#memory of forgetfulness

[strokeofserenity]

Mahmoud Darwish; “Memory for Forgetfulness”

[artandchocolate]

Mahmoud Darwish - “Memory for Forgetfulness” 

[onlyypaynee]

"No two people can know the sea the same way."

Mahmoud Darwish- "Memory of Forgetfulness"

[zelenaolovka]

"Memory of Forgetfulness" by Mahmoud Darwish

[youritalianbookpal]

Ten Questions Book Review - Memory of forgetfulness by Mahmoud Darwish

What is it? 1982, Lebanese Civil War and Israeli invasion of Lebanon. Thoughts of life and death, belonging and relationships for a Palestinian man living in this context.

Who should read it and why? This book is excruciatingly beautiful. Everyone should read it.

Which genre(s) is it? Autobiography that somehow reads like a poem, despite being prose.

What is the setting? Set in Beirut, August 1982, during the aforementioned Lebanese Civil War and the Israeli intervention in the war.

How are the characters? The characters, even if their names are usually not specified, are real people, rather than characters, so judgin this is hard. But the people in this book, nameless or otherwise, become very much alive, and I loved it despite the fact that it just added to the heartbreak.

What are the strengths and weaknesses of the novel? All the poetic images, all the metaphors, are the greatest strength of the book. As for weaknesses, I would account my own very scarce knowledge of Arab and Palestinian literature. I am sure that I would appreciate this book even more if I had more knowledge of those, which is not a "weakness" of the book, but rather a lack I feel in myself.

Did I cry and/or laugh? I cried once and I didn't laugh.

Who shouldn’t read the book? If you do not deal well with war and violence, I am pretty sure that a book written during a civil war and an invasion is not for you.

Any random comment? I am kind of glad this is the last book I finished in 2022.

We will go away to see each other become memories. We already are memories. From this moment on, we will remember each other as we remember a world that disappears into blue and becomes more and more blue.

Which quote stuck with me?

(Translation is mine, since I couldn’t find a proper English translation)