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3.54 AVERAGE
3.54 AVERAGE
This tightly packed narrative provides action and mystery, all while serving a deep window into the tunnels, literal and figurative, that perpetuate the fight for humanity in the lands of Israel and Palestine. The complexity of storylines mirror the twisting modern history and human connections, arms, and mistrust that weave a compelling plot.
I really wanted to give this 4 stars but the final third really let it down. Review to come soon in The Big Issue.
My first Nathan Englander book - color me impressed! This fictional book revolves around the complexities of the Israeli and Palestinian conflict and is told for varying characters and points of view, moving backward and forward through time. Engaging and well-written.
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Deceptively complex. Smart. Entertaining. It takes a minute to find its rhythm, but when it does it's hard to put down.
Englander is back to the novel format after last book was another anthology of short stories. This time his humor turned mostly caustic and it really burned. The everlasting war between Palestine and Israel, mighty figure mixed with real men and impossible solutions. A very nice reading.
Englander torna al romanzo, d'altronde ormai sembra alternarli ai volumi di racconti. Stavolta il suo senso dell'umorismo é caustico e brucia parecchio. La guerra infinita tra Israele e la Palestina, dove figure mitiche si sovrappongono a uomini realmente esistiti alla ricerca di soluzioni impossibili. Bel libro.
THANKS TO EDELWEISS FOR THE PREVIEW!
Englander torna al romanzo, d'altronde ormai sembra alternarli ai volumi di racconti. Stavolta il suo senso dell'umorismo é caustico e brucia parecchio. La guerra infinita tra Israele e la Palestina, dove figure mitiche si sovrappongono a uomini realmente esistiti alla ricerca di soluzioni impossibili. Bel libro.
THANKS TO EDELWEISS FOR THE PREVIEW!
I've classified this as a mystery although you shouldn't think of it as a whodunit: more of a who-are-they, or what-did-they-do (or even what-are-they-going-to-do). The book moves back and forth in time in clearly marked chapters, but there's a lot that only becomes clear gradually, and by the time I got to the end of the book it came as a bit of a shock to be reminded who the central character was - or was it? Deft layers upon layers upon layers, hidden - just like the characters, in so many ways.
Half-clever, half-poignant, a bit subtle, and a bit compelling - a novel that shares the human frustrations of the Israeli-Palestinian conundrum. A good read, somewhat.