22 of 24 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
An intelligent, eloquent, and hopeful read., October 20, 2003
This review is from: Ten Thousand Lovers: A Novel (Paperback)
This book was wonderful -- beautifully written, an engrossing read, and a nuanced portrait of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Speaking from the vantage point of living in Israel (for the past 38 years), I thought this book wonderfully captures our reality in the Mideast. It also holds out a place where right meets left among Israeli Jews. What a relief! If you believe that only you own the truth, it may be hard to see the strands of integrity in both positions that are depicted here. Thank you, Edeet Ravel, for writing a beautiful and hopeful portrait of Israel. May your pen be fruitful and multiply.
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8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Ten Thousand Thumbs Up for Ravel, June 20, 2004
This review is from: Ten Thousand Lovers: A Novel (Paperback)
In 1980, Israeli poet Yehuda Amichai noted in a lecture that I attended the responsibility of the writer to help their reader understand the nuance of language. Language, he argued, was being appropriated by pundits and politicians in a manner that was systematically degrading the value of the "word".
Edeet Ravel's first novel, a finalist for the Canadian Governor General's Award for literature is a lovely blend exploring language, love, and the rich contradictions of Israeli society in the late 1970s. While the novel has yet to appear in hebrew (I think), Ten Thousand Lovers is among the very first novels to explore the nuances and growing turmoil of Israeli society in the late 1970s. The novel also takes the reader on several insightful excursions on the meaning of hebrew and arabic words informing the dialogue and backdrop in the narrative.
As someone who lived in Israel through much of the period, I found myself swept back to those days from the hitchhiking experiences (which have largely disappeared), to the carefree night life in Tel Aviv (which is still very real), to the confusing conversations over identity between Israelis, Israeli-Arabs, American and Candian Jews, Georgians, Yeminites, and Ethiopians. The politics of of an emerging occupation culture, which everyone who lived through those days fully appreciates, is wonderfully shared through the love relationship between Ami and Lily.
In the past year or two a number of novels have explored the messy vitality of Israeli society (both jewish and arab) in the post 60's era. While not as rich and mature as A.B. Yehoshua's The Liberated Bride, or Open Heart, Ravel's first novel, is an amazing read for its female-centered characters, its insights and glimpses into the invisible realities of Israeli life. I hope she has another manuscript in the works. I can't wait to read it.
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9 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A turbulent situation!, February 16, 2004
This review is from: Ten Thousand Lovers: A Novel (Paperback)
Lily returns to Israel during the 1970's and meets handsome Army interrogator Ami. Although attracted to him, she is never quite at ease with the situations his job demand of him. Lily tells the story of her relationship with Ami while also revealing a bit about her present life in England through chapters which flip-flop through the time difference. In addition, there are significant lessons in Hebrew words which add to the flavor of the book and provide insight into Israeli attitudes. The author even adds one recipe to give the taste of the Mideast!
Due to the increasing complexity of political turmoil in Israel and a tendency to be more mainstream, modern Israeli novelists increasingly tend to omit political leanings in their writing. No so Edeet Ravel. She weaves it into the very heart of her story with great eloquence. She expresses her views openly because one cannot live in Israel without revealing those feelings. Beyond that, however, is a more heartbreaking story. It's of how an Israeli woman feels in the company of a man who loves not only her but also his country and has an important duty to both. The end of the story is one of the most powerful that I have read in a novel in a long time, and how the author creates this atmosphere is for the reader to discover.
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