In the Land of Israel (Harvest in Translation) [Paperback]

Amos Oz (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 31, 1993 | Series: Harvest in Translation

Oz traveled throughout Israel and the West Bank in the 1980s and spoke with many people about the past, present, and future of his country. What he found is memorably set down here. New Author’s Note and Postscript; map. Translated by Maurie Goldberg-Bartura. A Helen and Kurt Wolff Book

Editorial Reviews

Language Notes

Text: English, Hebrew (translation) --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

About the Author

Born in Jerusalem in 1939, Amos Oz is the author of numerous works of fiction and essays. His international awards include the Prix Femina, the Israel Prize, and the Frankfurt Peace Prize, and his books have been translated into more than thirty languages. He lives in Israel.

Product Details

• Paperback: 304 pages
• Publisher: Mariner Books (October 31, 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0156481146
• ISBN-13: 978-0156481144
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 5.3 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #267,646 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

23 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars simply amazing!, December 7, 2000

By 

Kristen Stewart (Midtown Memphis) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: In the Land of Israel (Harvest in Translation) (Paperback)

This book was one assigned in my judaic civ class at unc. I was by no means excited about having to read it, but i found it to be a phenomenal, page-turning piece of non-fiction. More than any textbook, Oz describes the people and places of Israel so vividly you begin to feel as if you are visiting yourself. It was undeniably helpful to me, an American Christian who never really studied Israel, in understanding the complex world of Israeli politics. Moreover, it helped me to see the exent to which Judaism was present in Israeli life. He did a great job of giving Arabs a fair portrayal and a voice. I had a hard time believing Oz didn't make these characters up! I am looking forward to starting in on some of his fiction. What a brilliant writer!

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An essential read, July 16, 2002

By 

Singapore native (San Francisco, CA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: In the Land of Israel (Harvest in Translation) (Paperback)

This book is an excellent contribution to the understanding of Israel in general and of the situation between the Palestinians and Israelis in particular and is, in my opnion, a "must read" for anyone interested in deepening their knowledge in this area.

The book is a collection of articles first published serially in 1982-83. Each chapter is an interview that author Amos Oz conducted in Israel or the Palestinian territories in late 1982. The interviews include a teacher at an orthodox rabbinical high school, two Palestinian journalists/writers, an Israeli Arab, settlers in the West Bank, North African Jewish immigrants, a French Catholic priest in Jerusalem, a Jewish farmer and his wife living in the coastal plain, and an elderly Rumanian immigrant in the seaside city of Ashdod.

It should be emphasized that the book is NOT a "cross section" of Israeli society and it does not profess to portray the "average" Israeli. Amos Oz himself says as much when he says he does not believe these articles to be a "representative" picture. Nevertheless, these articles have value in that they provide in depth views into one of the smallest yet one of the most complex and diverse societies on the planet.

However, what is most valuable about the book is the 17-page postscript added at the end. This postscript is a lecture that the author delivered in Michigan in 1993, ten years after the original interviews had taken place, and it presents the author's analysis of the conflict between the Israelis and the Palestinians. Mr. Oz believes in a two-state solution: Israel and Palestine, two independent states co-existing side by side peacefully. In this lecture, he presents the sanest, most rational, most balanced perspective on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict of anyone I have ever heard or read. It is more insightful than anything I have heard from a "talking head," news commentator, or media pundit. Although it was written 10 years ago, nearly all of it is still valid today (in 2002). The postscript itself is almost worth the price of the whole book. Outstanding. This book has my highest recommendation.

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars gasp, July 18, 2000

By 

Ruth (Melbourne) - See all my reviews

This review is from: In the Land of Israel (Harvest in Translation) (Paperback)

This book takes the breath out of me! I have never been to Israel, but I've met israeis out and about. The violence of the opinions that people hold about israel etc. are difficult to handle sometimes. My admiration has always been for people who can discuss such intense issues squarely and without losing their cool. Oz does this. I don't know how fair the book is, or how reasonable, but was like holding dynamite in my hands. Each chapter develops the arguments presented by a different person/group of people. It leaves the impression of brave, passionate people in an intense country. Usually I can read a book from cover to cover, but this time is was like: read a chapter, recover for a few days, read another one. I strongly recommend this book. In some places it's beautiful.