PALESTINE by Joe Sacco: Thoughts and Review

PALESTINE was my first graphic novel and I thoroughly enjoyed it, I think I will not be skeptical about this subgenre any longer.
This was such a powerful book. It explores the Palestinian-Israeli conflict during the second intifada in the early nineties. The author clearly doesn't take sides and tries to show both sides in his book. He has mentioned in an interview that he tries to be transparent in his works and as honest as he can be, so don't think he is being mean with any side. Nevertheless, even as a person who lives in Palestine and is a first hand witness to the conflict, I didn't know how intricate and discreet the nature of the intifada was. I was born in 1993, a short while after it ended and I have witnessed the third one in 2004, which was an experience of its own. However, PALESTINE is written for the whole world to understand and try to comprehend the conflict a little more and gives the reader an insight to the second intifada and how it started.
Moreover, Joe Sacco does say that he didn't go to Palestine and snap photos out of his own will, his company sent him there and expected him to come back with a good selling story, especially since back then in the early nineties Palestine was swarming in the news. So, in the first chapter he does sound very negative and acts like he is doing Palestinians a favour with his comic. It may seem like he changes throughout the book till the last chapter but the way I see it, he does not change. I don't know if he ever came back but he gives the impression that he really hated it. That's how I see it.
In this comic, Sacco was very detailed with his drawings, there was a lot to look at, as well as his exhaustive, detailing of people's expressions. Most of the comic consists of interviewing families who came in collision with Israeli army or the government in one way or the other. Sacco also interviews nurses, doctors and teachers that were victimised.
I feel like this graphic novel gives enough discernment for a person to get more interested in the Palestinian conflict. He does mention the absurdity of some decisions taken by Israel as well as giving some background information when needed.
All in all, while reading I noticed that I could not put it down. I would get really caught up with the reading and was so captivated with the stories. It is such a page turner.
I feel like this a book everyone should read, Palestinian or not. This would teach the reader to always know both sides of a story before deciding and judging what is right or wrong.
There are lots of narratives in the book, lots to look at and see. I hope more people read this graphic novel.
Anyways, this was a great introduction to the graphic novel subgenre and I will be reading more in the future. Thank you for reading, let me know in the comments if you have read this book what you think about or leave me some recommendations of more amazing graphic novels.
Happy reading :)

We Have Always Lived in the Castle

Shirley Jackson's We Have Always Lived in the Castle, is described as eerie, bizarre, creepy and exciting. However, I didn't really find it that way. I do think it was quite enjoyable and a good read, however I read it expecting to have chills run down my spine. The language is engaging but I found it quite plotless. I was a little disappointed but I did give it 4/5 stars for the beauty of the structure.
We Have Always Lived in the Castle is a short story, described as horror, about two sisters, Merricat and Constance, who live alone with their uncle Julian in their family estate. The village they live in keeps away from them because of the rumour that Constance poisoned the whole family but failed to kill her sister and uncle. She was acquitted of the accusation and is protected by her sister Merricat. They live comfortably in their isolation until their cousin, Charles, shows up. Merricat can clearly see the danger and the true intention of Charles's arrival.

Something that I found creepy though is that the townsfolk have a fucked up song they sing whenever Merricat does her shopping:

Merricat, said Connie, would you like a cup of tea?
Oh, no, said Merricat, you'll poison me!
Merricat, said Connie, would you like to go to sleep?
Down in the boneyard ten feet deep!

Things Fall Apart

I had to read this novel for my postcolonial course this semester. What a read! This book moved me so much, it is so sad! This story tells the tale of one of the Igbo tribes of Nigeria.
Each tribe has a specific métier. The one our protagonist, Okonkwo, belongs to is the warrior tribe. All nine tribes with their different occupation make up one of the villages of Nigeria. Okonkwo is so obsessed with his rank and stance in the tribe after his father always fell under debt and was very weak. If you don't imply the tribe's criteria, you're out-casted. Okonkwo's father was artistic and not at all a warrior, he created music and so, he was cast out of the tribe. Okonkwo had to build up his own life by borrowing some seeds and planting them. There was a good harvest season so he paid back his debts and bought more seeds of his own. He created his own image in his own hands and gained respect from the tribe. The story is of Oknonkwo falling apart, the tribe falling apart and eventually Nigeria. All due to colonialism.
In the Igbo tribes, they believe in good and bad spirits, in personal gods and bad omens. They also have some men who dress up and represent the good spirits of the gods called Egwugwu. This cannot be gained but rather one is born into this position. They also believe that twins are born as one is a good spirit while the other is evil, they don't know which is which so they cast them both out into the evil forest just on the outskirts of the tribe. Additionally, they have an Agbla, which is an oracle or prophet represented by Chielo.
Okonkwo has respect for the religious affiliation of his tribe and aspires to become part of the Egwugwu, even though he was not born into it. Throughout the story, we learn the ways and daily life of the tribe. As a reader, you get attached to the characters as you learn about them.
Okonkwo is so insisted on being unlike his father, he disobeys his Chi, or his personal god. He refuses his god's wishes of not going to harvest this season, since it won't be successful, and instead takes it as a challenge, and sure enough collects his harvest. Moreover, in this patriarchal society, Oknokwo is very fond of his daughter, Ezinma, and wishes she was a boy. As is he would lose some of his manliness for loving her. Ezinma has suffered illness her whole life and so Oknokwo knows she won't marry. Chielo wants her to become the next oracle, but Okonkwo disagrees as he thinks she would turn into an instrument.
There is so much more that happens but I will move along to the second part of the novel when the white man commences his intruding. The white man asks for a piece of land to build his church and the tribe gives them part of the evil forest, thinking the bad omen will drive them out. After a while they realise nothing changes and the white man takes in a lot of people who think the church might be the true religion, since the omens didn't knock it down. They also took in all of the out-casted. Okonkwo is surprised no one is fighting or saying anything and eventually understands that the tribe is giving up and thus, falls apart. This, in turn, causes Okonkwo to fall apart.
A story of the utter destructive and disruptive effect of colonialism. Such a sad, tragic read :( Achebe wrote this novel in response to critics who said that Conrad's Heart of Darkness is not racist at all.
I will definitely be reading this again and I cannot recommend it enough!
Happy reading :)

