Paul Starkey (1)

As it begins this book comes across as extremely innocent and simple. One lets oneself go along anyway - it's an easy short read, so why not finish it despite its childishness. And then, slowly, the book's great beauty begins to build. The Arabic begins to shine through the translation. The bravery and importance of the issues it raises comes through. The range and universality, while also, often quite humorously, inhabiting its specificity, with very subtle nods to its political positions, makes them shine even more, provoking an impulse to embrace the author and thank her for such purity, such kindness. As the book progresses it begins to suggest an interweaving of the stories that will build toward some climax in which all is revealed. This does not happen. But nor does it have to. The incompleteness of this approach gives way to something much better, to which the incompleteness of the unity of the individual stories contributes. Too much artfulness, too much plot, would have taken away from the poetry. With such a broad range of understanding, Shibli finds both beauty (forgive my repetition - it's true!) and commonality in all manner of loneliness. But the universal case is made up of the individual cases. I wouldn't have wanted an abstract theory of loneliness or pure poetry, either. Shibli finds a balance and invents a half-decoy structure. In this way she communicates a profound empathy that stays with the reader. As important to be read for the general as the specific. An absolute joy. Perceptive, aware and also impossibly light of heart. A gift. Thank you for this.… (meer)