Synopses & Reviews
“An exemplary instance of a writer using his craft to come to grips with what is happening politically and to illuminate certain aspects of Israeli society that have generally been concealed by polemical formulas.” —
The New York Times Notebook in hand, Amos Oz traveled throughout Israel and the West Bank in the early 1980s to talk with workers, soldiers, religious zealots, aging pioneers, new immigrants, desperate Arabs, and visionaries, asking them questions about Israel’s past, present, and future. What he heard is set down here in those distinctive voices, alongside Oz’s observations and reflections. A classic insider’s view of a land whose complex past and troubled present make for an uncertain future.
“Oz’s vignettes . . . wondrously re-create whole worlds with an economy of words.” —Philadelphia Inquirer
Review
"Israel's foremost novelist probes in this powerful book the painful questions facing a divided people. Oz shows how the pluralism of political life in his country has enlarged the gulfs separating the Sephardim and Ashkenazim, the secular and religious Jews, the doves and the hawks, and the nationalists from the humanists. Much of the prose captures actual accounts of individuals Oz interviewed in 1982, whose frightening perceptions illustrate why peace between Israelis and Palestinians has not been reached. This controversial book is a must on the reading list of any serious student of Middle Eastern Affairs." Reviewed by Daniel Weiss, Virginia Quarterly Review (Copyright 2006 Virginia Quarterly Review)
Synopsis
Oz traveled throughout Israel and the West Bank in the 1980s and spoke with many people about the past, present, and future of his country. What he found is memorably set down here. New Authors Note and Postscript; map. Translated by Maurie Goldberg-Bartura. A Helen and Kurt Wolff Book
About the Author
Amos Oz was born in Jerusalem in 1939. He is the author of fourteen novels and collections of short fiction, and numerous works of nonfiction. His acclaimed memoir A Tale of Love and Darkness was an international bestseller and recipient of the prestigious Goethe prize, as well as the National Jewish Book Award. Scenes from Village Life, a New York Times Notable Book, was awarded the Prix Méditerranée Étranger in 2010. He lives in Tel Aviv, Israel.