A heavy but level headed journalistic investigation into two specific atrocities, overlooked to the point of being considered "footnotes", in a place where atrocities seem to indistinguishably blend into one another over the decades. A basic understanding of the Arab-Israeli conflict is probably helpful in understanding the historical context of the events in the book, but what's really on display is the intense array of emotions of the individuals caught up in these events as well as the fuzziness and clarity of memory and perspective. This is an uncompromising look at the humanity behind a very unpleasant part of history, but it never once feels like tragedy-porn or propaganda. Sacco creates a story from footnotes that turns the attention to those marginalized, silenced, or ignored in regular historical narratives. It's a hard book to read. Not for its size or its language. It's hard because of the brutality of its content. It is a graphic novel, but unlike the ones you're used to read (at least for me) you know it is not a fictional story, it is somehow a depiction of real people telling stories they remember from their past. Another thing that grabs my attention it that, unlike other graphic novels, there are no heroes in the stories told. There is no happy ending. To think of it, there is no ending at all! The story continues until today.The book in my opinion does not, or should not, aim to be mainly a historical document. I'm not doubting the historical facts it includes, but as much as I'm impressed with Joe Sacco's effort in his research, what I liked is his depiction of emotion. The fear, pain, sadness, and even joy and laughter, the whole spectrum of feelings and reactions is present and makes you relate to what you are reading. And that is something you don't get from a historical document.
What do You think about Footnotes In Gaza (2009)?
didn't love it as much as i loved "palestine", but it was still amazing.
—Thilam10
AHHH, back up to the standards set in earlier books!
—Suds
