Death as a Way of Life: From Oslo to the Geneva Agreement [Paperback]

David Grossman (Author), Haim Watzman (Translator)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 1, 2004

What went wrong after Oslo? How can Israelis and Palestinians make peace? How has the violence changed their lives, and their souls? For the last ten years, David Grossman, one of Israel’s great fiction writers, has addressed these questions in a series of passionate essays and articles, writing not only as one of his country’s most respected novelists and commentators, but as a husband and father and peace activist bitterly disappointed in the leaders of both sides.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

By collecting his impressions from the last decade (originally published in Britain's Guardian), noted Israeli novelist Grossman creates something astonishing-a moving tale of, and comment on, modern Israeli culture and politics. Though there are no surprises in the chain of events, to watch an articulate and nuanced man live through the demise of the peace process is to experience it anew, in all its grisly and idiosyncratic power. Grossman watches the tentative steps toward peace, beginning in 1993, and what he hopes are the attempts of both sides to break free from being "hostages of their history and psychology." Then he looks on with increasing anxiety as it all unravels. Throughout, Grossman combines the lyrical touches he brings to his novels (The Smile of the Lamb, etc.) with a remarkably clear eye. "So many cherished things and private moments are lost to fear and violence," he writes. "So much creative power, so much imagination and thought, are directed today at destruction and death." Indeed, he mourns for losses that are as much philosophical as political, another reason this book has more depth than the typically two-dimensional newspaper op-ed. Grossman holds out for peace even when events suggest otherwise, maintaining criticism of both Israeli civilians and leaders for not trying to understand the Palestinian heart and mind. But these aren't simply the untempered cries of a dove. The author writes convincingly of the inner torment he feels after several attacks on innocent Israelis and candidly engages in self-questioning when dreams of peace start to float away. That gives him credibility, which, mixed with a heartfelt love of Israel and a courtly tone, lend the book an uncommon force.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

Israel's celebrated novelist/activist considers why Israelis and Palestinians can't make peace.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: Picador (May 1, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312423233
• ISBN-13: 978-0312423230
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.5 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #693,949 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An Important Book, May 20, 2003

By 

Brooklyn Reader (Brooklyn, NY USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Death as a Way of Life: Israel Ten Years After Oslo (Hardcover)

Full of empathy, insight and a necessary dose of incredulousness, Grossman is one of the most important writers on this tragic subject. Death as a Way of Life is also particularly relevant for Americans who want to know what life under terror feels like.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Everyone Should Read before forming an Opinion, July 12, 2004

By 

Michael D. Mckain "Blue Hen Mike" (Seaford, Delaware USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Death as a Way of Life: Israel Ten Years After Oslo (Hardcover)

I had to read this book for a college class, but ended up enjoying it anyway. While he does not reach any conclusions, I do not think that is his intention. Rather, he offers an emotional first-hand look at the complex situation that has developed in the Middle East. The reader experiances the highs and lows of the recent peace efforts, from the hope of Oslo to the tragedy of assassination. There is also an excellent essay on the Holocaust and the effects on Germany and Israel. No matter one's views on the Middle East conflict, this is a book worth reading. Grossman is moderate and rational, a viewpoint that is too often lost in the emotion and horror of the violent cycle that has taken hold in the region.

5 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Blessed Are The Peacemakers, January 26, 2004

By 

T. Pawlicki (Wilmington, NC USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Death as a Way of Life: Israel Ten Years After Oslo (Hardcover)

Perhaps the greatest insight I got from this collection of essays from David Grossman is that the peacemakers and people who strive for a peaceful solution are truly the greatest heros. It takes courage to overcome base human instincts and seek a fair peace. Mr Grossman does an admirable job of conveying this. This is not so much a book for the Mideast history scholar as it is for the person who wants to get a feel for what it's like to be caught in the maelstrom that envelops Israel and the Palestinian lands today.