okay, i get it now. i get why kapuściński has been so popular for so long. this is a beautiful, haunting reportage. his eye for detail is incredible, okay, i get it now. i get why kapuściński has been so popular for so long. this is a beautiful, haunting reportage. his eye for detail is incredible, the way he describes everyday life almost like a story from another world is uncanny. he whole thing is bloody, honest, and somehow still hopeful....more
very interesting look at the current socio-political situation in poland, and why it's as ridiculous as it is. won't exactly teach you anything you dovery interesting look at the current socio-political situation in poland, and why it's as ridiculous as it is. won't exactly teach you anything you don't already know about our history (and doesn't claim to) but will allow you to look at things from a vastly different perspective. suddenly this country makes snese.
incredibly readable too, despite the author's love of big words. ...more
a book abt the 2003 war in iraq written with a very clear idea in mind. the idea being that said war (and polish army taking part in it) was a di3.5 ☆
a book abt the 2003 war in iraq written with a very clear idea in mind. the idea being that said war (and polish army taking part in it) was a disgrace (to say the least).
yes, only a small part of the book actually talks abt the role poland played in this war, but that's bc this isn't really a book abt the specifics of the war. instead, it's one showing how this war was perfectly in line with us' politics since its creation, how none of it - not the lies, the tortures, the monetary profits - were anything new for the american elites. that's why the author only talks abt how polish media (and in fact a lot of prominent figures, like stanisław lem or leszek kołakowski) were incredibly pro-war the whole time it was happening (and before).
the first chapter is a(n incomplete) list of the us' "interventions" in countries around the globe, run mostly by the cia. even as someone who was already familiar with almost all of them, it was chilling to see them listed page after page after page... ...more
i wish i could make everyone i know read this book.
it's roughly divided into four parts: 1) a brief history of isntreal and its numerous invasions on i wish i could make everyone i know read this book.
it's roughly divided into four parts: 1) a brief history of isntreal and its numerous invasions on gaza before operation cast lead (wih a focus on the role of anders' army in the nakba); 2) a detailed account of operation cast lead, as seen by the author on the ground; 3) a number of personal stories about martyrs; and 4) a look at isntreal standing in the world, especially its relations with the us and with poland.
i spent the last few months watching videos of massacre after massacre committed by the iof, and yet some of the descriptions in this book still took me by surprise. this part of the book is also very angry, and because of that (and obviously because of the subject itself) is reminiscent of this time we went too far: truth & consequences of the gaza invasion by norman g. finkelstein.
but it's that last part that really shook me to my core. i was in middle school and high school when all those events were taking place, and anyway i don't imagine they were even talked about publicly in the way they should be. i always just thought our gov supports instreal out of shame caused by our antisemitism, but turns out it runs so much deeper than that & it's so much more disgusting. the book looks at how after the fall of communism we turned to privatisation and a focus on military as the means to help our country develop. advancing our army meant in turn creating a closer relationship with the us, who looked at this as a great opportunity to get richer & find a loyal friend. and that in turn of course meant increasing the union with instreal, not only because it's like us' little brother but also because they were like, hey! we're great at fighting terrorism and building guns, let's work together!
the poland-isntreal-us love triangle truly belongs in hell....more
okay, i read the first volume, which is more than i did in high school, and i think it's time to admit: that's enoughokay, i read the first volume, which is more than i did in high school, and i think it's time to admit: that's enough...more
rep: Jewish gay mc, Jewish characters, Jewish bi li tw: antisemitism, racism, homophobia, discussions of concentration camps, mentions of Isra*l, drug rep: Jewish gay mc, Jewish characters, Jewish bi li tw: antisemitism, racism, homophobia, discussions of concentration camps, mentions of Isra*l, drug use
this was such a roller-coaster of emotions, it felt like a fever dream. i literally went from laughing out loud straight to crying. it's a very modern play, has some absurdity of mrożek's plays, only here it actually makes sense & works as part of the plot....more
crying screaming throwing up... the fact that they made us read this in school as kids & yet there wasn't a single sentence i understood all the wordscrying screaming throwing up... the fact that they made us read this in school as kids & yet there wasn't a single sentence i understood all the words from......more
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