Customer Reviews

The Fairest Among Women (Us)

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

 

 

Rosa is a larger than life woman both physically and spirtually. Life begins in the Arab-vacated section of West Jerusalem. With her mother and uncle she shares a house with other inhabitants; other refugees like themselves from the Jewish Quarter of the Old City and Holocaust survivors from Europe.

Impregnated at 14 by her uncle, who then became her first husband, she had 8 children by him. A firmly held belief during childhood prophecised she would have 4 husbands. Much to the delight of the community this prophecy appeared to be coming true. The premise sounded interesting, but for me the book was a huge disappointment.

The characterization of Rosa came across as obese and lazy having one child after another. The story had no depth, no direction and wandered aimlessly from one frivolous and meaningless non-event to the next. Her children, her husbands, her friends were all fleetingly mentioned - there were no characterizations -they were just there.

Rosa is depicted as this beautiful sexual woman that men lusted after and who unbelievably grew more beautiful with age - even as a grandmother. When she had put on so much weight that the doors in her house had to be widened to enable her to get through them, she still remained this passionately beautiful being! During her various wedding ceremonies, her husbands' erections were evident as were the rabbis - Ugh!

On numerous occasions I put the book down in frustration - the storyline was going everywhere, but nowhere. I found the writing mechanical - perhaps the story was lost in the translation. It was a chore to get through this book and I only finished it because I didn't have anything else to read.

I do not recommend this book.

I liked this book. As I riffled through the pages, it felt as if I were drifting along in a slow moving stream of life. It was warm and subtle and intriguing. When you are finished reading the book, answer this question: who WAS the fairest among women? Was it Rosa or her daughter, Angel? My favorite scenes in the book were with the gallery of portraits on the bedroom wall. If you liked "The Magician's Assistant" you'll like this one.

Although The Fairest Among Women held my attention until the end, I felt disappointed by the book. The book was entirely centred on its main character, Rosa, with all other characters peripheral and little attention paid to the setting of post-war Israel. The book had an unusual style - I wouldn't describe it as magic realism but it was certainly not a believable, realistic story either. I found it hard to accept that the grossly obese Rosa, "the fattest woman in Israel", could also be so incredibly beautiful. The author appeared to be trying to make Rosa a character who was extreme in every way, but it just seemed bizarre ... maybe I didn't get the whole concept of the book. I thought the premise of the book was good but I did not enjoy the way it was executed.

Another outrageous romantic novel from the author of Four Mothers.The story of Rosa,the large beautiful and voluptuous central figure,is a sensual and emotional tale full of the trademark "magical realism" from Shifra Horn.A bit long but filled with wonderful characters,history and passion; this new work is a must read for anyonre who liked Four Mothers

Another oustanding novel from Shifra Horn.Like Four Mothers a romantic and sensual novel spanning a vital period in Jerusalem history.It is another really good read with great descriptive passages and lovingly told.There are moments of poignancy and sadness but the humour and fantastic characters carry this story along.I await future books from this author with eagerness.

I picked up this book because I was interested in reading about life in Israel. That is not what this book is about.

Instead, it is a portrait of the life of Rosa, the Fairest Among Women. She was born, to her mother's horror, with breasts. She grows up to be an astonishingly beautiful woman, and her beauty and sensuality are described evocatively. While Rosa's life, her many husbands, and her various escapades are interesting, most of my enjoyment of this novel came from the vivid portrayals of some fascinating characters, Rosa's mother, in particular. The plot revolved around Rosa's life, which was... engrossing.

Unfortunately, the ending is nothing special. I felt cheated, in fact, because I had endured some of the more lurid details of Rosa's life to learn what became of her. At the end, all I could think was, that's all?

If you would like an amusing diversion, to meet some wrenching characters, then this novel is for you.

I am a fan of Shifra Horn's and enjoyed reading her first novel, "Four Mothers", however this second book was a bit difficult to follow at times as she drifted from theme to theme. Still it was an interesting and charming novel.