Strange things are happening in Tel Ilan, a century-old pioneer village. A disgruntled retired politician complains to his daughter that he hears the sound of digging at night. Could it be their tenant, that young Arab? But then the young Arab hears the digging sounds too. Where has the mayor’s wife gone, vanished without a trace, her note saying “Don’t worry about me”?
Around the village, the veneer of new wealth—gourmet restaurants, art galleries, a winery—barely conceals the scars of war and of past generations: disused air raid shelters, rusting farm tools, and trucks left wherever they stopped.
Scenes from Village Life is a memorable novel-in-stories by the inimitable Amos Oz: a brilliant, unsettling glimpse of what goes on beneath the surface of everyday life.
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“An impressive and very affecting achievement…These stories, in their humanity, may do more for Israel than any of the decisions we have been led to expect of its leaders in the months to come.”
— New Statesman
“Scenes From Village Life is a brief collection, but its brevity is a testament to its force. You will not soon forget it.”
— New York Times“Informed by everything, weighed down by nothing. This is an exquisite work of art.”
— Scotsman“One of the most powerful books you will read about present-day Israel.”
— Jewish Chronicle“Finely wrought…Oz writes characterizations that are subtle but surgically precise, rendering this work a powerfully understated treatment of an uneasy Israeli conscience.”
— Publishers Weekly (starred review)“In exquisitely controlled prose, renowned Israeli author Oz reminds us of the creepy unsureness that underlies all ‘village’ life, rural or urban—and not just in Israel.”
— Library Journal (starred review)“A thought-provoking collection…Filled with tension and allegory, Oz’s perceptive tales explore the nuance and alienation of transitioning states.”
— BooklistBe the first to write a review about this audiobook!
Amos Oz (1939–2018) was an Israeli journalist and author of acclaimed fiction, nonfiction, and short stories who was called one of “Israel’s most prolific writers and respected intellectuals” by the New York Times. He was awarded many honors, including the Franz Kafka Prize, the Peace Prize of the German Book Trade, France’s the Legion of Honor award, the Israel Prize, the Goethe Prize, the Prince of Asturias Award in Literature, and the Heinrich Heine Prize, among others.
Stefan Rudnicki first became involved with audiobooks in 1994. Now a Grammy-winning audiobook producer, he has worked on more than five thousand audiobooks as a narrator, writer, producer, or director. He has narrated more than nine hundred audiobooks. A recipient of multiple AudioFile Earphones Awards, he was presented the coveted Audie Award for solo narration in 2005, 2007, and 2014, and was named one of AudioFile’s Golden Voices in 2012.