An unorthodox but valuable introduction to the youngest of the major Western monotheisms.
Intricately crafted fiction woven from strands of the life of Mohammad, founder of Islam.
Over the past century, many great Western authors have used their writerly skills to fill in gaps in the Judeo–Christian tradition. Thomas Mann retells the story of Genesis’ Joseph in Joseph and His Brothers, Joseph Heller repackages the tales of King David in God Knows and a variety of authors—Robert Graves, Norman Mailer and José Saramago, to name a few—deliver refurbished versions of the gospel narrative. With his debut title, Kartal joins a small group of authors devoted to doing the same for Muslim tradition. The figure of Bahira—or Sergius—is a contested one for both Christians and Muslims: Tradition has it that Sergius, a heterodox Christian monk, was the first man to realize that Mohammad was a true prophet of God. For Muslims, Sergius’ revelation seems to prove that Christianity’s promise is fulfilled by Islam. For Christians, the fact that Sergius recognizes Mohammad’s gifts confirms Christianity’s superiority. These debates, however, are of secondary interest to Kartal, whose gorgeous prose plays out the relationship between the two men in novel form. For Kartal and for the sources on which he relies, Sergius meets Mohammad when the latter is just a young boy. But where others dismiss the child’s shaking spells, Sergius acclaims them signs of the divine presence. Much of what follows is Kartal’s invention, but as such, it is thoroughly engrossing. He writes with wit, concision and no small humor, and, while fictive, the novel is also thoroughly informative. In this excellent piece of religious invention, readers uninformed of the Muslim faith will learn much from the cast of characters surrounding the young prophet, as well as from tales of his youth and young adulthood, his loves and his losses.
An unorthodox but valuable introduction to the youngest of the major Western monotheisms.Pub Date: Feb. 20, 2012
ISBN: 978-1467950503
Page Count: 362
Publisher: CreateSpace
Review Posted Online: March 23, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2012
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
This first novel, ostensibly about the friendship between two boys, Reuven and Danny, from the time when they are fourteen on opposing yeshiva ball clubs, is actually a gently didactic differentiation between two aspects of the Jewish faith, the Hasidic and the Orthodox. Primarily the Hasidic, the little known mystics with their beards, earlocks and stringently reclusive way of life. According to Reuven's father who is a Zionist, an activist, they are fanatics; according to Danny's, other Jews are apostates and Zionists "goyim." The schisms here are reflected through discussions, between fathers and sons, and through the separation imposed on the two boys for two years which still does not affect their lasting friendship or enduring hopes: Danny goes on to become a psychiatrist refusing his inherited position of "tzaddik"; Reuven a rabbi.... The explanation, in fact exegesis, of Jewish culture and learning, of the special dedication of the Hasidic with its emphasis on mind and soul, is done in sufficiently facile form to engage one's interest and sentiment. The publishers however see a much wider audience for The Chosen. If they "rub their tzitzis for good luck,"—perhaps—although we doubt it.
Pub Date: April 28, 1967
ISBN: 0449911543
Page Count: 304
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: April 6, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 1967
Hoffman (The Red Garden, 2011, etc.) births literature from tragedy: the destruction of Jerusalem's Temple, the siege of Masada and the loss of Zion.
This is a feminist tale, a story of strong, intelligent women wedded to destiny by love and sacrifice. Told in four parts, the first comes from Yael, daughter of Yosef bar Elhanan, a Sicarii Zealot assassin, rejected by her father because of her mother's death in childbirth. It is 70 CE, and the Temple is destroyed. Yael, her father, and another Sicarii assassin, Jachim ben Simon, and his family flee Jerusalem. Hoffman's research renders the ancient world real as the group treks into Judea's desert, where they encounter Essenes, search for sustenance and burn under the sun. There too Jachim and Yael begin a tragic love affair. At Masada, Yael is sent to work in the dovecote, gathering eggs and fertilizer. She meets Shirah, her daughters, and Revka, who narrates part two. Revka's husband was killed when Romans sacked their village. Later, her daughter was murdered. At Masada, caring for grandsons turned mute by tragedy, Revka worries over her scholarly son-in-law, Yoav, now consumed by vengeance. Aziza, daughter of Shirah, carries the story onward. Born out of wedlock, Aziza grew up in Moab, among the people of the blue tunic. Her passion and curse is that she was raised as a warrior by her foster father. In part four, Shirah tells of her Alexandrian youth, the cherished daughter of a consort of the high priests. Shirah is a keshaphim, a woman of amulets, spells and medicine, and a woman connected to Shechinah, the feminine aspect of God. The women are irretrievably bound to Eleazar ben Ya'ir, Masada's charismatic leader; Amram, Yael's brother; and Yoav, Aziza's companion and protector in battle. The plot is intriguingly complex, with only a single element unresolved. An enthralling tale rendered with consummate literary skill.
Pub Date: Oct. 4, 2011
ISBN: 978-1-4516-1747-4
Page Count: 512
Publisher: Scribner
Review Posted Online: April 5, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2011
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