By Alona Kimhi
A complex tale of an overweight dental hygienist and her friend, and the effect a little tiger cub had on their lives.
Saturday, December 26, 2009
Saturday, December 5, 2009
Elohim Lo Marshe (God Won't Allow) [Hebrew]
By Chanoch Daum
This book is composed of four letters in which the author is addressing his father, his sector (the religious, settler, "whole Israel" people), God, and his wife. Most of it was complaints and accusations about the society and its expectations from young boys. I found the first 2 letters very whiny and full of redundancies. The following letters seemed a lot less redundant, and possibly a little less whiny. But maybe it was just because I got used to the writing? In the end was quite interesting.
This book is composed of four letters in which the author is addressing his father, his sector (the religious, settler, "whole Israel" people), God, and his wife. Most of it was complaints and accusations about the society and its expectations from young boys. I found the first 2 letters very whiny and full of redundancies. The following letters seemed a lot less redundant, and possibly a little less whiny. But maybe it was just because I got used to the writing? In the end was quite interesting.
Flash Fiction - 72 Very Short Stories
Edited by James Thomas, Denise Thomas & Tom Hazuka
Most of the stories were less than 2 pages. I liked most of them. Some of them I just didn't get. But that happens with short stories. All in all, it was a nice read. I actually started before I went to Israel, didn't take it with me, and finished it after reading a few books in Hebrew. You can do that with a collection of stories.
Most of the stories were less than 2 pages. I liked most of them. Some of them I just didn't get. But that happens with short stories. All in all, it was a nice read. I actually started before I went to Israel, didn't take it with me, and finished it after reading a few books in Hebrew. You can do that with a collection of stories.
Saturday, November 14, 2009
Eat, Pray, Love [Hebrew]
By Elizabeth Gilbert
Started reading this book at Yifat's place, but only got to page 80 before I had to leave. Then I found that Irit has it too! So I managed to finish it before leaving Israel - it wasn't hard, especially in Hebrew - it's a very flowing book, and a lot of what she says there reminded me of my yoga class.
Started reading this book at Yifat's place, but only got to page 80 before I had to leave. Then I found that Irit has it too! So I managed to finish it before leaving Israel - it wasn't hard, especially in Hebrew - it's a very flowing book, and a lot of what she says there reminded me of my yoga class.
Ma'aseh Tamar [Hebrew]
By Shlomit Avramson
It was always my dream to write a story about a girl in the old times in Israel, but I never knew anything about how people used to live back then. After reading this book I have some idea. It was interesting to compare the story to the very summarized version in the bible, and to see how everywhere where God is mentioned in the bible, it's actually Ishtar, a kenani goddess, that's mentioned in the book. It made me wonder if the religious people in Israel were outraged by this book, which presents their founding fathers in a not-so-complementing way. My sister said they were, but it didn't last very long, probably because it's the author's first book - she's not known enough yet. Anyway - it was interesting.
Thursday, November 5, 2009
The Metamorphosis and Other Stories
By Franz Kafka
I hold Kafka close to my heart, because he wrote about a person who turned into a bug (which one I'm not sure - sometimes he seems like a roach, but there are some references to a beetle). This specific story I read before, but I somehow remembered it differently. I wonder how much the different translations had to do with it.
Even though I finished the book ages ago, it took me longer than I expected. It's a tiny book, and at the rate I finished the first few stories, I thought that I'd be done in just a few days, but some of the later stories were very slow. I can't claim to understand what he was trying to say. Maybe he was just going through his depressive moods at the time he wrote them...
I hold Kafka close to my heart, because he wrote about a person who turned into a bug (which one I'm not sure - sometimes he seems like a roach, but there are some references to a beetle). This specific story I read before, but I somehow remembered it differently. I wonder how much the different translations had to do with it.
Even though I finished the book ages ago, it took me longer than I expected. It's a tiny book, and at the rate I finished the first few stories, I thought that I'd be done in just a few days, but some of the later stories were very slow. I can't claim to understand what he was trying to say. Maybe he was just going through his depressive moods at the time he wrote them...
Saturday, September 19, 2009
Crime and Punishment
By Fyodor Dostoevsky
I've read this book twice while in high school, and I liked it very much. I am always amazed how these stories are still relevant, even though they were written years and years ago, and in distant distant lands. I guess the human condition doesn't really change.
I've decided to read it again, since we left Tempe and its library, and this book was conveniently found in the pile of books before packing. I think I like the English version less, but that could be mostly because of my imperfect mastery of the language. But even so, I highly recommend reading book.
