^^hustler‘s relief after a score. Pulp fiction / existentialist mashup, kinda Kerouac. Vulnerable tough guy selling “love.”
61 “they begin to speak in sharp high voices that have no love, no despair, only a kind of miserable wisdom that prevents them from doing reckless things.”
63 “the sea released me from all thought and feeling, the way alcohol releases other people.”
121 “The man returned with his dog, a boxer. Both of them look like cheats.”
pickPolish novella set in 1950s Tel Aviv. Two con men bum around Israeli beach resorts, fleecing rich widows & divorcees. Jacob seduces his marks in an almost offhanded way, directionless and depressed. Dark but breezy humor, pratfalls, bratty kid. Then—boom—long passage on war atrocities witnessed in Warsaw, revealing what these grifters are escaping. Memorable tone, desperation, beach breezes soothing trauma. Cover design all wrong. 1965, tr. 2014.
pickI‘m glad I finished the book because the last novella (I think we have 3 novellas here rather than a novel) brings Nevo‘s thoughts & themes to the fore and there were a few ‘a-ha now I get it‘ moments. Overall, the first & second story are a bit forced & the sex scenes range from despicable to weird. The last story‘s familial conflicts were what I could relate to most & also found most interesting. Overall, this is not a great but an ok book.
pickI‘m glad I read this after The Hundred Years‘ War on Palestine. Chomsky & Pappe provide the understanding that I felt that Khalidi‘s book did not. However, without reading Khalidi first I would‘ve been lost throughout much of On Palestine.
I now feel that I can justly have an opinion. & while I choose to not voice that here, the one thing I will say is that the United States has exacerbated this war from nearly the beginning & it NEEDS to stop.
pickI know this is a contentious issue so I‘ll keep it simple.
Despite this war having gone on my whole life I was unaware until recent events.
This is a pertinent overview. One-sided, sure, but Khalidi doesn‘t shy away from criticizing the Palestinian‘s actions either.
I‘m not sure if I have a better understanding, but I at least feel I can add to a conversation if need be.
I would like to learn more about the prewar history.
so-soI was into this audio at the beginning but I found it to drag on the middle—so much so that I found myself skipping and I NEVER do that. I could have missed something vital, so take this with a grain of salt. I know theater doesn‘t work for me in literature so it‘s my fault. I loved the MC‘s backstory and the set up: Sonia returns to her home to discover so much has changed: grandparents have passed, houses sold. Timely: Palestinian experiences.
This new book of essays by David Grossman just breaks my heart. Will there ever be peace in this troubled area of the world?
pickA complicated novel about a complex topic - lots of characters and identities in the Middle East. A great reflection on identity and resistance.
