Review by Pamela Bianca Mas -- Divided World
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Pamela Bianca Mas
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Review by Pamela Bianca Mas -- Divided World
[Following is a volunteer review of "Divided World" by Kenneth Pickering.]
I was entertained, moved, and challenged to think as I read the book written by Kenneth Pickering. It was a compilation of Middle Eastern plays that give readers a glimpse of how it was like living there amidst the wars and all its toll. The book entitled, Divided World, showed a great new perspective and defied the stereotype society has set for people from the Middle East.
The book is a compilation of seven contemporary plays by three remarkable playwrights, all of which are depicting the lives of various people as they struggle with the dire situation they are facing due to the war and the division of territories. The way Pickering chose the plays to feature in this book is smart in a way that relates to readers of all ages. Hannah Khalil's "A Very Short Play for Syria" and "A Negotiation" both featured a woman as the main character. The first one is about a young woman who unsympathetic towards refugees in England. The second one tugged a string in me because it showed that there are still some people who crave to go back home. It emits feelings of yearning, portraying that even though some will be able to live their lives as if nothing is wrong, being in a foreign country, one will still breed a desire to go back to his or her homeland.
The play "Jump" by Kate Al Hadid is striking and extraordinary. It serves as a reminder to readers that there are people in the Middle East that are fighting to survive and wanting to escape the confinements of war and disputes where they have found themselves stuck. It is an inspiration for young people to continue to strive for what they want to achieve with their life even though the surrounding situations may be difficult. It also teaches us that people see an escape in different means such as sports, work, or even in love. We do what we have to, with all the possible means that we have, to survive another day. This play makes me think about my life and the choices I've made and how lucky I am to be able to reach a lot of things that other people can't.
The third playwright featured in this book is Hassan Abdulrazzak, with four of his works. The first one of his featured plays entitled "The Several Beheadings of Ashraf Fayadh" gives hope in a sense that eventually, they will win. The victory that is being talked about here, for me, is equality; that sooner or later, people will look at them equally with no doubt nor disbelief. The second featured play is entertaining as it tells a story of a married woman who fell in love with her professor. In this play, she clings to the dream of seeing him again. It is a light take on the fear and panic of continuously moving as they try to find a safe place to stay. The humor of this play prepares readers for the next one, "Corner of a Foreign Field". It showed the strains of keeping the Muslim practices of honoring the dead as they fought alongside British soldiers, which is a bit sad. The book concluded with the final play entitled, "American Nightmare", which is comedic, although it is not suitable for young readers for its sexual nature.
The book is a great read. The book provided a profile for each playwright to give the readers a glimpse of their success and literary exposure. There are mistakes in the editing of the book that the author might have overlooked, but the context is easy to understand. A few curse words appear in some parts of the book, as well as sensual scenes. All these taken into consideration, I'm giving it a 4 out of 4 stars. The chosen plays are exceptional. Prospective readers, however, should be warned that there are sexual scenes and adult language in the book.
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Divided World
View: on Bookshelves
I was entertained, moved, and challenged to think as I read the book written by Kenneth Pickering. It was a compilation of Middle Eastern plays that give readers a glimpse of how it was like living there amidst the wars and all its toll. The book entitled, Divided World, showed a great new perspective and defied the stereotype society has set for people from the Middle East.
The book is a compilation of seven contemporary plays by three remarkable playwrights, all of which are depicting the lives of various people as they struggle with the dire situation they are facing due to the war and the division of territories. The way Pickering chose the plays to feature in this book is smart in a way that relates to readers of all ages. Hannah Khalil's "A Very Short Play for Syria" and "A Negotiation" both featured a woman as the main character. The first one is about a young woman who unsympathetic towards refugees in England. The second one tugged a string in me because it showed that there are still some people who crave to go back home. It emits feelings of yearning, portraying that even though some will be able to live their lives as if nothing is wrong, being in a foreign country, one will still breed a desire to go back to his or her homeland.
The play "Jump" by Kate Al Hadid is striking and extraordinary. It serves as a reminder to readers that there are people in the Middle East that are fighting to survive and wanting to escape the confinements of war and disputes where they have found themselves stuck. It is an inspiration for young people to continue to strive for what they want to achieve with their life even though the surrounding situations may be difficult. It also teaches us that people see an escape in different means such as sports, work, or even in love. We do what we have to, with all the possible means that we have, to survive another day. This play makes me think about my life and the choices I've made and how lucky I am to be able to reach a lot of things that other people can't.
The third playwright featured in this book is Hassan Abdulrazzak, with four of his works. The first one of his featured plays entitled "The Several Beheadings of Ashraf Fayadh" gives hope in a sense that eventually, they will win. The victory that is being talked about here, for me, is equality; that sooner or later, people will look at them equally with no doubt nor disbelief. The second featured play is entertaining as it tells a story of a married woman who fell in love with her professor. In this play, she clings to the dream of seeing him again. It is a light take on the fear and panic of continuously moving as they try to find a safe place to stay. The humor of this play prepares readers for the next one, "Corner of a Foreign Field". It showed the strains of keeping the Muslim practices of honoring the dead as they fought alongside British soldiers, which is a bit sad. The book concluded with the final play entitled, "American Nightmare", which is comedic, although it is not suitable for young readers for its sexual nature.
The book is a great read. The book provided a profile for each playwright to give the readers a glimpse of their success and literary exposure. There are mistakes in the editing of the book that the author might have overlooked, but the context is easy to understand. A few curse words appear in some parts of the book, as well as sensual scenes. All these taken into consideration, I'm giving it a 4 out of 4 stars. The chosen plays are exceptional. Prospective readers, however, should be warned that there are sexual scenes and adult language in the book.
******
Divided World
View: on Bookshelves
Pamela Bianca Mas
Latest Review: How To Be Successful by M. Curtis McCoy
