Review by Gacau -- Divided World by Kenneth Pickering

Gacau · Post by **Gacau** » 29 Mar 2020, 11:02

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

4 out of 4 stars

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Divided World was authored by Kenneth Pickering. It is a collection of plays of occupation and dispossession published in 2017. The introduction of the book and one play (Exploring the Boundaries) are written by the author. The other drama series are written by three other playwrights. Hannah Khalil has 2 plays, Kate Al Hadid 1 play and Hassan Abdulrazzak 4 plays. From the playwrights' profiles, they are professionals and experts who have enjoyed considerable successes in playwriting.

It all starts with a Sykes-Picot duologue devised by Kenneth Pickering entitled ‘Exploring the Boundaries’. It is about an imagined walk taken by the two characters around the city walls of York which culminates into a discussion with the audience at the Railway Museum. This play describes the dispossession as they discussed dividing territories and taking control. This piece confirms a quotation in the introduction part of the book. It states, 'Until we address our self-serving hypocrisy in the Middle East and elsewhere, the world will continue to become far more unstable’.

I found the play entitled ‘Jump’ more interesting. It is a story of a young man called Yousef who passionately wants to participate in the World Championship in Parkour. His mother, Hana, is against the idea of him going to the Championship. Yousef applies to the authorities seeking permission to cross over to Parkour. A reply letter comes back from the authorities rejecting his request. As a result of the rejection, Yousef reacts in an uncontrollable way which neither pleases Nadar, his sister, nor Hana. Consequently, the other characters are identified with their occupations. Occupations which to some characters are an avenue to practice injustices. It is important to note that all plays in this series are intriguing. It was hard for me to stop reading any single play once I started.

What I liked most is the clarity of the plays at every stage. One can't struggle to join conversations among the different characters. There is a commendable blending of characters in each play. The presence of a monologue entitled 'The Ship No One Wanted' is refreshing as it brings a different taste from other plays. What I disliked most is the aspect of homosexuality which appears towards the end of the story under a play entitled ‘American Nightmare’.

The language employed in the plays is appropriate and easy to understand. The themes of occupation and dispossession are covered comprehensively. However, to enjoy the plays, a reader should be able to visualize them. The book was meticulously planned, and editing was professionally done as well. I discovered only two errors. Therefore, I rate this book 4 out of 4 stars. I highly recommend it to lovers of drama who are not underage because it contains inappropriate scenes.

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Divided World
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Post by **Kibet Hillary** » 04 Apr 2020, 11:00

This sounds like an enthralling and informative book. The author must have done a lot of research to come up with such wonderful pieces. Thanks for the brilliant review.

Tavaiel26 · Post by **Tavaiel26** » 04 Apr 2020, 11:56

I really enjoyed reading this book! I agree with everything you said! great review!

Gacau · Post by **Gacau** » 05 Apr 2020, 07:22

Tavaiel26 wrote: ↑04 Apr 2020, 11:56 I really enjoyed reading this book! I agree with everything you said! great review!

It's really an interesting read. Thanks for the comment.

Gacau · Post by **Gacau** » 05 Apr 2020, 07:28

Kibetious wrote: ↑04 Apr 2020, 11:00 This sounds like an enthralling and informative book. The author must have done a lot of research to come up with such wonderful pieces. Thanks for the brilliant review.

Clear and detailed book with real issues affecting the world even today.

Thanks for the comment.