This extraordinary book is the result of Saul Bellow’s sojourn in Israel in 1975. A personal record of his stay—his experiences and impressions—as well as a meditation, it crackles with wit and controversy on America’s relationship with this embattled country.
Using quick sketches and vignettes, Bellow captures the personal opinions, passions, and dreams of several Israelis, and he also adds to these his own reflections on being Jewish in the twentieth century. The varying viewpoints of those he encounters and interviews offer a revealing look at the history and challenges of Israel, and Bellow’s passionate storytelling draws listeners in to share in his experience.
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"I had no idea Saul Bellow was a warm Jew who cherished Israel until reading this book. He tells about his visit, meetings and impressions. Very interesting." — Avital (4 out of 5 stars)
"I had no idea Saul Bellow was a warm Jew who cherished Israel until reading this book. He tells about his visit, meetings and impressions. Very interesting."
“An impassioned and thoughtful book...Bellow delights in the liveliness, the gallantry of Israeli life—people on the edge of history, an inch from disaster, yet brimming with argument and words.”
“Essentially a plea for a greater understanding of the state of Israel by one of its most articulate admirers.”
“Steeped in the skepticisms of Chicago but still responsive to the war-cries of ideology, Bellow proves a keen listener. Like every other visitor to Israel, he soon tumbles into ‘a gale of conversion.’ He loves it—it makes him feel at home.”
“Bellow goes to Israel in 1975—not to see the sights, but to talk, listen, and learn—and returns drenched in issues…Bellow is overwhelmed—and occasionally rendered naïve or tedious—by the seriousness of what you discover ‘when you leave your desk and enter life.’”
" Very little has changed in Mid-East relationships during the 35 years since this book's been written, which is what made it interesting. "
" fine writer, great insight into bellow's personal life, into 1975 seen by a serious american and into a privileged, liberal, engaging israeli milieu. limited reference to or apparent interest in arabs or to history before 1948. "
" a good book to read while in jerusalem...and bellow is also from chicago, so i did... "
" ... less about the Jerusalem that Bellow visited, and more about Bellow himself. Bellow appears more fascinated with his own perceptions than what he is witnessing. "
" I read this on the beach in the Philippines. Very informative book. "
Saul Bellow (1915–2005), author of numerous novels, novellas, and stories, was the only novelist to receive three National Book Awards. He also received the Pulitzer Prize, the Nobel Prize in Literature, the National Book Foundation Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters, and the American Academy of Arts and Letters Gold Medal for Fiction. During the 1967 Arab-Israeli conflict, Bellow served as a war correspondent for Newsday. He taught at New York University, Princeton, and the University of Minnesota and was chairman of the Committee on Social Thought at the University of Chicago.
Malcolm Hillgartner is an accomplished actor, writer, and musician. Named an AudioFile Best Voice of 2013 and the recipient of several Earphones Awards, he has narrated over 250 audiobooks.
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