An absorbing and captivating novel that bridges the uncomfortable political gap between the Palestinian and Israeli sides.
In his first novel, Mandelman (Talking to the Enemy: stories, 2005) writes of identity, intrigue, Israeli politics and murder.
On learning of the murder of his father, David Starkman, an ex-pat now living in Canada, returns to Israel to find that his father’s will has put him under an unusual obligation—to produce a play, The Debba, within 45 days of his father’s death, a play that had been performed only once before, in 1946, and had at that time created a riot. (A debba is a mythical shape-changing beast from Arab culture, one that can turn from a hyena into a man. While Arabs see it in heroic terms, Israelis see it as inflaming political tensions.) Starkman is so bitter about being both Israeli and being his father’s son that at first he willingly forgoes the opportunity to produce the play even though he will only realize his modest legacy of $65,000 if he meets the theatrical obligation. He believes it’s just not worth the trouble, but after reading the play he begins to get intrigued by the possibilities. In Canada he left behind his girlfriend, Jenny, but once back in his home country he begins a torrid affair with Ruthy, an old flame (also an actress) now engaged to be married to his best friend Ehud. The novel follows multiple narrative threads, from policemen trying to crack the case of the father’s violent end to the endless difficulties of getting the play on the boards. Actors are threatened or physically assaulted, possible venues for staging the play are vandalized, young Israelis—followers of radical rabbi Meyer Kahane—protest the whole idea of putting on the drama…and this action plays out against the backdrop of the 1977 Israeli elections. Through it all Starkman perseveres, moving from cynical indifference to rabid commitment. Along the way he finds out secrets about his identity and especially about his father’s past.
An absorbing and captivating novel that bridges the uncomfortable political gap between the Palestinian and Israeli sides.Pub Date: July 13, 2010
ISBN: 978-1-59051-370-5
Page Count: 368
Publisher: Other Press
Review Posted Online: June 3, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2010
BOOK REVIEW
Longer on wisdom than either surprise or delight, this will mainly interest readers who have been captivated by Keilson’s...
The first American publication of this 1947 novella accompanies the reissue of the German author’s The Death of the Adversary.
When the latter novel was translated for American publication in 1962, it received considerable acclaim for its illumination of emotional ambiguity during the rise to power of an unnamed Hitler. This shorter, slighter work by Keilson, a psychoanalyst who fled to the Netherlands in 1936 (and celebrated his 100th birthday last year), shares certain qualities with his masterwork, in its depiction of everyday detail and ritual against a backdrop—largely offstage—of unthinkable evil. Yet this is plainly minor work in comparison, not nearly as provocative nor as psychologically acute. A Dutch couple harbors a refugee for a year, keeping his existence as much of a secret as they can. Yet Nico, their secret upstairs housemate, may have some secrets of his own that he’s keeping from them. The dynamic among them shifts subtly over the year that he spends with them: “It stood like a wall between him and them, which slowly, slowly crumbled as the war dragged on and everything out of the ordinary and inhuman became typical and everyday.” One of the things that changes is the state of Nico’s health, which threatens to compromise the secret of his existence, and which ultimately results in a role reversal that represents whatever comedy there might be in this mirthless narrative. “He had defended himself against death from without, and then it had carried him off from within,” writes the author. “It was like a comedy where you expect the hero to emerge onstage, bringing resolution, from the right. And out he comes from the left...Later, though, the audience members go home surprised, delighted, and a little bit wiser for the experience.”
Longer on wisdom than either surprise or delight, this will mainly interest readers who have been captivated by Keilson’s better work.Pub Date: Aug. 3, 2010
ISBN: 978-0-374-12675-9
Page Count: 144
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Review Posted Online: May 24, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2010
A compelling story filled with realistic characters displaying genuine emotion.
Arnold’s (Peace: Medjugorje Miracle and Message, 2004, etc.) novel is a well-crafted religious fiction about a big city lawyer who moves to a small town seeking a secure environment in which to raise her young daughter, only to find that she must face her worst nightmares.
Karen is a bright 30-something lawyer in a prestigious Los Angeles law firm. Although she is plagued by the untimely, accidental death of her husband, she delights in parenting their six-year-old daughter, Lisa. Karen thrives on hard work and single motherhood, yet worries that city life is too dangerous for raising a child. She and Lisa move to rural Oregon, where the pace is slower, the air is cleaner and the people are more caring and friendly. Or at least that’s what Karen thought–soon after their arrival, Lisa is brutally raped and murdered by a pedophile. Despite the fact that the murderer is caught and convicted, Karen is unable to rid herself of personal guilt. She interviews a prestigious psychiatrist who specializes in pedophilia cases and concludes that castration is the only cure for the mental illness. Determined to do everything she can to avenge Lisa’s death and assuage her guilt, Karen returns to her old job in Los Angeles and aids a former colleague in prosecuting a child molester. When the women suggest castration as a plea-bargaining solution, the case blows up in their faces. They lose their jobs, their reputations and become estranged. Karen seeks solace from a fatherly priest in a Catholic confessional. Re-energized, she marries and partners in business with David, a ruggedly handsome, successful businessman who makes her laugh. When a business deal falls through, their idyllic lifestyle crashes. Near total breakdown, Karen and David look to their religious roots for comfort, answers and a fresh start. Frequent lack of appropriate punctuation, choppy sentences and less-than-fluid movement between first person narrative and third person viewpoints only slightly detract from the story. The characterization and atmospheric staging otherwise blend seamlessly to provide a distinct and well-paced plot.
A compelling story filled with realistic characters displaying genuine emotion.Pub Date: N/A
ISBN: 978-1-4196-8922-2
Page Count: -
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: May 23, 2010
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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