Scenes from Village Life: Amos Oz

Scenes from Village Life: Amos Oz

by Amos Oz (Author), Amos Oz (Author), Nicholas De Lange (Translator)

Synopsis

A teenage son shoots himself under his parents' bed. They sleep that night unaware he is lying dead beneath them. A stranger turns up at a man's door to persude him that they must get rid of his ageing mother in order to sell the house. An old man grumbles to his daughter about the unexplained digging and banging he hears under the house at night. As each story unfolds, Amos Oz, builds a portrait of a village in Israel. It is a surreal and unsettling place. Each villager is searching for something, and behind each episode is another, hidden story. In this powerful, hynotic work Amos Oz peers into the darkness of our lives and gives us a glimpse of what goes on beneath the surface of everyday existence. By the winner of the 2013 Franz Kafka Prize, previous winners of which include Philip Roth, Ivan Klima, Elfriede Jelinek, Harold Pinter and John Banville.

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More Information

Format: Paperback
Pages: 272
Edition: 1
Publisher: Vintage
Published: 01 Nov 2012

ISBN 10: 009954136X
ISBN 13: 9780099541363
Book Overview: A novel in stories from 'one of the greatest writers at work in the world' (Scotsman)

Media Reviews
This is a dark book, with a dark vision of contemporary Israel... The whole, rich, disturbing mixture makes one feel as if something dark is digging away at the foundations, something unnameable ready to emerge. It is one of the most powerful books you will read about present-day Israel. -- David Herman * Jewish Chronicle *
These stories have both force and mystery, and they cast a quiet spell * Scotland on Sunday *
A powerfully bleak portrait of loneliness, confusion and cracked bonds * The Times *
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 *
I enjoyed Amos Oz's Scenes From Village Life a great deal... it explores what is universal, what is entirely idiosyncratic, about daily life in Israel away from the obvious conflicts -- Kate Kellaway * Observer *
Author Bio
Born in Jerusalem in 1939, Amos Oz is the internationally acclaimed author of many novels and essay collections, translated into over forty languages, including his brilliant semi-autobiographical work, A Tale of Love and Darkness. His most recent novel, Judas, was shortlisted for The Man Booker International Prize 2017. He has received several international awards, including the Prix Femina, the Israel Prize, the Goethe Prize, the Frankfurt Peace Prize and the 2013 Franz Kafka Prize. He lives in Israel and is considered a towering figure in world literature.