Review by d_poloni -- Divided World by Kenneth Pickering

d_poloni · Post by **d_poloni** » 27 Sep 2020, 11:19

[Following is a volunteer review of "Divided World" by Kenneth Pickering.]

4 out of 4 stars

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This collection of plays from a variety of playwrights is one that everyone should read. Through the form of drama, these authors invite readers to examine misconceptions and biases of the Middle East as well as illuminate and further invite us to judge events of history that are not what they seem. The parodies of real conversations allow readers to see the absurdities of some of the preconceived notions about the Middle East as well as explore many themes that are pervasive across all literature. We see themes of identity, dreams, racism, the power of fear of the unknown and escapes. Divided World, edited by Kenneth Pickering, is a brilliant medium to bring together different voices that can unite for a single reason.

Each playwright brings a new voice and a new perspective to the overall message of the book. Pickering himself uses metaphors in the introduction that are beautifully composed and apt. Hannah Khalil uses colour to show contrasts of mundane life versus the lives of refugees. Kate Al Hadid builds her work with an immense intensity. These are incredibly talented playwrights who use every tool at their disposal in theatre to create an overall big picture of what it is like in the Middle East. Through each of their works comes a different lesson and I thoroughly enjoyed this.

I can truly say there is nothing I disliked about the text. I appreciate this book as both a lover of literature and a lover of theatre. However, if you are not someone with even a minor theatre background, I don’t think the full effect of the staging would be as effective. The stage directions and backdrops are a key element to these play and I can see where someone who does not understand those tools would not see the full picture and the full message.
This book is important for each of these playwrights to bring issues in the Middle East to the forefront of readers’ minds. The plays themselves are structured in different ways in order to bring the reality of the Middle East close to us. The use of repetition and the contrast of innocence against some of the darker settings brings a whole new light to my own notions of the Middle East. I could see no errors in terms of the editing and that is another testament to the skill of the writers.

I give this book four out of four stars. Overall, this is an important piece of text. It directly confronts readers with their implicit fear of the unknown while also connecting with them on a personal level. It serves as a reminder about how easy it is for us to turn our noses up at the news and remain ignorant to a lot of the issues that are going on in the Middle East simply because it is not where we are. In a world where representation matters even more, these voices need to be heard. These voices need to be read and seen. I highly suggest this book for older teens and up.

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Divided World
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