Review by adhambakry -- Divided World by Kenneth Pickering

[adhambakry]

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

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4 out of 4 stars

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Divided World by Kenneth Pickering, Hannah Khalil, Kate Al Hadid, and Hassan Abdulrazzak is a spectacular book that consists of a collection of plays, each with an implied theme or message, about the consequences of the Middle East's occupation by foreign nations. There is a total of eight plays. The first play, "Exploring the Boundaries", is an imaginary conversation between Sir Mark Skyes and Francois Picot about the exploitation of the Middle East for the benefit of both The United Kingdom and France. "A Very Short Play for Syria" is the second play narrating a story of a young woman who lives a miserable life due to the stress-inducing environment that she is in. "Jump" is a play about a young man who wishes to travel to Greece to compete in a world championship but can't due to his government's strict laws. I find the last play, "American Nightmare", very thought-provoking as it conveys a very powerful message. What is the theme implied? Read the book to find out!

The book reflects a very clear picture of a land torn by war and political feuds. What I like about the book is that it successfully manages to describe the unsanitary environment that certain people live in. The book also implies very powerful themes such as patriotism, greed, and reluctance. The play format may seem discouraging at first (to some readers), but it adds a unique spice to the book.

However, I didn't like the format of the book. I wasn't fond of the fact that I had to read each writer's profile before reading his plays. Instead, I would have preferred to read all the profiles at once in the introduction. Apart from the format, I loved every aspect of the book.

The book is engaging and thought-provoking. I know that many readers may spot numerous grammatical errors in the book, but I strongly believe that those grammatical errors were intended. In other words, the writers wanted to depict the dire situation in the Middle East with surgical precision, so they translated the exact phrases that are used with no amendments. I am confident that this is a matter of style, therefore, I have to say that I found neither grammatical errors nor spelling mistakes in the text. Finally, I give the book a 4 out of 4 stars as it is truly sensational.

I strongly recommend the book to people who want an honest insight into what is happening in the Middle East. Profanity is found in the book, so it is not recommended for children.

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Divided World
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[Sou Hi]

Thanks for your detailed review, this is the first time I come across a book that has intentional errors. This seems to be a nice collection of plays written by considerate and perceptive authors.

[Olabode Joshua]

People in the Middle East have been this way since the occupation. Hopefully, the bad eggs will be fished out and that place will stop being a refugee-producing area. Thanks for your review, Adhambakry.

[Leyla Ann]

This is a very insightful review, thank you so much!

I was very reluctant to read this book, at first sight, assuming that it won't be up to my taste, but your review made me rethink that.