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.
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