Review by LeDiplomatique -- Divided World
-
LeDiplomatique
- Posts: 544
- Joined: 04 Sep 2019, 06:46
- Currently Reading:
- Bookshelf Size: 144
- Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-lediplomatique.html
- Latest Review: Basket of Brazilian Tales by Manfred u. Osterroht
Review by LeDiplomatique -- Divided World
[Following is a volunteer review of "Divided World" by Kenneth Pickering.]
The Ottoman empire was once a solid, self-governing entity, with stable geopolitical boundaries. This was until the West came into the picture, during the first world war, and destabilized the empire, having hidden ulterior motives. From this world war, emerged the modern boundaries of the countries of the Middle East, instigated by the ill-famed, 1916th Franco-British-Russian pact, termed as the Sykes-Picot agreement. The British and French diplomats, who were doing the division did not consider the identities of the Middle Easterners. Due to this, the political geography of the Arab states, which was once concrete, became shaky. As a result, religious strife, revolution and war became a normal occurrence in the region as the new states continued to burn and self-destruct, up to this day.
Divided World: Plays of occupation and dispossession, by Kenneth Pickering, is a collection of plays which imitate the involvement and aftermath of the West in the Ottoman empire. The first play is a fictional representation of Mark Sykes and Francois Picot’s secret meeting. In the duologue, the two characters meet and discuss the dismemberment and division of the empire. The main reason of controlling the empire is to benefit from its oil abundance. The most prevalent themes of the plays are conflict and strife. The time periods depicted in the plays range from 1916, when the Sykes-Picot agreement was formed, to the present-day Arab world. The plays are written by different playwrights, edited and compiled by one of them, Kenneth Pickering, who also plays the character of Sir Mark Sykes in the first play, Exploring the Boundaries.
I most love the way the plays are plotted. The conflict is developed so the plays achieve their goal effectively; which is to bring to light the mistakes of the West and how they impacted the Middle East. I love the intense structure of the plays, which instils feelings of tension and anticipation. ‘Jump’ the story about Yousef, the young man who wanted to escape to Santorini, fleeing from the chaos in his homeland, the war-torn Gaza, impacted me a lot. I was so drawn to the play, anticipating his emancipation from the stress of the war in Gaza. I most disliked that the resolution in most of the plays was not well-developed. However, I believe this is because the playwrights wanted to paint the picture of the Middle East exactly the way it is, without exaggerating it to please the readers. Consequently, this would have diverted the purpose of writing the book.
The playwrights utilize characters well by using them to push forward their thoughts and values. In the book, the characters have effectively lived out the storylines of the plays and are stable enough to sustain the story presentations and instill comprehension in the reader, without having to rely on the playwrights’ expositions and commentaries. Consequently, this aspect has provided the reader with a direct presentation of the characters’ life experiences. The language in the character dialogues is simple and unique to each character. Additionally, the dialogues are short and to the point, with occasional long ones, which are also to the point. This makes the plays easy to follow and gives the reader clues onto the feelings, personalities and temperaments of the characters.
I came across errors and minor profanities in the book. However, the erotic aspect is muted. This is a great collection, which gives a clear picture of the troubles in the Middle East, resulting from the inconsiderate deeds of the West. I recommend it to those who would love to know history through theatrical performance. I will not rate the book 3 stars due to the presentation of the plays, which is top-notch. I love how the playwrights have brought their characters to life through their dialogues. Therefore, I rate Divided World: Plays of occupation and dispossession by Ken Pickering 4 out of 4 stars.
******
Divided World
View: on Bookshelves
The Ottoman empire was once a solid, self-governing entity, with stable geopolitical boundaries. This was until the West came into the picture, during the first world war, and destabilized the empire, having hidden ulterior motives. From this world war, emerged the modern boundaries of the countries of the Middle East, instigated by the ill-famed, 1916th Franco-British-Russian pact, termed as the Sykes-Picot agreement. The British and French diplomats, who were doing the division did not consider the identities of the Middle Easterners. Due to this, the political geography of the Arab states, which was once concrete, became shaky. As a result, religious strife, revolution and war became a normal occurrence in the region as the new states continued to burn and self-destruct, up to this day.
Divided World: Plays of occupation and dispossession, by Kenneth Pickering, is a collection of plays which imitate the involvement and aftermath of the West in the Ottoman empire. The first play is a fictional representation of Mark Sykes and Francois Picot’s secret meeting. In the duologue, the two characters meet and discuss the dismemberment and division of the empire. The main reason of controlling the empire is to benefit from its oil abundance. The most prevalent themes of the plays are conflict and strife. The time periods depicted in the plays range from 1916, when the Sykes-Picot agreement was formed, to the present-day Arab world. The plays are written by different playwrights, edited and compiled by one of them, Kenneth Pickering, who also plays the character of Sir Mark Sykes in the first play, Exploring the Boundaries.
I most love the way the plays are plotted. The conflict is developed so the plays achieve their goal effectively; which is to bring to light the mistakes of the West and how they impacted the Middle East. I love the intense structure of the plays, which instils feelings of tension and anticipation. ‘Jump’ the story about Yousef, the young man who wanted to escape to Santorini, fleeing from the chaos in his homeland, the war-torn Gaza, impacted me a lot. I was so drawn to the play, anticipating his emancipation from the stress of the war in Gaza. I most disliked that the resolution in most of the plays was not well-developed. However, I believe this is because the playwrights wanted to paint the picture of the Middle East exactly the way it is, without exaggerating it to please the readers. Consequently, this would have diverted the purpose of writing the book.
The playwrights utilize characters well by using them to push forward their thoughts and values. In the book, the characters have effectively lived out the storylines of the plays and are stable enough to sustain the story presentations and instill comprehension in the reader, without having to rely on the playwrights’ expositions and commentaries. Consequently, this aspect has provided the reader with a direct presentation of the characters’ life experiences. The language in the character dialogues is simple and unique to each character. Additionally, the dialogues are short and to the point, with occasional long ones, which are also to the point. This makes the plays easy to follow and gives the reader clues onto the feelings, personalities and temperaments of the characters.
I came across errors and minor profanities in the book. However, the erotic aspect is muted. This is a great collection, which gives a clear picture of the troubles in the Middle East, resulting from the inconsiderate deeds of the West. I recommend it to those who would love to know history through theatrical performance. I will not rate the book 3 stars due to the presentation of the plays, which is top-notch. I love how the playwrights have brought their characters to life through their dialogues. Therefore, I rate Divided World: Plays of occupation and dispossession by Ken Pickering 4 out of 4 stars.
******
Divided World
View: on Bookshelves
Latest Review: Basket of Brazilian Tales by Manfred u. Osterroht
