Review by Charlyt -- Divided World by Kenneth Pickering

Charlyn Tuzon · Post by **Charlyn Tuzon** » 07 Apr 2020, 03:33

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

4 out of 4 stars

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Divided World is a compilation of short plays that was edited by Kenneth Pickering. The playwrights are from the Middle East, and brief introductions about them are written before their respective dramas. The book has a theme of “occupation and dispossession”, and each play has a feeling of being oppressed or helpless in different levels, regardless of the main characters being the one tormented or not.

The entire book is 186 pages long with only a handful of short stories. If one is not familiar with how a stage plays script looks like, it is written with only the characters’ dialogues and a few descriptions regarding setting and characters. This makes the book very easy to read and direct to the point.

Each play was diverse and varied from each other in terms of plot, storytelling, and design. One that was probably the most memorable was the play entitled “Jump” written by Kate Al Hadid, which was also the longest in the collection. It tells the story of Yousef who wants to go to Greece to compete in the World Championship of a parkour competition, but he cannot leave Gaza without the authorities’ permission. In this story, the playwright gives vivid descriptions of buildings that have been bombed and areas that have been ruined while Yousef does parkour. His struggle was also eminent as the play progresses with one problem stacking up on top of each other.

Another one that I liked was “A Very Short Play for Syria” by Hannah Khalil. The story has only one character of a young woman talking on the phone with her mother. She talks about the hassles of everyday life like riding the train packed with other people and having an argument with another woman and un-friending her in social media. She then turns the television on and the news projects refugees looking helpless. It definitely shows the difference, not only of the lifestyle situation but also the contrast of what it means to be deprived.

I really liked that this anthology brings light on sensitive social issues and sharing it with others. The plays are short, but they give a powerful impact and a strong message to the people who are more privileged than others. I do not have anything negative to say about the book, although I did find two minor errors.

I rate this book 4 out of 4 stars. The book is filled with skillfully written contemporary plays that are easy to read and understand. A few of the stories contain swear words and, although there are no sexual scenes shown, they are implied in some parts. I wouldn’t advise this to minors because of these reasons, but I would recommend this book to those who like stage play dramas or readers who like to read about themes that are socially relevant today.

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Divided World
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Damis Seres Rodriguez · Post by **Damis Seres Rodriguez** » 11 Apr 2020, 06:22

Hey great review! the book seems quite interesting. Do you think that these stories despite being different from one another run smoothly around the central theme of the anthology? I mean, do you think that the objective of displaying the "occupation and dispossession" actually brings them together' in some sort of armony? or are they just a bunch of stories that talk about similar things thrown together into the anthology?

Maria Esposito · Post by **Maria Esposito** » 11 Apr 2020, 08:20

This collection seems particularly interesting to me because I love reading about the Middle East. Great review!

Charlyn Tuzon · Post by **Charlyn Tuzon** » 13 Apr 2020, 03:30

damis wrote: ↑11 Apr 2020, 06:22 Hey great review! the book seems quite interesting. Do you think that these stories despite being different from one another run smoothly around the central theme of the anthology? I mean, do you think that the objective of displaying the "occupation and dispossession" actually brings them together' in some sort of armony? or are they just a bunch of stories that talk about similar things thrown together into the anthology?

Thanks for the comment! Yes, the theme of occupation and dispossession does connect the stories. It might be more obvious in some of the stories, like "Jump" (the one I wrote on the review), and in some it is more on the feeling of being occupied or dispossessed.

Charlyn Tuzon · Post by **Charlyn Tuzon** » 13 Apr 2020, 03:32

espo wrote: ↑11 Apr 2020, 08:20 This collection seems particularly interesting to me because I love reading about the Middle East. Great review!

Thanks for the comment!

Erin Dydek · Post by **Erin Dydek** » 13 Apr 2020, 08:42

This sounds like it would be a fun book to read with a group to act out the parts of the plays and discuss the social issues presented. Thanks for the insightful review!

bellajavier · Post by **bellajavier** » 13 Apr 2020, 11:58

It doesn't matter if the plays are short, if the idea is strong and influential. Author did a great job with this book! I am a big fan of poetry and I love to read such books, that about important social issues. Your review was so amazing! I enjoyed reading it!

Charlyn Tuzon · Post by **Charlyn Tuzon** » 15 Apr 2020, 03:16

Everydayadventure15 wrote: ↑13 Apr 2020, 08:42 This sounds like it would be a fun book to read with a group to act out the parts of the plays and discuss the social issues presented. Thanks for the insightful review!

That's an interesting idea! Thanks for your comment!

Charlyn Tuzon · Post by **Charlyn Tuzon** » 15 Apr 2020, 03:21

bellajavier wrote: ↑13 Apr 2020, 11:58 It doesn't matter if the plays are short, if the idea is strong and influential. Author did a great job with this book! I am a big fan of poetry and I love to read such books, that about important social issues. Your review was so amazing! I enjoyed reading it!

Each story really did have a strong impact. Thanks for your comment!

adamgreenrock · Post by **adamgreenrock** » 20 Apr 2020, 00:32

So it's basically an anthology book but in script format? Very interesting. I might give it a read. Thanks for your review!

Charlyn Tuzon · Post by **Charlyn Tuzon** » 29 Apr 2020, 03:38

adamgreenrock wrote: ↑20 Apr 2020, 00:32 So it's basically an anthology book but in script format? Very interesting. I might give it a read. Thanks for your review!

Yes, it is. The stories are interesting as well. Thanks for the comment!