Customer Reviews

Be My Knife: A Novel

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

The "plot" of this novel is easy to summarize. Yair Einhorn, a 33-year-old, married man sees Miriam, a somewhat older woman, for five minutes at a party, never meets or talks to her, but instantly decides that she would be the perfect person to whom to bare his soul in letters. "We could be like two people who inject themselves with truth serum...I want to be able to say to myself, 'I bled truth with her. Be a knife for me,'" he says in his introductory letter to her. The first 2/3 of the book consists of Yair's long, self-analytical letters to Miriam, the rest of the novel consisting of Miriam's diary and a separate collage of their comments after the end of the correspondence.

Many readers will have a difficult time suspending disbelief as much as is necessary here to accept the basic premise of this novel--that a complete stranger can write a long, neurotic, and frighteningly personal letter to a woman who does not run away in terror and who, in fact, agrees to be his "knife." In this novel of words rather than actions, Yair says, early in his correspondence, "I never imagined that meeting a stranger's language could be as exciting as the first touch of her body," and he admits to feeling jealous when he finds, in newspapers and advertising, some of the same words Miriam has used in her letters. He also confesses that "something is building up...begging to burst out, something that will suffocate if it doesn't crack..." He admits that his emotional stability is "the size of a peanut." Still Miriam allows the correspondence to continue, even though his letters arrive without postmarks, hand delivered to her mailbox at work.

Self-conscious and, some would say, self-indulgent in the extreme, Yair's letters eventually begin to reveal factual information about his marriage and his child, in addition to his important inner child, which he hopes to rediscover through Miriam, and I found myself grabbing onto these morsels as a way to give some reality and perspective to his lengthy and sometimes repetitious self-analysis. Miriam's diary, on the other hand, is truly touching. Appearing 2/3 of the way through the book, it is a very moving story of a woman who, in addition to working, must also deal with a seriously ill 10-year-old child, a child who was once normal but who is now speechless, living in his own world, and subject to fits. The conclusion, a section called Rain, which comes after the end of the correspondence, is intense and very dramatic.

Though the book is thoughtful and well written, I found it difficult to care much about Yair, whose inner world and needs seem to be his only concern. Miriam, on the other hand, has very real and difficult problems in the outside world, all of them, it seems to me, more urgent than Yair's, yet, until her diary appears late in the book, we know little about her except a few nuggets we glean second-hand from Yair's letters. This is a very introspective novel requiring immense patience, a book which will undoubtedly reward some readers, while perhaps driving others to distraction. Mary Whipple

This is one of the toughest books I have ever read, but it seems to be important. The form is unusual - the first person character has a correspondence with a woman he saw at a school reunion. They agree never to meet, but to be completely frank in their letters. For the first 225 pages we read only one side of the correspondence, the man's. Another section contains the diary of the woman. The third section is murky - their thoughts merge, and they may or may not actually meet and interact together. It seems to be about people who are detached from their own feelings as well as estranged from others, even those closest to them. The man may be trying not to be like his father, but still ends up being as cruel and controlling to his own son. All of my conjectures are conditional, as some of the action is unclear, yet I found the book haunting and thought-provoking.

In 'Be My Knife' acclaimed novelist David Grossman parses in the deepest way imaginable into the lives of 'Yair' and 'Miriam' who begin an affair of and in words only - a true epistolary tour de force. If you like dense extraordinary imagery, daring and completely off-the-wall thoughts, even more daring and off-the-wall actions, then YOU will love this book and you will continue to come back to it and dip into it, long, long after you have finished it. And after you have finished it, you will be changed. And you will look at your own relationships differently perhaps, even at yourself differently. Whether you have ever had an affair or not. And then you will want to read all his other books that have this amazing style and lack of fear. I rate this ace reading.

This is one of the most moving books I have ever read. The subject, an affair conducted entirely by words, is engrossing. The language is beautiful and poetic. As soon as I was finished, I felt like reading it again, so as to be able to focus on all the small details I may have missed the first time. I did not find Yair's self-absorption disturbing. All of us are self-absorbed in so many ways, but few of us are capable of revealing our deepest secrets to another human being the way he is. And few authors are capable of presenting such an honest portrait of yearning, for another person and another life.

I read the book in hebrew, not the English translation, so you may take my review with its limitations. I think this is a touching, extremely accurate (high resolution) book about a man and a woman, getting to know each other intimately without meeting. the book is about peeling off your layers of layers of dishonesty, your masks, and touching the essence of 'you' and 'I'. It is written in a rich langauge, with lots of little stories, ideas, imagery. I find it amazing that the author can write in completely different 'voices' when writing the man and when writing the woman. I think this book is above all an "experience" - you don't read it without you yourself exposing some bits of your true self to your self as you read.

Another reviewer put it perfectly- this book isn't for everyone.

I found "Be My Knife" completely by accident one day while I was looking for something interesting and unique to read. The description on the back cover made me pick it up (and not put it down).

Though I became frustrated at times, wishing the story would progress more quickly, I'm glad I didn't give up. The end was definitely worth the wait.

If you like analytical brain-candy, give this book a try. I haven't read anything else by the author, but if I come across another DAVID GROSSMAN title, I'll be sure to grab it fast!

Certainly not the easiest novel to get into, but with time and effort, "Be My Knife" packs an emotional punch that stays with the reader long after the last page has been turned. The narrative develops at a pace not unlike a snowball, gathering in intensity as it progresses ... and the final image burns itself deep into the reader's consciousness.

A love story between two ordinary people (told only through impassioned letters) dealing with loss, disillusionment, and the everyday. "Be My Knife" haunts...

This book is a treasure, a rare gem, a unique and wonderful story of two people, Miriam and Yair and the potential of overcoming limitation and stagnation through the simple act of communication. Miriam's evolved compassionate form of love shines through to the very end. Yair's frenetic neurotic passionate energy lights the way out of the darkness. READ THIS BOOK.

This is a story of roaring emotion. Why this, and why that, and what if, and what if not. Introspection ad nauseam - examination of the emotional self, that to my mind leads nowhere; but who am I to judge? Oh, yes, I loved the writing. If I am any judge it is brilliant and innovative.
So, I may not agree with the hero and heroin's emotional excesses but David Grossman creates a few emotions in us along the way as we read. Frustration, annoyance, disgust and deep involvement are just a few of the feelings that I experienced while reading this most unusual novel.
Yes, I found the characters annoying but believable and there was always a thread that kept me hanging in there, wanting to know where it would all lead. And without giving anything way, I was emotionally breathless when I finally put this book down in the early hours of the morning. Did I say brilliant?

I've not read any Grossman before and I dislike much contemporary fiction. This book's not for everyone. But if you can get into the story of Albertine in Proust's A la recherche du temps perdu, then you can handle the intensity and intricacy (subtlety within overstatement) of BE MY KNIFE. The book never refers, I think, to computer communications, but the setup whereby an entire affair is conducted through the written word strongly suggests an online relationship. There is psychological depth here (as well as art) that superficial readers simply may not want...and (as in Proust) a lack of plot. I recommend it, however, for sheer emotional catharsis. The ending's problematic. There could not be any simple end to the emotions portrayed.