Madame Bovary

Madame Bovary, the story of the downfall of a woman so young, so indulged in the glamorous life... She met her husband as he attended for her father's broken leg and on a whim, without knowing much about him, they get married. However, Emma Rouault is his second wife after his mother made him marry a wretched middle aged woman.
Shortly after marrying Charles Bovary, they were invited to a party held by a Marquis and Emma gets a sweet taste of the opulent, luxurious and easy life of the upper class. She realises she has met her downfall and loses life in her young 14 year old mind, so Charles moves her from the countryside to a larger town thinking it may do her good. She meets so many people, among them a young man named Leon Depuis, and the local pharmacist, monsieur Homais.
Leon and Emma both feel a wave of some sentiments pass between them but they never truly address them. After Emma has her daughter, Berthe, they become even closer and learn they are in love, but again they are too coy and timid to say anything. He moves along with his life and to Paris. and she returns to her depressed self.
However, Emma meets yet another handsome Bachelor by the name of Rodolphe. He has a way with women and it doesn't take a lot of convincing for Emma to become his net mistress. They have an ongoing relationship for a long while. She falls for him so bad, she starts making eloping plans with him. Rodolphe eventually got bored with her and when he heard of her plans he knew it was time he let her go, the morning of the elopement and through a letter he didn't even deliver himself, what an arse!
All this happens while she was making purchases from a local merchant, buying the best coats and luggage. She doesn't pay the costs fully and, in accordance, the Bovarys falls into debt.
She falls back again into depression and monsieur Homais suggests for them to go to the theatre in Rouen. They do and it lifts her spirits up again to think she might have one night of living like the opulent. But what are the chances of running into Leon again! And so they do. As the Bovarys talk to him, they learn that he is done with his studies and has moved to Rouen. He is no linger timid and isn't afraid of letting Emma knows how he felt, or feels, about her. And so they throw themselves into a passionate, ardent relationship. She works her way round going back to that city over and over. However, the debts they owe become too large and too troublesome for them to handle. She tries to hide it from Charles by asking for loans, to no avail. She tried her neighbours, Leon and even Rodolphe. But everyone refuses. She outs herself under so much stress, she takes matter into her own hands and tricks monsieur Homais's son to give her arsenic. And so is the story of the young and restless, Madame Bovary, leading to her utter downfall. Things get even worse for Charles and Berthe after her death with finances. Charles is so in love with his dead wife, he refuses to sell any of her possessions. Berthe is sent to live with a poor aunt on a farm and ends up being a labourer.
What a tragic tale!
The story of economic dependence and the commodification of women, one cannot deny how horrid it must be to be Madame Bovary. She was essentially bought by Dr Charles Bovary, thinking she was moving to a social rank higher than hers only to learn she is strictly ordinary after the Marquis's party. Then to learn that her lovers did not entirely care for her and Rodolphe was ready to pay her loans if she would sleep with him one more time. Her suicide redeems much more understandable when you think of it this way.
Even though it was translated from French, one cannot deny the lyrical beauty of the writing of Flaubert. He created his own style and rhythm. It was so clear he tried to avoid clichés and opted for creative, indulgent and captivating writing. It was such an enjoyable read and definitely deserving of a re-read in the future.
There is a novel titles Madame Bovary's Daughter, as you might guess, about Berthe's life on the farm as she is older. She learns she came from a wealthy family who went bankrupt and that's all I know! I will definitely be checking it out, although it wasn't written by Flaubert but rather it was published in 2011.