won't get really depressed after reading, or be in a bad mood already that reading the novel will make you feel like your depression is nothing. You will love Hassan, Dalia, Amal, Yousef. You will love being in Palestine. You will love being in Beirut. You will hate al ghorba. You will hate the whole world. And centralize your feelings around Palestine. You will love Palestine, like you've never known it ever before.
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omneya
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Jul 26, 2012 05:42PM
shaklaha 7elwa :)
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It's good so far yeah :) bas I'd rather read about Palestine in Arabic to be honest
yes IsAllah :) this book'll be my present to myself on Eid. It seems great&deep.Where did you get it from? :) Great review btw
Duuuuuude! that's SO not the book to grant yourself with in Eid, it will literally make you weep, I swear ana ma3ayyattesh keda 3ala ketab IN MY WHOLE LIFE! :D even my favorite book, "The Book Thief".I have Yomna's Kindle for a while so I read it menno.
i so want a book like that;full of emotions :) زهقت من حالة التبلد اللى عندى don't worry, i will find it at any bookstore IsAllah
Haha okay, I can give you many books that will move you btw. Don't depend on Coelho's, they suck (A)
That'll be so nice of you :) but u could suggest me some books as i'll go to Fasel bookfair next friday IsAllah.I have read 2 books for Coelho; Alef>i didn't understand a word. Brida>it was average. افتكرت ان عندى تخلف لما معظم الناس عامله تشكر فيه !!
looool! I don't really like Coelho, I think he's overrated and it wouldn't be fair to call his books anything close to literature.tab okay gimme till tonight and I'll fb you :)
Excellent review, Nema. I can sympathize with your feelings, you yourself being an Arab.
No Ankit don't sympathize with me, but instead sympathize with the whole world for murdering its own humanity.
No, Nema. I can't do that because you and I well should well know that no matter how much we sympathise with them, the world is not gonna change. It will remain the same. We normal people would have to struggle and the ones who hold the power to change the world would keep bullying.
Yeah.. perhaps you're right..
i felt the same way!
It is a nice work .. one of the very few works I remember from Faculty days, but under its other name "The Scar of David"
I remember it had an Arabic translation under the title "بينما ينام العالم" and I was sort of shocked :D
Bad translation it is then ;)
Not really .. the one who translated it could have a point, but he got drifted after the cause and forgot about the content .. I prefer my "Scar of David" version after all
Everyone sees it from different perspectives then :) By the way, there is a movie called "Incendies" I think you'll like it. Its story is heartbreaking but amazing. Check it on imdb :)
Is it the movie of that French or Canadian girl who went to Morocco or some Arab country searching for her family? .. and in the middle there is this scene where this militia kills a whole bus and burns its passengers just because they are Muslims and they left her because she's Christian .. if it is, kinda saw like the last 30 minutes of it by chance and it looked like a nice movie
Yes it is! :) it's really good, kammelo :)
Your review really reflects my own feelings. It was such an intense book.
Thank you :) it was indeed!
Salam Imane :) because the Arab world is useless. Can't you see what's happening in Gaza and what we don't do anything about? :/
I agree with you. Of course i'm proud of being an Arab in different aspects, but just not in ths aspect. The thing is, we shouldn't expect the West to be defending or doing anything because, after all, they hate us. I just meant that we're the ones who are supposed yo do something not the West. I understand your point and I do agree with it :) but in the particular issue, I do hate being an Arab. In so many other things I love being so :)
I really want to read this now after reading your review. I've always wanted to read a story set in Palestine, and this seems like the perfect book to read.
Before you read this, I think you should first read Kanafani's "Returning to Haifa"; it's a wonderful novella that I think Abul Hawa was inspired by it. I highly recommend it :)
Very heartbreaking I agree :'(
Very heartbreaking I agree :'(
"You will hate the whole world. And centralize your feelings around Palestine. You will love Palestine, like you've never known it ever before." I couldn't have put it better myself! ( in fact my review pales and this is the line i needed to include!)
Couldn’t not have written a better last sentence if I tried.
