Black Box

Rating:
Summary: One of Oz's best novels
Review: Amos Oz is an Israeli novelist of great international reputation. I personally find that he is a far better writer in his non- fictional work, most notably his " A Tale of Love and Darkness" one of the finest memoirs I know. This present novel the tale of a broken marriage develops in epistolary form. The characters are well- drawn and there is a solidity in the development of the story. I read the book in Hebrew and Oz has a strong poetic quality in his writing. Nonetheless the work it seems to me is not on the very highest level of what he can do. It is however a moving and strong work, a very good read.

Rating:
Summary: Brilliant and evocative
Review: Amos Oz is brilliant.

Black Box tells the story of a divorce through letters between man and wife (and lawyer, and son) several years after events transpire. It tells the story of Israel, of Gaza and the West Bank, of the bonds between family, of stunted emotionality, of unrequited passion.

I am in tears before I finish reading the first letter from Illana (a beautiful devoted woman) to her ex-husband Alex (an initially impermeable, brilliant scholar and war veteran). The past unfolds as Alex and Illana's correspondence transitions from cold requests (for money, peace) to an evaluation of the relationship and its fatal (but ultimately, emotionally unsettled and not final) termination. Oz is amazing in his transitions within characters (from mother, to wife, to sister, to woman) as well as between characters (from woman to man to derelict son to faithful yet money-starved lawyer). The language, style, tone of each letter, telegram, note is true to the writer's character; they also accurately portray character growth through the several months accounted for.

Read this book! :o)

Rating:
Summary: The Marvelous Land of Oz!
Review: I first became aware of Amos Oz as an Israeli intellectual of the left who is a proponent of reconcliation and peace. I knew he was a well known author, but had read none of his work until I finally picked up this fine book that delicately examines forces operating within Israel even as the author tells the compelling story of a man and woman who were unable to sustain their relationship as husband and wife.

The husband, Alex, is a stunted human being, unable to sustain intimacy yet fully capable of leading Israeli soldiers in battle. Illana, the former wife and mother of a child who becomes centerpiece of their renewed relationship, is a passionate woman who has found solace in the arms of an immigrant who is committed to his religious faith and equally absorbed in the opportunities to make a profit under the umbrella of occupation of the West Bank and Gaza.

The title "Black Box" comes from the device found in airplanes which become the source of information when there has been a crash. Illana initiates contact with Alex after years of separation out of concern for their son, but as their correspondence continues, it becomes clear that both parties are trying to understand the failure of their relationship. In fact, the entire story is told through indirect communication in letters, telegrams and scholarly footnotes.

I'll say no more about the story so the reader may discover for him or herself the feelings of the main characters and where those feelings lead them. But I encourage readers to note the play between the second husband and his enthusiasm for building upon his faith and the opportunities created by sudden wealth and the first husband who is re-examining the whole arc of his life. These two men represent the forces presently at conflict in Israel where the right continues its self-righteous mission of taking control of the land while the left ponders the wisdom of the actions of their country's leaders during the first six decades of Israel's existence.

Amos Oz writes beautifully! I look forward to reading more from the land of Oz.

Rating:
Summary: The Marvelous Land of Oz!
Review: I first became aware of Amos Oz as an Israeli intellectual of the left who is a proponent of reconcliation and peace. I knew he was a well known author, but had read none of his work until I finally picked up this fine book that delicately examines forces operating within Israel even as the author tells the compelling story of a man and woman who were unable to sustain their relationship as husband and wife.

The husband, Alex, is a stunted human being, unable to sustain intimacy yet fully capable of leading Israeli soldiers in battle. Illana, the former wife and mother of a child who becomes centerpiece of their renewed relationship, is a passionate woman who has found solace in the arms of an immigrant who is committed to his religious faith and equally absorbed in the opportunities to make a profit under the umbrella of occupation of the West Bank and Gaza.

The title "Black Box" comes from the device found in airplanes which become the source of information when there has been a crash. Illana initiates contact with Alex after years of separation out of concern for their son, but as their correspondence continues, it becomes clear that both parties are trying to understand the failure of their relationship. In fact, the entire story is told through indirect communication in letters, telegrams and scholarly footnotes.

I'll say no more about the story so the reader may discover for him or herself the feelings of the main characters and where those feelings lead them. But I encourage readers to note the play between the second husband and his enthusiasm for building upon his faith and the opportunities created by sudden wealth and the first husband who is re-examining the whole arc of his life. These two men represent the forces presently at conflict in Israel where the right continues its self-righteous mission of taking control of the land while the left ponders the wisdom of the actions of their country's leaders during the first six decades of Israel's existence.

Amos Oz writes beautifully! I look forward to reading more from the land of Oz.

Rating:
Summary: Letters,Love and Longing
Review: Mr. Oz manages to tell a story of great passion without a hint of sentimentality. He sets this amazing story within the political context of 1970-s Israel and perfectly places each character within this scene. The characters in this novel are memorable for their failings as much as their strengths. Brilliantly writing in each of their voices, Oz reveals their ties, lies and love for each other. I encourage everyone to read this beautifully written book of letters from a truly gifted author.

Rating:
Summary: Letters,Love and Longing
Review: Mr. Oz manages to tell a story of great passion without a hint of sentimentality. He sets this amazing story within the political context of 1970-s Israel and perfectly places each character within this scene. The characters in this novel are memorable for their failings as much as their strengths. Brilliantly writing in each of their voices, Oz reveals their ties, lies and love for each other. I encourage everyone to read this beautifully written book of letters from a truly gifted author.

Rating:
Summary: A masterful meditation on Israeli society
Review: Readers who have grown to know and enjoy Oz through his later works should most definitely turn to this imaginative treatment of the epistolary novel. Oz offers a brilliant treatment of the Israeli psyche as well as memorable characters who are fully realized individuals but also highly representative of the ethnic and political polarities of Israeli society.