Dreaming the Actual: Contemporary Fiction and Poetry by Israeli Women Writers (S U N Y Series in Modern Jewish Literature and Culture) (Paperback)

~ (Editor)

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

This collection of contemporary fiction and poetry by Israeli women writers includes works originally written in Hebrew, Arabic, Russian, and English. Rather than constituting a cohesive group, these writers form more of a mosaic of different cultural types. They are multigenerational; they have come from many countries to Israel and have very different political, social, and religious backgrounds. The stories and poetry portray coming of age, the unease of sexuality, and much discussion of the meanings of homeland, exile, and diaspora in addition to many aspects of memory. In Nurit Zarchi!s Madame Bovary in Neve Tsedek, for instance, the power of women!s imagination and power is explored in a surrealistic framework. Along with another recent anthology, New Women!s Writing from Israel (Vallentine Mitchell, 1996), which does not include poetry, and numerous individually authored collections of short stories and novels (e.g., Zeruya Shalev!s Love Life, LJ 1/00), Israeli women writers are now well represented in English. They give English-speaking readers a window into Israeli culture, plus, in most cases, an awareness of Jewish sensibilities as seen by women."Molly Abramowitz, Silver Spring, MD
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Description

This book introduces the powerful and provocative new fiction and poetry of Israel's women writers to an English-speaking audience. Read together, the stories and poems in this book will help to create a more sophisticated understanding of Middle Eastern passions and realities, and will foster a wealth of discussion about the meanings of homeland, exile, and diaspora; women's sexuality and spirituality; gender roles; the legacy of the Holocaust; the tensions and reconciliations of religion and secular life; the effects of war; and the power of memory.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 396 pages
• Publisher: State University of New York Press (May 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0791445585
• ISBN-13: 978-0791445587
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 5.9 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,061,977 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Rich and multifaceted, April 8, 2001

By A Customer

A South American Catholic, I ordered this book containing the works of Israeli Jewish women in order to look at this beautiful, contradictory and war-ridden country from a different angle. Well, I was not disappointed. "Dreaming the Actual" is like a colorful patchwork, filled with voices, images and realities that draw you into a rich and changing picture. Though the presence of the Holocaust is, understandably, strong, there are no hackneyed stories here. The tragedy is evoked mostly through the experience of survivors' children, and is thus removed from the European stage to the one their lives are unfolding in. Also, I was pleased by the deep awareness of the Palestinian plight I found in some of the works. There are some really gifted women here. Both the stories' and the poems' quality is very high. I know I will return to this book again and again.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A powerful and beautiful collection, July 14, 2000

By	Miriyam Glazer (Chicago) - See all my reviews

Although I was familiar with Israeli writers like Amos Oz and A.B. Yehoshua, I had never read the stories (or poetry) by women writers. And I wasn't really aware of what a multicultural, multilingual, culture Israel is. Reading this book has been an extraordinary experience. It has made the culture live for me, in all its vivid complexity. Miriyam Glazer has done a brilliant job in her introduction to the book and to all the individual stories -- making the stories accessible and the tenor of the culture nearly palpable. I love this book and recommend it highly to anyone who wants to understand what it means to grow up in Israel and face issues of poverty, war, immigration, coming-of-age, spirituality. Fabulous collection!

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Reading, July 14, 2000

By	Mike Adler (East Lansing, Michigan) - See all my reviews

Dreaming the Actual is a superb collection of short stories and poetry -- I appreciated the fact that most of the material is new, and the result is that the book captures the sensibility of the scene in Israel today. I also valued the editor's decision to include work originally written in Arabic, Russian, and English, as well, of course, as Hebrew -- The stories are riveting; because of the way Glazer has organized the book,you truly get a sense of what it was like to live in Israel even before the founding of the State, all the way up to the present. The introduction is masterfully and beautifully written, and the introductions to each story and each author wonderful guides. I recommend this book highly.