Khirbet Khizeh (Paperback)

by S. Yizhar (Author), Nicholas de Lange (Translator), Yaacob Dweck (Translator), David Shulman (Afterword)

Editorial Reviews

Review
"An exhilarating masterwork. Ibis (a genuine beacon of hope) publishes an ecumenical list of elegant books from 'Levantine' authors, whatever their background. They have surpassed themselves with a terrific translation of S. Yizhar's classic novella.... Khirbet Khizeh endures to bear a bitter witness that transcends allegiance or affinity.... Readers should rush to share its still-shocking wisdom." --The Independent

"The translation, like the afterword, makes it clear that [with the English publication of Khirbet Khizeh] we are confronted not with a political-humanistic pamphlet so much as with a literary work of extraordinary power." --Ha'aretz

"Years after the tragic events it describes, Khirbet Khizeh retains its disturbing relevance... Conveying in vivid microcosm the moral ambiguities attending Israel's establishment in 1948, Khirbet Khizeh resonates as both historical experience and art." --The Times Literary Supplement

Product Description
Translated from the Hebrew by Nicholas de Lange and Yaacob Dweck. Afterword by David Shulman. This classic 1949 novella about the violent expulsion of Palestinian villagers by the Israeli army has long been considered a high point in Hebrew literature, as it has also given rise to fierce controversy over the years. Published just months after the end of the 1948 war (in which the author fought) the book--as famous for Yizhar's haunting, lyrical style as for its wrenchingly honest soldier's-eye view of the brutality of that war and, perhaps, all wars--has never before been translated into English. De Lange and Dweck's rendering captures with force Yizhar's unflinching portrait of Israel's primal scene. An absolute must for anyone interested in Middle Eastern literature and history.

Product Details

• Paperback: 134 pages
• Publisher: Ibis Editions (April 21, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 9659012594
• ISBN-13: 978-9659012596
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.6 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #208,438 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Penetrating, June 25, 2008

By	Mr. James Dow Aitken (Edinburgh, U.K.) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This is a trgaic story, beautifully written and translated. It would be easy to confine this book to the history of tradgedy, but David Shulman's Afterword draws a direct parallel to the present day and Israel's current occupations.

With few words Yizhar paints a vivid picture of the Palestinian landscape and the figures within it. He is able to contrast the beauty with the hatefulness of the soldiers, often in the very same sentence. He brings to life that which has been buried and covered up. Perhaps it is no surprise that Yizhar wrote this in 1949 immediatly following the events, or similar events, that the story describes. The story prophetically anticipates the future also, yet it has an immediacy and a finality. A brilliant story and a great partner to Kressmann Taylor's Address Unknown.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars What happened in one Palestinian village, September 12, 2008

By	L. S. Evensen (CA United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This writer was already reknowned when he wrote this book - his novel "The Days of Ziklag" was greeted as a masterpiece when it came out. This book is a small vignette in sparkling language both Biblical and demotic. The author voices his doubts and foreboding, not about the lofty notions of Zionism but how the taking of the land actually was carried out. He also speaks lyrically of the beauty of the land. He makes it clear that the soldiers look down on the people they are displacing, but otherwise it would be unbearable to carry out their orders. They disdain the Palestinian villagers for not fighting back; ironically this same disdain was displayed toward those who survived the concentration camps who came to replace those villagers.
It is interesting to note that this book, very popular when it came out, was high school reading in Israel beginning in 1964. However, this history seems less familiar to many Americans.

11 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Humanity amid Cruelty, July 5, 2008

By	Omnivore (North Carolina) - See all my reviews

A touching account of the Israeli ethnic cleansing of Palestinians in the 1948 war by an Israeli soldier whose conscience was at odds with what he had to do. Also, a contemporary account of Israeli peace advocates protecting Palestinians from Israeli settlers trying to force them of their land. One can only hope that this appeal to humanity and justice will one day guide Israeli policy.