Sitt Marie-Rose: A Novel [Paperback]

Etel Adnan (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1997

"Sitt Marie Rose" is the story of a young teacher who is abducted and then executed by Christian militiamen during the Lebanese Civil War. Based on a true story, this powerful and disturbing novel is now considered as one of the most important works of fiction to emerge from this tragic period in Lebanon. Highly innovative, and even iconoclastic, "Sitt Marie Rose" explores the role that sexual repression and 'tribalism' played in creating one of the most horrific conflicts in modern Arab history.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Sitt Marie Rose revolves around the life and death of a young Christian woman living in Beirut. Because of her sympathies for the Palestinian refugees, and her love for a Palestinian man, Marie-Rose has relinquished the protection of her people, the Christians: her tribe. Because she has become a threat to their group, four young men decide they must kill her.

The writer has a very telling sense of her purpose--to show the brutality that results from thinking in a tribal way about politics in a modern country. But by letting each of the men speak for himself, by exploring each of their very different motives for becoming killers, she [Adnan] softens the otherwise hard view of these men as primitives out of time... -- Lesley Evensen, Plexus

"The story is about a handful of characters and how their relationships are affected by the war...the real protagonist is the city itself. Since the story is narrated in a staccato style, the text takes on a quality reminiscent of Picasso's Guernica." -- Celfan Review, Temple University --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Language Notes

Text: English, French (translation) --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback
• Publisher: Post Apollo Pr; 4th edition (April 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0942996275
• ISBN-13: 978-0942996272
• Product Dimensions: 7.2 x 5.8 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,016,587 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

24 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Magical and Powerful - a must read for peace lovers, May 9, 2001

By 

Rania Masri (Lebanon (the country)) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Sitt Marie-Rose: A Novel (Paperback)

As a Lebanese, and, more importantly, as an anti-war activist, I found this book to be one of the most powerful testaments against the horrors and inhumanity of war. For Etel Adnan to have expressed the irrationality and insanity of war, and yet equally expressed the strength of human dignity and beauty is a testament to her writing.

I strongly recommend this short yet powerful and deeply poetic book to all Lebanese and to all those fighting for peace and justice.

15 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This book is not out of print!, November 9, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Sitt Marie-Rose: A Novel (Paperback)

Contact either the publisher: Post-Apollo Press, Sausalito, CA, or SPD (Small Press Distribution, Inc), Berkeley CA 800-869-7553

Despite Amazon's omniscience, this book is not out of print.

12 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Novella Worth the Read, July 8, 2004

By 

Eric Preston (Yuba City, CA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Sitt Marie Rose (Paperback)

I read this novella for a Middle Eastern Humanities course sixteen years ago in college and, through my instructor, had the good fortune of meeting Etel Adnan. The book was powerful and moving, granting me insight into a world so foreign from mine and yet similar in strange ways. I relished the discussions with Ms. Adnan after reading it. Her experiences, skill with language and unique vision make anything she writes worth reading. This novella is easy reading, but will definitely leave a lasting impression. After ten years in education, I still loan my copy to students for summer reading and have had each student I've loaned it to thank me for the experience.