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kazio1993's review
dark
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
reflectiverambling_nalana's review
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Reading a book focusing on Israeli characters given the current world tensions was something I went into with trepidation. What we read or chose not to can be a form or statement. I also think it is important to read works that challenge us, that are difficult to swallow. It can even reaffirm why we might not agree with something.
I did not go into reading this text frivolously. It is one of the titles listed in "Read Dangerously" and toyed with the idea of reading all the works I was not familiar with or wanted to revisit in order to revisit that work. I do not want my review to be seen as taking any particular political stance. I will only go as far to say that I do not condone actions that do not recognize the humanity of others, in particular when it is means for a personal goal. I understand if someone may choose not to read this. Readers should be warned that as this is a largely faith based conflict there are expressions by characters that may be unsettling. I do believe the given the continued conflict is central to the lives of the main characters the novel does its best to treat it as an influence on daily life rather than being a piece meant to sway opinion of righteousness. I have done my best to view this experience as one of someone analyzing a story's form and core messaging. I do believe if you are able or willing to do something similar, I believe you will find a story that has very little to do with a particular grievance or atrocity to find one that is very deeply human.
"To the End of the Land" is a very heavy novel. Not only because of everything that modern readers will come into it with, but because it is full of heartache and worry. It is about the way trauma and grief shift us. It's about the bargains we make because we can't bare reality. It's about how a person shifts and how they are hollowed when they realize that they have defined their lives through others. It's about the uncanny way we form bonds, how living is messy and our relationships acutely unpredictable.
It's about living grief, of dread, of mistakes made. It's about a mother, a friend, it is about brothers, it's about bonds that don't have names. It's about searching for purpose and self. The application of the hike, one that is sometimes cylindrical, is reminiscent of how much life is a drudging of patterns and behaviors and how long it takes to learn some lessons. It is about the power of words to tether and to even completely create impressions, emotions, and bonds. While it is centered around the worries and love of a mother, I did not have to be one to feel her desperation.
While I made a huge preamble of how this isn't as political as it could be-- I actually was surprised to see how much in early sections it displayed how the tensions grew for Palestinians. Our central character has a long time near friend and go to taxi driver and seems ambivalent of his faith. In fact, at one point when her son begins a spiral of fear, she even thinks of showing him that as individuals there is no threat, that there can be coexistence. While it's never fully realized she also has an eye opening moment where it really seems to hit home for her what he goes through on a regular basis-- the same fear. She also sees how the border conflict starts to change how people see friends, neighbors. War was the enemy itself.
When there is a tirade against Muslims it comes in a time of high anxiety, of fear, and comes across more against the political structures than people. In fact, she expresses her second greatest fear is that her son might kill as it will change him, his soul, his spirit. Again, I am not expressing sympathy with an ideology, but is easy for me to see that worry and fear for a loved one can affect what someone might say.
I can't say I enjoyed this book. I can say that i thought it tackled a lot of heavy topics, including mental health and being a prisoner of war, with grace. I think that it was ambitious. I do think that it was rather long and that my soul felt exhausted by the time I finished.
I did not go into reading this text frivolously. It is one of the titles listed in "Read Dangerously" and toyed with the idea of reading all the works I was not familiar with or wanted to revisit in order to revisit that work. I do not want my review to be seen as taking any particular political stance. I will only go as far to say that I do not condone actions that do not recognize the humanity of others, in particular when it is means for a personal goal. I understand if someone may choose not to read this. Readers should be warned that as this is a largely faith based conflict there are expressions by characters that may be unsettling. I do believe the given the continued conflict is central to the lives of the main characters the novel does its best to treat it as an influence on daily life rather than being a piece meant to sway opinion of righteousness. I have done my best to view this experience as one of someone analyzing a story's form and core messaging. I do believe if you are able or willing to do something similar, I believe you will find a story that has very little to do with a particular grievance or atrocity to find one that is very deeply human.
"To the End of the Land" is a very heavy novel. Not only because of everything that modern readers will come into it with, but because it is full of heartache and worry. It is about the way trauma and grief shift us. It's about the bargains we make because we can't bare reality. It's about how a person shifts and how they are hollowed when they realize that they have defined their lives through others. It's about the uncanny way we form bonds, how living is messy and our relationships acutely unpredictable.
