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veesee's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
1.0
bergsteiger's review against another edition
3.0
In my opinion not even close to Uris' best work. He is something of a pulp writer so I expect a few cheesy scenes laced with grit but this was a very rough novel. He drew away from his masterful storytelling several times by the awkwardness of his prose and dialogue. This book would have been a definite two star if he hadn't put together the ending so well. If you are a Uris fan it won't hurt to pick it up, otherwise I would read Exodus or Mila 18 as a first Uris novel.
susangiardina's review against another edition
1.0
I've read many Uris books, and enjoyed them all. Mitla Pass was so awful I can't believe he actually got it published. After about 25 pages, I didn't like it but thought I should stick with it -- this is a Leon Uris book after all, I told myself. Getting tougher after about 50 more pages, but thought it's got to improve. At 100 I couldn't take it any more. Horribly written, with a jerk protagonist that the IDF is supposedly impressed by and trusts not to tell all the women he screws what he knows? Never mind.
david611's review against another edition
3.0
I found this to be an okay read (2-stars). However, certain parts of the story were indeed interesting (and that is why the extra star):
- where life for the Jews is described in a shtetl in the 'Pale' during the Czarist regime in the late 19th century in Russia, along with what was it like for a Jew to travel outside of the 'Pale' back in those times. (The "Pale of Settlement " was a western region of Imperial Russia with varying borders that existed from 1791 to 1917, in which permanent residency by Jews was allowed and beyond which Jewish residency, permanent or temporary, was mostly forbidden. -SOURCE: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pale_of_Settlement )
- life for the Jews in the first quarter of the 20th century in America.
It took me a quarter of the pages to read to gain a decent amount of interest to continue reading the book. Until then, although it was not boring, it was not allowing me to hold on to the story, and I was just awaiting for 'something' to happen. Eventually it did! The book had been on my to-read list since years now, and that way I was a bit disappointed with this one. This was the fifth Leon Uris title that I read, and no other had been so less interesting before.
The protagonist is a Jewish writer who wants to write a book based on the accounts of the war during the Suez War of 1956, in which he is posted along with the battalion to the Mitla Pass, a snaky pass in the Sinai of Egypt. The overall focus in the book is however not about this campaign. Most of the book is about the story of the protagonist himself, his past, and of his families from about three generations ago.
A drama, which I guess, some readers may like some may not, depending upon what the reader is looking for.
- where life for the Jews is described in a shtetl in the 'Pale' during the Czarist regime in the late 19th century in Russia, along with what was it like for a Jew to travel outside of the 'Pale' back in those times. (The "Pale of Settlement " was a western region of Imperial Russia with varying borders that existed from 1791 to 1917, in which permanent residency by Jews was allowed and beyond which Jewish residency, permanent or temporary, was mostly forbidden. -SOURCE: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pale_of_Settlement )
- life for the Jews in the first quarter of the 20th century in America.
It took me a quarter of the pages to read to gain a decent amount of interest to continue reading the book. Until then, although it was not boring, it was not allowing me to hold on to the story, and I was just awaiting for 'something' to happen. Eventually it did! The book had been on my to-read list since years now, and that way I was a bit disappointed with this one. This was the fifth Leon Uris title that I read, and no other had been so less interesting before.
The protagonist is a Jewish writer who wants to write a book based on the accounts of the war during the Suez War of 1956, in which he is posted along with the battalion to the Mitla Pass, a snaky pass in the Sinai of Egypt. The overall focus in the book is however not about this campaign. Most of the book is about the story of the protagonist himself, his past, and of his families from about three generations ago.
A drama, which I guess, some readers may like some may not, depending upon what the reader is looking for.
cidimcdonald's review against another edition
2.0
My least favourite of all of the books I have read by Mr. Uris.
colej's review against another edition
3.0
The parts of the book to do with the war were great, but it started to lose me with all the jumps back in time. Overall still a good book.
alismcg's review against another edition
2.0
At 40% I was so wholly disappointed - so disgusted - with this writer that I immediately went to my TBR and removed both “Armageddon” and “The Haj”. (Far too much graphic detailing of sexual encounters and vile language for my liking.)
Had I not already had a DNF at the end of September I likely would have set this one aside and missed out on some fantastic character development and the evidence of a tremendous amount of research invested in the making of this read. That much is certainly worthy of a strong ⭐️⭐️.
PS . By the way , thanks Mr Uris for providing your female readers with a single positive and powerful female character - Miss Abigail - amidst all the vamps, whores, and man haters.
Had I not already had a DNF at the end of September I likely would have set this one aside and missed out on some fantastic character development and the evidence of a tremendous amount of research invested in the making of this read. That much is certainly worthy of a strong ⭐️⭐️.
PS . By the way , thanks Mr Uris for providing your female readers with a single positive and powerful female character - Miss Abigail - amidst all the vamps, whores, and man haters.
chuckri's review
4.0
Pretty good book once you get beyond the first 100 pages or so. I was about to give up on the book when the author got stuck on Gideon's early attempts to become a writer. I was expecting more historical fiction. Once the author got beyond that, though, and focused on Gideon's ancestors, the book became much more interesting.
raehink's review
2.0
Another Israeli-themed book by one of my favorite authors. This one is not his best nor is it my favorite.