Reviews

The Shawl by Cynthia Ozick

arthur_98's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional reflective sad fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? N/A
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

Good, confused if Magda died or not at the end. But it was good enjoyed.

diadorim's review against another edition

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4.0

Few pages are enough to conjure horror both in its immediacy and in its long-term consequences on people. Uncompromising, unflinching and masterfully written, a true literary achievement.

jewelsrot's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

peytondani's review against another edition

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3.0

3.5⭐️

vani_in_wonderland_'s review against another edition

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reflective sad slow-paced

3.75

digmusic's review against another edition

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dark emotional inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

3.0

"El Chal" presenta una mirada íntima a la sombría realidad de la represión judía durante la Segunda Guerra Mundial en Polonia, narrada a través de dos conmovedoras historias. La primera, que da título al libro, es un relato corto pero potente que sumerge al lector en la vida dentro de un campo de concentración nazi, enfocándose en la experiencia desgarradora de ser madre en tales circunstancias. A pesar de su corta extensión, este relato logra capturar y transmitir de manera intensa los sentimientos y el ambiente de desesperación.

El segundo relato, "Rosa", sigue a su homónima en su vida después de escapar de la opresión nazi, ahora tratando de adaptarse y sobrevivir en Miami, Estados Unidos. Este segmento ofrece una perspectiva de la vida después del trauma, explorando cómo Rosa lidia con su pasado y se esfuerza por encontrar un sentido a su existencia en un nuevo entorno.

Aunque es una lectura breve, que se puede completar en una o dos horas, "El Chal" es intensamente conmovedor y revelador, ofreciendo una mirada cruda pero necesaria a un capítulo oscuro de la historia. Su accesibilidad y el impacto emocional que logra en tan poco tiempo hacen de este libro una obra significativa, merecedora de una valoración de 3 estrellas sobre 5 por su capacidad para conmover e iluminar sobre una realidad histórica compleja.

rensuzugamori's review against another edition

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emotional reflective sad medium-paced

4.0

A beautiful and thought-provoking story derived from the experiences of a Holocaust survivor. A really well-written depiction of trauma & loss.

sarahanne8382's review against another edition

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4.0

Wow, that was intense. A story of a Holocaust survivor refusing to let go of the child she lost in the Holocaust. This was such a raw story I was surprised they used it as a Sync YA title, but it would be a good contrast to Ben Lesser's story. Where he was grateful to survive and eager to make the most of the life he'd regained, here all Rosa can focus on is everything she lost, and not even that, as she twists her memories into versions of the truth that hurt less. While intense, this is mercifully short.

agapsch's review against another edition

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I couldn’t rate this one, it didn’t seem appropriate. I also am struggling to review it. Orzick is definitely a literary author, so it was interesting to discover various genres of Holocaust literature. This book is much more difficult to get through than other Holocaust titles, despite it’s short length.

onomatopoeia320's review against another edition

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5.0

The Shawl is the most powerful short story I've ever read.