Review by MarianaFigueira -- Divided World

Mariana Figueira · Post by **Mariana Figueira** » 05 Dec 2020, 11:51

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

4 out of 4 stars

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Divided World by Kenneth Pickering is a collection of plays that portray the suffering that the Middle East has experienced and the world's involvement in it, including the countries that "aided" refugees.

Some of them are fact-based, such as Exploring the Boundaries, the very first play in the collection, in which two characters dispute a land that belongs to neither of them with a satiric and ironic inflection. Corner of a Foreign Field is also true-to-life; it tells the story of an Imam who strives to get Indian soldiers who fought for Great Britain decent burials according to their traditions.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Even though reading theater plays is very different than leafing through prose, and that the underlying subject is grave, it is an easy read. My favorite part was the last few plays, which were a bit humorous: The Several Beheadings of Ashraf Fayadh, American Nightmare, and previously mentioned Corner of a Foreign Field, all by Hassan Abdulrazzak. I especially relished his ones because, although they were brief, they were very compelling.

Furthermore, I thought the arrangement of the book was brilliant: before the plays, there was a concise introduction about the author and what he or she is all about, where they come from, etc. which provides a much-appreciated background to the plays and separates them from one another with refinement.

The underlying motif of war in the Middle East, the diaspora that it caused, and all the refugees' situations are something nobody wants to think about, but we have to. Being from Venezuela, I have lived the destruction of my country (by a not so patent war) and the diaspora that followed, so this struck a nerve; I felt identified with many of the situations brilliantly represented in the book.

I would say my least favorite part of it was the vulgar language and the mentions and scenes of sexual abuse, which caught me a bit off guard; with this being a work that involves war, I expected violence but not this, though I suppose including it makes sense.

Despite having encountered a few grammatical errors, this book seems edited by a professional. It is intended for adult readers since it includes violence, death, and drugs, in addition to the profane words and graphic descriptions of sexual abuse stated earlier. In the spirit of full disclosure, the theme of it isn't pretty, so this isn't the type of book that you read to cheer you up. In closing, I believe this collection deserves nothing less than 4 out of 4 stars. It touches on an important and neglected subject, and it is well-written and most absorbing.

******
Divided World
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RHD · Post by **RHD** » 17 Dec 2020, 10:46

In truth, we need to have more conversations around the issues going on in the Middle East. I'm glad when I find bold and courageous minds like Kenneth Pickering putting it down on paper. Great review, Mariana!

Sou Hi · Post by **Sou Hi** » 17 Dec 2020, 22:24

Thanks for your thoughtful review. Every nation has its own share of wars and separations, but the Middle East is still one of the most dangerous places in the world. I'm glad to know that the book is able to vividly depict the lives there.

Leyla Ann · Post by **Leyla Ann** » 18 Dec 2020, 16:56

I was very reluctant to check this book out because I knew it was made of poetry, and the latter is not something I'm very good with due to its complex nature. however, it seems that I was mistaken, and I may understand it just fine. Great review indeed!

Mariana Figueira · Post by **Mariana Figueira** » 19 Dec 2020, 12:21

RHD wrote: ↑17 Dec 2020, 10:46 In truth, we need to have more conversations around the issues going on in the Middle East. I'm glad when I find bold and courageous minds like Kenneth Pickering putting it down on paper. Great review, Mariana!

Thank you so much

Mariana Figueira · Post by **Mariana Figueira** » 19 Dec 2020, 12:22

Sou Hi wrote: ↑17 Dec 2020, 22:24 Thanks for your thoughtful review. Every nation has its own share of wars and separations, but the Middle East is still one of the most dangerous places in the world. I'm glad to know that the book is able to vividly depict the lives there.

It is really a good read. Thank you for the comment

Mariana Figueira · Post by **Mariana Figueira** » 19 Dec 2020, 12:23

Leyla Ann wrote: ↑18 Dec 2020, 16:56 I was very reluctant to check this book out because I knew it was made of poetry, and the latter is not something I'm very good with due to its complex nature. however, it seems that I was mistaken, and I may understand it just fine. Great review indeed!

Thank you!

Liz Alice · Post by **Liz Alice** » 19 Dec 2020, 13:11

This sounds like an interesting read which depicts many of the issues the Middle East faces in a realistic manner to the outside world. Thank you for the amazing review!

Mariana Figueira · Post by **Mariana Figueira** » 30 Dec 2020, 15:47

Liz Alice wrote: ↑19 Dec 2020, 13:11 This sounds like an interesting read which depicts many of the issues the Middle East faces in a realistic manner to the outside world. Thank you for the amazing review!

Thank you for stopping by!

mariana90 · Post by **mariana90** » 22 Mar 2021, 15:42

Oh, this book really made me think! I agree with you regarding the sexual content, particularly in the last play. It was a bit brutal for my taste.

Thank you for your wonderful and thorough review tocaya!!