4 out of 4 stars
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Andalusian in Jerusalem by Mois Benarroch
Andalusian in Jerusalem was originally written in Spanish and translated to the English language for this edition. It is fair to warn, that this is not an easy read. While exactly, not a difficult read, it is quite challenging and can tax a reader’s patience – I know it taxed mine. For example, the book is not arranged into chapters, which was quite disconcerting at first as nothing warns you of a day that has passed or a conversation starting or ending. I eventually got used to it and kind of enjoyed it.
The story happens around 2010 in Jerusalem during a writer’s conference. It is about Guillermo a Spanish novelist, who most people mistake for a Jew or think he is Jewish. He actually confessed to being a Jew at about age eight and even gave himself a secret Jewish name, David. Guillermo’s friend’s Charly (a Jewish novelist, who has written about twenty novels, with none earning best-seller status) also features prominently in this story and to a lesser extent, Nora (a Uruguayan journalist in Jerusalem) who Guillermo has a crush on, or in his words, might love. However, I believe that this story is more than that.
There is the feeling that Mois Benaroch created this novel either out of some great inspiration or an event or maybe not. Whatever the case, this story is also about being Jewish, what it means, and how the world regards the Jews. The novel has innuendos, anecdotes, half-wit and philosophical musings. Coincidences, no matter how improbable, are agreed as mere coincidences, as Charly tells Guillermo of the psychological condition known as Jerusalem Syndrome.
This novel is not your run-of-the-mill variant; it is very unique in its perspective, characterization, plotting and, delivery. Random facts like water memory (I had to stop and google it to check if it was fact or fiction) appear intermittently as well as discourses on an eclectic mix of writers (popular and unpopular, living and dead) and their works. Charly’s works are also discussed.
There are stories within the story. In fact, there is literally another whole story in this story; a manuscript written by Guillermo’s friend Charly features not in bits and snippets, but is practically lifted and inserted almost whole. The inserted manuscript also contains poems, some Jewish and Spanish history, and discourses on religion. This novel should resonate with Historical fiction and even non-fiction buffs, especially of Jewish/Spanish persuasion. Students of literature would do well to study the style of this novel. I will recommend this novel to them and also to arts and poetry lovers.
I rate this novel 4 out of 4 stars, which it deserves . The book is well-edited and asides from the errors which were deliberately left in as explained at the beginning of the novel, there were almost no other errors to speak of. This novel is a must reread.
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Andalusian in Jerusalem
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