Book review: “My Michael” by Amos Oz
May 16th, 2008 at 5:22 pm(read in Hebrew)
This book was written 40 years ago and is set in Jerusalem of the 1950s. I liked the description of Jerusalem and of life in Israel at that time, and I liked the writing style in general (there’s something delightfully old-style in it). What I didn’t like was the main characters. Most of all I hated Hannah. She’s a terrible human being. Terrible to herself, but mostly for others – who have to bear the relationship with her.
I think the idea for such a character isn’t a new one, as Hannah reminded me a lot of the main character in Flaubert’s “Madame Bovary” (I hated that one as well, as you can guess). Why didn’t I like her ? Many reasons: negativity, irrationality, inconsideration. In reviews I read that many people identified with the character. I feel sorry for these people, I truly do.
And I didn’t like Michael either. He’s a bit better though, since it seems that he leads the life he wanted to lead and is relatively happy about it. Not that it’s an excuse to be in a relationship like that.
Ooh… that was a negative review, wasn’t it. I don’t want to create a wrong impression – although I disliked the book, I wouldn’t say it’s terrible or something like that. It’s very readable, and I actually enjoyed parts of it. It’s the main character who got to me. There’s simply a fundamental conflict between her and my view of life, and I couldn’t get over it while reading the book. And the most annoying part is that the book and its reviews in some sense seem to be glorifying Hannah, rather than criticizing her – and I just don’t understand why.
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June 6th, 2008 at 02:51
Yikes, I just sent off a plea for help to you, but forgot to type 4 below. Don’t know if it went through. I’m a student working on a paper on this novel and am utterly lost on the end of the book. There’s the crazy fantasy scene at the very end. Hannah says she’s got more than just words left…she’s got the power to let loose the twins and they go on to set a bomb of some sort. Any insight you’ve got would be lovely. I hated Hannah too. Thanks so much–amanda. woodismyname@aol.com
June 6th, 2008 at 06:55
Hello Amanda,
1) It didn’t go through. Typing 4 confuses some users, but it also removed all the comment spam from this blog.
2) I’m not sure I can help you here. As I mentioned in the review I really disliked the fantasy stories, and either skipped them or just didn’t pay much attention.
January 29th, 2009 at 22:20
A rather shallow review of this text I think? To review it properly you need to do more than simply state how much you hate the characters. Hannah’s life is mirrored in the issues facing Israelis with regards to identity and the stability of their nation,as well as a lot more metaphors. Try reading between the lines. Good luck.
January 29th, 2009 at 22:22
P.S.-
Quoting you from one of your own responses…..
“As I mentioned in the review I really disliked the fantasy stories, and either skipped them or just didn’t pay much attention”
They are an integral part of the message of this text. If you ’skipped’ areas of text you can hardly review the novel justly.
January 29th, 2009 at 22:35
@John,
Naturally, these reviews express solely my own, entirely subjective, opinion. They’re meant mostly for myself for future reference, and thus I allow myself to just post exactly what I think/feel.
I accept your criticism – it is entirely possible that I’ve completely missed the point of the book. However, different people perceive the same things in different ways, and this is an expression of my perception of the book.
You see, this is a long disclaimer I can in theory attach to any review, but I don’t do it, as IMHO it’s implied.
November 19th, 2009 at 22:10
A failing marriage to a wife who is losing her mind.
An ancient city in a young country.
If you only read one book by Amos Oz make it this one.