Apeirogon: a shape with a countably infinite numbers of sides. Colum McCann's (b Ireland 19650 elegiac novel is based on the lives Rami, an Israeli and Bassam a Palestinian born as sworn mortal enemies. Their unlikely friendship grew from a shared grief for their young daughters, both casualties of war. Rami asks "What could cause someone to be that angry, that mad, that desperate, that hopeless, that stupid, that pathetic, that he is willing to blow himself up alongside a girl, not even 14 years old?" Together, Rami & Bassam wield their pain as a weapon to diffuse conflict. Language is the sharpest weapon. Sadly, words alone do not suffice. It's disastrous to discover the humanity of your enemy, his nobility, because then he isn't your enemy anymore, he just can't be. Do not disavow the possibility of living alongside each. Allow the opportunities to get along. There is no such thing as a humane occupation. Everything is built on fear. It requires strength to suppress humanity's most aggressive tendencies. Violence is weak hatred is weak. The first, easiest and worst response is revenge. Tolerance, inclusivity, moderation, composure, understanding to end the endless cycle of sorrow takes courage. Rami & Bassam understand the insanity of both Israelis and Palestinians wanting the same thing - to kill each other in order to attain peace & security. Is there ever a moral war? A solution for ending retribution? A justification for oppression? Is it possible to understand the history of another people? McCann's lyrical & profound writing poses a unifying theory allowing rational & irrational reasoning to balance each other into harmonious discord. The helix of history, one moment bound to the next where the past intersects with the future. Death is a circle with. life cut through it. There is much to admire, learn and mull over in this narrative of sorrow, history, justice & artistry. Both Bassam & Rami believe anything is possible, even the seemingly impossible. To shift just one mind would never be enough, but it's worth it anyway. APEIROGON should receive the Pulitizer and Nobel Prize for literature.
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