When I read it years ago I was very impressed by the dreams Raskolnikov had, especially the one with the poor horse. It didn't leave the same impression on me now, for some reason. Am I less sensitive now? I don't know.
I've read this book twice while in high school, and I liked it very much. I am always amazed how these stories are still relevant, even though they were written years and years ago, and in distant distant lands. I guess the human condition doesn't really change.
I've decided to read it again, since we left Tempe and its library, and this book was conveniently found in the pile of books before packing. I think I like the English version less, but that could be mostly because of my imperfect mastery of the language. But even so, I highly recommend reading book.
When I read it years ago I was very impressed by the dreams Raskolnikov had, especially the one with the poor horse. It didn't leave the same impression on me now, for some reason. Am I less sensitive now? I don't know.
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Me and Kaminski
By Daniel Kehlmann
It's supposed to be a funny book. It was amusing at times, but most of the time it was just not very flowing. I don't know if it's the translation or the original, but I just couldn't keep reading it for long. The narrator was kind of annoying (I guess that's what was supposed to be funny), but I couldn't help feeling sorry for him.
I did finish this book a couple of weeks ago, though... I should update my blog in a more timely manner...
It's supposed to be a funny book. It was amusing at times, but most of the time it was just not very flowing. I don't know if it's the translation or the original, but I just couldn't keep reading it for long. The narrator was kind of annoying (I guess that's what was supposed to be funny), but I couldn't help feeling sorry for him.
I did finish this book a couple of weeks ago, though... I should update my blog in a more timely manner...
Sunday, May 10, 2009
Wolves of the Crescent Moon
By Yousef Al-Mohaimeed
A very interesting and readable story about three men whose lives intertwine. It seems like separate stories all along, but somehow everything makes sense in the end.
A very interesting and readable story about three men whose lives intertwine. It seems like separate stories all along, but somehow everything makes sense in the end.
Single Couples [Hebrew:Zugot Bodedim]
By Israel Segal
A pretty sad story about a person who would rather follow people who are enticing, but lead him to self destructiveness (they happen to be men), when he actually has people around him (women) who could give him real help.
Seems like Israel Segal wrote this book while recovering from a heart attack and an accident injury. I felt as though the story wasn't always coherent and that's probably the reason.
A pretty sad story about a person who would rather follow people who are enticing, but lead him to self destructiveness (they happen to be men), when he actually has people around him (women) who could give him real help.
Seems like Israel Segal wrote this book while recovering from a heart attack and an accident injury. I felt as though the story wasn't always coherent and that's probably the reason.
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Kissing the Virgin's Mouth
By Danna M. Gershten
This is the book I was reading while reading Rethinking Rape. I started at the end of February, traveling to Basel. At first I found it kind of irritating. I didn't quite like the narrator, she sounded a bit fake. But as I kept reading I started to understand her more, which was quite interesting. I also find it incredible that the author is not Mexican. She sure made the main character look like one.
This is the book I was reading while reading Rethinking Rape. I started at the end of February, traveling to Basel. At first I found it kind of irritating. I didn't quite like the narrator, she sounded a bit fake. But as I kept reading I started to understand her more, which was quite interesting. I also find it incredible that the author is not Mexican. She sure made the main character look like one.
Rethinking Rape
By Ann J. Cahill
Took me a while to finish this one. (Though not as long as it may seem - I did finish it about 2 weeks ago, and read another book while reading this one). Which is understandable - it's an essay book, not a story. It did finally answer some of the questions I had about the subject.
Took me a while to finish this one. (Though not as long as it may seem - I did finish it about 2 weeks ago, and read another book while reading this one). Which is understandable - it's an essay book, not a story. It did finally answer some of the questions I had about the subject.
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Seeing
By Jose Saramago
No, it didn't take me THAT long to read this book - though it was hard because the structure is very unusual (pages-long paragraphs, even for conversations!) - I finihsed it exactly 2 weeks ago. It was a sort of a sequel to Blindness, which I read a long time ago, and didn't think it was the best Saramago. But Seeing is interesting, though somewhat dismal.
No, it didn't take me THAT long to read this book - though it was hard because the structure is very unusual (pages-long paragraphs, even for conversations!) - I finihsed it exactly 2 weeks ago. It was a sort of a sequel to Blindness, which I read a long time ago, and didn't think it was the best Saramago. But Seeing is interesting, though somewhat dismal.
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