A review by littlemiao
Son Of a Star by Andrew Meisels

adventurous challenging slow-paced

2.25

Published in 1969, it is a work of its time. The author, who made Aliyah, rides on the wave of euphoria that followed establishing the state of Israel and winning the Six Day War. There is no way to sugarcoat the defeat of Bar Kochba, nor does the author try to, but he does situate it into a narrative of Jewish endurance and ultimate triumph. The Romans are gone, but two millennia later, we remain, and we remember. It was interesting to read a narrativization of these historical events and especially to see Rabbi Akiva and his fellow sages in action. However, the book itself has a few problematic aspects that interfere with my appreciation. First of all, the characterization of the Hellenized Romans as morally degenerate is obviously homophonic, as is the villain of the story, Rufus. I personally found the division of good, noble Romans bent on destroying the Jews versus villainous, sadistic Romans bent on destroying the Jews to be kind of annoying and pointless. Why the need to romanticize the Romans at all?

There were at least a few anachronisms that I caught, and I’m sure plenty that I didn’t. There is a mention of foot binding in China but that didn’t begin for at least a thousand years. Simon’s son has a godparent, but surely that is a Christian practice?  Also, I thought it was Hillel the second who fixed the calendar, not Akiba.

The most cringeworthy quote is from Mariamne, a Hellenized Jew from Alexandria, on her joy at being Simon’s wife : “… I am happy. I am Simon’s wife, his lady, his concubine, his property, and I have never been happier. This, it appears, is my freedom.” Perhaps the author was trying to be authentic to the time, or maybe he’s just plain sexist?

The author was telling a grand and epic story of ideas, while inserting as much historical detail as he could muster. As a result, his characters come across as flat. Still, I think he accomplished what he intended to, in that the book is an expression of his worldview. I don’t recommend this book unless someone is particularly interested in narrativizations of Jewish history from an analytical perspective, rather than reading enjoyment.
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