Customer Reviews

All Whom I Have Loved: A Novel

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This book is an astounding glimpse into the little known world of pre-WWII Europe. Appelfeld reveals many amazing things almost as asides in the course of his narrative. Such as the admiration of many Jews for Orthodox Christian rites. The friendship between Jews and Christians. The anger of God-fearing Christians over secular Jews' abandonment of Biblical values. And ultimately the eerie sense that a Jew can never belong to any established fellowship.

Appelfeld is a lyrical writer. I could not put this book down and read it through in one evening. As a Hebrew speaker I also can attest that the English translation is unusually good, a work of art in its own right.

There are secrets, such as the similarity between Appelfeld's surname and that of his protagonist: Rosenfeld. There are many other such secrets discernable to the perceptive reader.

I finished this book with a deep sense of sadness but also with gratitude for having been able to catch a glimpse of the author's beautiful soul.

You won't be disappointed!

All Whom I have Loved is a wonderful novel, not about the Shoah but about one boy's life just before it began. One might say: Nothing much happens but O so much does happen here and it is so easy to enter's the young boys' moods and moves. I just loved reading this because Appelfeld has put in his 100,000 hours into his craft of writing and has learned to prune and make reading this sad novel a pure pleasure. Highly recommend 5 stars

I have read, and own, all of Mr. Apelfeld's books in English. The prose is literate, his words are almost poetic, and all of his stories build up from serenity to crescendo. A must read for anyone who loves fine literature.

I have only read four books by Appelfeld incuding his Memoir.

They are always very engaging and compelling and very moving.

I decided after reading this latest, which I liked a lot and could not put down, because it was very readable and intriguing, that I would get all of the rest of his novels that I have not read and read them this summer.

A metaphorical novel that resonates of the past and the present.