Archipelago Books Journal Of An Ordinary Grief

Journal of an Ordinary Grief is a stunning blend of poetry, memory, and reflection. Mahmoud Darwish, one of Palestine’s greatest writers, captures what it means to live in exile — not just from a place, but from a sense of belonging.

Wonderful book. Poetical as always but more historical than any other. Very autobiographical too. I do love these poetical prose of Darwich. Heve read all the the 3. I am reading it as I am writting my own book about Palestine. Thank you very much SWATTI

Decades since this was written and it is beautifully and sadly to the point now, Jan 2025, as the Palestinians are suffering relentless bombardment snd starvation in Gaza. Such a fluent and versatile voice. A witness and participant. An ordinary grief? I don’t understand the title — does he mean that grief is so universal for his people— a profound identification with a people— that it is ordinary, routine, indistinguishable from anyone else’s. But that doesn’t quite make sense if grief is not only collective. An everyman’s experience in that he is just one more person subject to history and loss.? I like that title and this book very much.

Good, thoughtful writing about being a Palestinian.

It's a beautiful translation of a very painful situation... the creation of the State of Israel from the point of view of the great Palestinian poet Mahmoud Darwish, who was displaced as a child. If you are Jewish, and want to understand the Palestinian view I'd say this is a must read.