The Liberated Bride by A.B. Yehoshua

"Yochanan Rivlin is the "Rabbit" Angstrom of Near Eastern Studies at Haifa University. A passionate but flawed man, unable to let go of things. Especially why his sons marriage dissolved after only a year, with no explanation. He goes off in search of answers and stumbles into one misadventure after another. Yehoshu caught me with Ofer and Galya's story but the subplot of Samaer's term paper and Rivlin's job as a professor was boring enough to almost DNF this one a couple of times."

⭐⭐⭐

Pros: Honestly, I was as curious to find out why Ofer's wedding ended as Rivlin was. Yehoshua managed to hook me with the letter from Ofer to Galya, just as I was thinking of DNFing it cause it might be boring, he threw that at me and it worked/Hagit was a good but never heeded voice of reason.

Cons: Rivlin is a very selfish man, very similar to "Rabbit" Harry Angstrom from the series by John Updike/He's a bit of a blithering idiot who gets what he deserves. He was quite exasperating 🙄.

Full Review

Yochanan Rivlin is a Jewish Professor of Near Eastern Studies at Haifa University in Jerusalem. He's reluctantly agreed to go to the wedding of a student of his, Samaer. His wife, Hagit, is charismatic and personable, unlike him, who basically sulks in a corner all night. And it's because Weddings are a reminder of that one Wedding that failed and he has no idea why.

His Son, Ofer, married a beautiful and vibrant girl, Galya and after a year, they divorced. No reason, no explanation, no nothing. They just went their separate ways, and, of course, Rivlin just can't leave well enough alone. When he learns of the untimely death of Galya's father, he finds a reason to call on the family, to give his condolences to his ex daughter-in-law and perhaps find answers.

His wife tells him not to do it, that he's opening up old wounds and should just let sleeping dogs lie but he, of course, can't. When he calls on the family, he manages to speak with his ex daughter-in-law, Galya. a main player in the puzzle that Rivlin's desperate to solve.

When questioned about he and Ofer's failed marriage, Galys is closed off and defensive. Rivlin is left with no answers but with his curiosity piqued and as Hagit warned, old wounds torn open, he goes off in search of answers.

Yehoshua hooks you with Ofer's condolence letter to Galya, that Rivlin demands his son write.

Unfortunately, the subplot of Samaer's term paper, Rivlin's friendship with her cousin, Rashid, his work as a professor, lectures on the identity of the Arab population in Algeria, that was boring enough to almost DNF this one a few times. It managed to balance itself out, but just barely. I just didn't find the academic subject all that interesting 🤷🏻‍♀️.

Comments

Fantastic Voyage by Isaac Asimov

"When a scientist, Benes, who has integral and world changing information attempts to defect and join our Side, he's injured. A blood clot forms in his brain and the only way to save his life is to miniaturize the crew of the Proteus and inject them into Benes' body, so they can break up the blood clot from the inside. Of course, one thing after another goes wrong and every chapter is a new catastrophe but it was definitely a fantastic voyage. 2 Stars Pros: Grant is one dry character but he's a welcome bit of amusement in an otherwise serious and scientific novel. Cons: Grant is also SUCH a man that he spends most of the mission staring at saving the one woman board, Cora./Definitely ripe with anatomical lessons and what part of the body they were in. Since I've never been great at anatomy, a lot of it was lost on me and became burdensome near the end. Full Review: As in all things, there is a good side and a bad side. This book is very vague as...

Animal Farm by George Orwell

"A blithe and scathing commentary on equality, power, corruption and how everyone is created equal, but...some are more equal than others. Orwell hit the nail right on the head with this novel and it's no wonder it's a staple for most high school curriculums. " 3 Stars. Pros: Benjamin the Donkey is the smartest animal on the farm and it would have done all the others a world of good if they had listened to him in the first place. Cons: The fact that societies like this actually do exist is nauseating and terrible. It's not a con, per se, it's just a gut wrenching fact. Full Review: When the overworked and mistreated Animals on Manor Farm decide to rise up and overthrow their cruel master, they're successful. They rebel and now find themselves with an entire Farm to run. They rename it Animal Farm and are intent on creating a paradise, where work and play are equal, where productivity is key but relaxation is a must and all the lives of all the animal...

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie.

"Arnold Spirit, Jr, or "Junior" as he's known on the Rez, does something no Spokane Indian has ever done. He enrolls in Reardon High School and begins the long and often painful process off navigating not only high school and adolescence but also being an outsider. Alexie handles it all with grace, humor and honesty. This was a great read. I would recommend it to anyone." 5 Stars Pros: Alexie handles the ups and downs of not only adolescence, but tragedy and loss in a stark, honest but gut wrenchingly relatable way. Cons: Some of Junior's all-consuming guilt, though understandable was a little repetitive but it's all part of being a teenager. Full Review: It all starts when Arnold Spirit Jr, or Junior, throws a textbook across the classroom. When he opened the book he saw his mother's name, her maiden name and it enrages him. He's furious that the reservation is so poor that they're learning from thirty-year old textbooks. He doesn't...

All the Books.

Search This Blog