Review by Teele -- Divided World by Kenneth Pickering

[Teele]

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

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3 out of 4 stars

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Are you familiar with the likes of Hassan Abdulrazzak, Hannah Khalil, and Kate Al Hadid? These are the notable writers whose plays were compiled in Divided World by Kenneth Pickering. One of these writers has been described as 'a dramatist of compelling potential.' I totally agree with this sentiment.

This book begins with a duologue between Sykes and Picot in the drama titled: Exploring the Boundaries by Kenneth Pickering. The drama narrates a conversation between Sykes and Picot as they take a walk around the city walls of York, culminating in a discussion with the audience at the Railway Museum. In another play titled: A Very Short Play for Syria by Hannah Khalil, a young lady gets on the phone with her mother. The ensuing conversation reveals the distressing conditions in the troubled parts of the Middle East. The dialogue is so vivid that I felt as if I was there with her, feeling every pain being described.

In another play titled: The Several Beheadings of Ashraf Fayadh by Hassan Abdulrazzak, we feel the tense atmosphere existing in regions where foreigners are under constant suspicion. Indigenes believe that foreigners are only out to corrupt their youths by eroding their belief in God. It's a catch-22 situation. Five different scenes begin with similar introductions. In each, the protagonist has a slightly different motive. Yet, each of the scenes had similar outcomes.

Divided World has saved a space on my shelf. The plays portray both past and present realities. They touch on racism, injustice, suffering, bad governance, and other forms of inhumanities. The plays are so riveting that I lost track of time. You can't help but feel for the victims portrayed in each tale. Divisions in human society is a recurrent theme in history. In modern times, it has gained traction with far-reaching effects. It accounts for a major portion of the troubles experienced by people of all social levels all over the world. Often, these divisions stem from bad governance.

Overall, I would describe this book as intriguing. It emphasizes the fact that unity is a quality that we cannot do without. Although it is sorely lacking, it must be restored in order to achieve peace in human society. The plays compiled in this book are classic. They stir one's emotions. The ingenuity of the dramatists cannot be denied.

The plays were professionally edited. However, the introduction at the beginning of the book was riddled with grammatical errors. For this reason, I would rate this book 3 out of 4 stars. Nevertheless, the plays were awesome. They depicted real-life situations. Lovers of history and those who love short plays would find this book interesting.

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Divided World
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[Ellylion]

This book sounds really intriguing! It touches on very important themes, and I would give it a try Thanks for a great review!

[Justine Ocsebio]

I have read this book. It is indeed riveting and very eye-opening. It touches on a lot of societal issues. I enjoyed your detailed review.

[Teele]

I have read this book. It is indeed riveting and very eye-opening. It touches on a lot of societal issues. I enjoyed your detailed review.

This book sounds really intriguing! It touches on very important themes, and I would give it a try Thanks for a great review!

It really is intriguing. Thanks for sharing your thoughts.