It's about living grief, of dread, of mistakes made. It's about a mother, a friend, it is about brothers, it's about bonds that don't have names. It's about searching for purpose and self. The application of the hike, one that is sometimes cylindrical, is reminiscent of how much life is a drudging of patterns and behaviors and how long it takes to learn some lessons. It is about the power of words to tether and to even completely create impressions, emotions, and bonds. While it is centered around the worries and love of a mother, I did not have to be one to feel her desperation.
While I made a huge preamble of how this isn't as political as it could be-- I actually was surprised to see how much in early sections it displayed how the tensions grew for Palestinians. Our central character has a long time near friend and go to taxi driver and seems ambivalent of his faith. In fact, at one point when her son begins a spiral of fear, she even thinks of showing him that as individuals there is no threat, that there can be coexistence. While it's never fully realized she also has an eye opening moment where it really seems to hit home for her what he goes through on a regular basis-- the same fear. She also sees how the border conflict starts to change how people see friends, neighbors. War was the enemy itself.
When there is a tirade against Muslims it comes in a time of high anxiety, of fear, and comes across more against the political structures than people. In fact, she expresses her second greatest fear is that her son might kill as it will change him, his soul, his spirit. Again, I am not expressing sympathy with an ideology, but is easy for me to see that worry and fear for a loved one can affect what someone might say.
I can't say I enjoyed this book. I can say that i thought it tackled a lot of heavy topics, including mental health and being a prisoner of war, with grace. I think that it was ambitious. I do think that it was rather long and that my soul felt exhausted by the time I finished.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Genocide, Violence, Mental illness, War, Medical trauma, Torture, Antisemitism, Colonisation, Death, Forced institutionalization, Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, Xenophobia, Gore, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Grief, Medical content, Sexual content, Hate crime, Injury/Injury detail, Islamophobia, and Kidnapping
ktk8's review
5.0
I recommend this book. Highly. As well as being wonderfully written (I can't get over how well David Grossman portrays being a mother) it gave me a lot if insight into what it might be like to live in a country constantly at threat of war becaue of their oppression of an other peoples - with all that that does to your and your people's humanity, way of life, social interactions.... And yet, it wasn't the harrowing tale I was dreading before I started it.
isa_hej's review
5.0
Absolutely loved it! The book showers you with all emotions you can think off and leaves you sad and happy at the same time at the end.
Only one "downside": now I want to pack my bags and follow the trail of Avram and Ora through the beautiful landscape and memories of Galilee...
oldyorkcity's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
5.0
buffstbookslisa's review
4.0
Powerful, beautiful book. So much about love and fear, especially as a parent. Also very disturbing and stunning depiction of living in a land under siege. Gorgeous!
carrieliza's review
4.0
Oof. This book is pretty heartbreaking. Slow-going for a little while, but from somewhere in the middle to the end, I read at a fast clip. My feelings about this book are probably as complicated as my feelings about Israel in general.
I do feel a bit...unsatisfied, though. This isn't really a book that ties up loose ends, so there are some plots and characters that I'd like to know more about, or see how they turned out (Ora and Sami, Ora and Ada, Avram and Ofer, Avram and Ilan, the whole world of the IR hospital). But then there's so much that was so wonderful. Ora's grief/fear/worry is so palpable. The Avram/Ilan scenes during the war were wonderful.
But so much of this will stick with me, I think. Especially as I'm prepping to visit Israel in a few months.
And to the previous library patron who circled every typo in the copy I read--ugh. I get it, you're soooooooooooo smart. It's a translation, shit happens. And you missed a few, jerk.
I do feel a bit...unsatisfied, though. This isn't really a book that ties up loose ends, so there are some plots and characters that I'd like to know more about, or see how they turned out (Ora and Sami, Ora and Ada, Avram and Ofer, Avram and Ilan, the whole world of the IR hospital). But then there's so much that was so wonderful. Ora's grief/fear/worry is so palpable. The Avram/Ilan scenes during the war were wonderful.
But so much of this will stick with me, I think. Especially as I'm prepping to visit Israel in a few months.
And to the previous library patron who circled every typo in the copy I read--ugh. I get it, you're soooooooooooo smart. It's a translation, shit happens. And you missed a few, jerk.
clarityandchaos's review against another edition
challenging
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5