Name: Apeirogon
ISBN: 9783498045333

Colum McCann

Apeirogon

A Novel

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"In some cases it was days later, in others months, before the reason became apparent: the space between the soldiers was needed in case the photograph had to be printed in the newspaper, or shown on TV, with the dead identified by a crisp red ring around their faces."

"It was that time of the evening when Beit Jala willed itself to cool down: the land breathed, the sun dipped, hills took on a sudden burst of dark green."

"Did the Palestinians kill six million Israelis? Did the Israelis kill six million Palestinians? But the Germans killed six million Jews and look, now we have an Israeli diplomat in Berlin and we have a German ambassador in Tel Aviv. You see, nothing is impossible. As long as I am not occupied, as long as I have my rights, so long as you allow me to move around, to vote, to be human, then anything is possible."

"Bassam Aramin is Palestinian. Rami Elhanan is Israeli. They inhabit a world of intractable conflict that colors every aspect of their daily lives, from the roads they are allowed to take to the schools their daughters, Abir and Smadar, each attend. Theirs is a life in which children from both sides of the wall throw stones at one another. But their worlds shift irreparably when ten-year-old old Abir is killed by a rubber bullet meant to quell unruly crowds, and again when thirteen-year-old Smadar becomes the victim of suicide bombers. When Bassam and Rami learn one another's stories and the loss that connects them, they become part of a much larger tale that ranges over centuries and continents. Apeirogon is a novel that balances on the knife edge of fiction and nonfiction. Bassam and Rami are real men and their actual words are a part of this narrative, one that builds through thousands of moments and images into one grand, unforgettable crescendo"--

Summer Stanley

Honestly, how does McCann do it? Another incredible story, beautifully told, in an unusual format. I loved every second. I tried to take my time to fully appreciate the complexity and catch some of the tightly woven details.

Beautiful.

I think it started out really strong. Somewhere in the middle things just felt like I was treading water, and then the plot inched forward. That's ignoring that I found it hard to really feel the impact of the personal reactions of the characters when he spoke of their opinions. Since he isnt an own voice author of this story, I did find myself wondering how he came to decide that's how people felt. 

Definitely not the worst book I've read, and a decent start to me reading the Booker Long List. I'm not sure if it will make the short list, but this is the first one on the list I could get from the library.

Alejandra RG

Francine Corry

Sarah Erle

The novel of a lifetime about two men and their daughters: divided by conflict, yet united in grief. Rami Elhanan and Bassam Aramin live near one another - yet they exist worlds apart. Rami is Israeli. Bassam is Palestinian. Rami's license plate is yellow. Bassam's license plate is green. It takes Rami fifteen minutes to drive to the West Bank. The same journey for Bassam takes an hour and a half. Both men have lost their daughters. Rami's thirteen-year-old girl Smadar was killed by a suicide bomber while out shopping with her friends. Bassam's ten-year-old daughter Abir was shot and killed by a member of the border police outside her school. There was a candy bracelet in her pocket she hadn't had time to eat yet. The men become the best of friends. In this epic novel - named for a shape with a countably infinite number of sides - Colum McCann crosses centuries and continents, stitching time, art, history, nature and politics into a tapestry of friendship, love, loss and belonging. Musical, muscular, delicate and soaring, Apeirogon is the novel for our times.

Anna Koempel

Oscar Kömpel

Gelaine Trinidad

raey

Hannah Swithinbank

Bassam Aramin is Palestinian. Rami Elhanan is Israeli. They inhabit a world of intractable conflict that colors every aspect of their daily lives. When Bassam and Rami learn one another's stories and the loss that connects them, they become part of a much larger tale that ranges over centuries and continents

Apeirogon

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