A review by ilewis
The Same Sea by Amos Oz

4.0

Interesting book. Disjointed narrative told in a prose poem. There were portions that were almost mythic that I enjoyed a lot, although biblical allusions are completely lost on me. For example, the son traveling to Tibet and being absent the entire book, exploring foreign lands. There's also the dead mother that enters the book occasionally. I thought it lost its way a little in the middle and got muddled, but it ended strongly. The characters come into their own in the end. At that point, the portrait of family and friends muddling through, mistakes and all, comes together. The worldly man finding himself stranded and finding friendly help was quite poignant and redeemed the muddled middle.

One issue I did have was the portrayal of women. They all seemed to be either mothers or mistresses or prostitutes, and those were largely their defining traits.