Palace of the End (Second Edition) by Judith Thompson

by Judith Thompson

"A searing triptych of three monologues all exposing the ugly truth behind the headlines of the current situation in Iraq." "Based around the lives of three distinct characters - a young soldier imprisoned for her misconduct at a prison camp in Iraq, a microbiologist-cum-weapons inspector who exposes the false justifications for war and a mother/political opponent of Saddam Hussein - Palace of the End details the reality of the war in Iraq from three unique perspectives." With its emphasis on the human voice and power of the soul in the midst of a destructive war, each account is a riveting and brilliantly portrayed indictment of one of the contemporary world's worst conflicts.

Genres: Plays, Drama, Canadian Literature, War, Canada

Paperback

First published March 1, 2007

Reviews

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

1/26/19. I just finished this play and can hardly breathe. It’s devastating.

[Dorrit · Rating 5 out of 5]

Judith Thompson never stop hurting me

But for real this book was so raw and honest, probably the definition of nuance, you see all the basal parts of being a human placed on either 'side', you're living, you want a life, a constitution, to belong, to feel accepted, amongst all the degradation all around, how hard is that? (much) How to then extract yourself? This book offers no answers, not quite ones. You can die and tell yourself you'll watch it all from above and not give in (to the spectacle that everything is reduced to) but what good is that? Is it any?

On another note I'm thinking of Nehrjas's story and how the stories of survivors and martyrs are so similar, all deaths glorified, the end is the parting is the high point/the pain. But is it not the life, the living that makes their deaths worthy of lament? Why must we only be told stories of painful tragic deaths when it is mighty harder to live and continue making decisions that will most probably put you in much more strife but is the good/right thing? Every action a person takes towards good when he knows the forces oppose him and will make it difficult for him, where is that? Are we all making decisions out of desperation?

[Marilo · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the better plays I have read. It delves into the minds and souls of three people involved in the war in the middle eats. Chilling. I cried so hard at the end. The imagery is so powerful and so hard to take. Punched me in the stomach.

[Darby Steeves · Rating 5 out of 5]

Utter disturbing and completely beautiful.

[behsforensics]

Cutting is for Harrowdown Hill from Palace of the End
By Judith Thompson

[arianna · Rating 4 out of 5]

aching and haunting, a genius piece of work about the horrors of war and the consequences of it, brought to the reader by three different characters that leave a lasting impression