Status
Available
Call number
Genres
Collections
Publication
Harvest Books (1992), Edition: First, 262 pages
Description
Following the bizarre accidental death of his wife, Israeli secret service agent Yoel Ravid retires to the suburbs with his daughter, mother and mother-in-law. After a lifetime of uncovering other people's secrets he is forced to look back at the lies he has told himself; at the desolate enigma of his wife's life and death; his years of service to the state and the riddle of his daughter's behavior.
User reviews
LibraryThing member krazy4katz
This was my first book by Amos Oz. I can't say that I really enjoyed it, but partly because the story was somewhat grim. A man loses his wife to a freak accident and is left with his daughter, mother and mother-in-law. The narrative is almost entirely internal. The book, Mrs. Dalloway, is mentioned
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several times, and I think the writing does resemble that of Virginia Woolf's. The main character is on an internal journey for over a year and he takes you with him. The characters are very well described and the writing is detailed and beautiful. It just wasn't my cup of tea at this moment. However, I liked it enough to try other books by this author. Show Less
LibraryThing member tsutsik
A very beautiful book. Yael Arvid loses his wife. This puts him into a personal crisis. He quits his work as a secret agent and starts living with his daughter, his mother and his mother-in-law. He is forced to recognise problems he has tried to avoid his whole life. An intense book, which ends
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rather optimistic: 'I am alive. Therfore I take part. Unlike the dead.' This book shows how a depression works from the inside. Show Less
LibraryThing member yhaduong
An incredibly well written non-spy novel about a former spy and his life among his family after the death of his wife. Amos Oz's descriptions of the main character, Yoel, are wonderful to read. It's a little bit about Yoel's personal transformation as he turns his obsessive perception to the house
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he lives in and the family he lives, trying to figure them out following the death of his wife, and realizing the people close to your heart cannot always be classified and easily defined. Show Less
LibraryThing member Amusedbythis
Yoel Arvid is an Israeli spy who loses his wife to a tragic accident. He abruptly resigns and spends the next year coming to terms with his past and life. This is Yoel's internal journey as he rebuilds his life anew.
LibraryThing member gbelik
A retired Israeli spy has to deal with his past, his relationships and his future. Very thoughtful.
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
1989
Physical description
262 p.; 5.31 inches
ISBN
9780156906807