Scan barcode
sjgrodsky's review against another edition
3.0
They say that Israelis handle ambiguity and uncertainty better than Americans. Maybe that's why I found this critical favorite so hard to digest. The narrative wanders uncertainly between realism and satire. It's frustrating for an American who is hoping to get some insight into modern Israel. What do I take at face value, what is caricature? Without the grounding of a native, I'm confused and frustrated.
The more I learned about the characters, the more trivial they appeared. "Never do a trapeze act with this gonif," I said to myself several times. "He'll be on his cell just when you're expecting him to catch you. And he'll have some lame excuse for why he let you fall."
Is this disdain what the author intended to elicit? Maybe. In the last scene we view the characters from a distance. The shouting, the sweating, the chaos, the desperation all seem so very, very, transient. So unimportant. Man plans and God laughs, my aunt used to say.
The more I learned about the characters, the more trivial they appeared. "Never do a trapeze act with this gonif," I said to myself several times. "He'll be on his cell just when you're expecting him to catch you. And he'll have some lame excuse for why he let you fall."
Is this disdain what the author intended to elicit? Maybe. In the last scene we view the characters from a distance. The shouting, the sweating, the chaos, the desperation all seem so very, very, transient. So unimportant. Man plans and God laughs, my aunt used to say.
liketheday's review against another edition
3.0
I like that Gavron gives all of his characters at least a little backstory; Gabi and Roni get most of the spotlight but several of the other settlement residents get a chapter about their lives that helps explain how this crazy place has survived.
read more...
read more...
mauryneiberg18's review against another edition
5.0
I really enjoyed this, particularly the depiction of the kibbutz (and the similarities between the settlement and the kibbutz)
chicagobob's review against another edition
4.0
Probably 4.5 stars. A lovely satirical look at Israeli West Bank religious settlers.
hanntastic's review against another edition
3.0
Global Read Challenge 94: Israel
I had trouble choosing a book for Israel because it felt like a political decision, but this book kept showing up on best of lists. I decided to try and read it as a work of literature separate from my political views, the way I would with a book from any other country. The book was very engaging at first. It was well written and satirical. However, it really started to drag in the second half especially the last third. There's only so many times you can rehash the same plot point. I did like that reading this I felt like I was reading a story that I hadn't read before.
I had trouble choosing a book for Israel because it felt like a political decision, but this book kept showing up on best of lists. I decided to try and read it as a work of literature separate from my political views, the way I would with a book from any other country. The book was very engaging at first. It was well written and satirical. However, it really started to drag in the second half especially the last third. There's only so many times you can rehash the same plot point. I did like that reading this I felt like I was reading a story that I hadn't read before.
yoav's review against another edition
5.0
הגבעה מתחיל בתיאור כמעט קישוני על איך מוקם מאחז שלא קיים. משם אנו למדים להכיר את אנשי המאחז ואת שתי הדמויות המרכזיות, גבי ורוני, שני אחים שגדלו בקיבוץ ומצאו את עצמם בהאחזות והסיפור נע בין ההווה והעבר, בין הקיבוץ לעיר, בין ישראל לארה"ב, בין הצלחה לכשלון ושופך אור על שיטת הקומבינה הישראלית ועל איך אמת וצדק הם עניין של נקודת מבט.
התיאור של ההאחזות מעלה חרמש ג' וגורלה מזכיר (כמעט) את סיפור עמונה: כיצד מוקם מאחז בקריצה, איך השלטונות בנשימה אחת מסייעים ומתנגדים לקיומו וכו' וכו'.
הגדולה של גברון, היא בכך שעל אף שהוא נוגע בישראליות בדורות שונים, במקומות שונים, במינים שונים הכל מתואר בריאליזים ובאמינות ובהזדהות גדולה, גם עם דמויות שרחוקות מעולמנו.
על סוף הספר לא אפרט אבל כמה מסצנות הסיום ממחישות עד כמה אנחנו חיים באבסורד מוחלט.
מאוד אהבתי את הספר (וכן אני נוטה לדרוג גבוה אבל אני גם משתדל לברור היטב מראש ספרים שיקלעו לטעמי) זה הספר הראשון של גברון שקראתי (התכוונתי לקרוא דווקא את הידרומניה אבל לא הסתייע ואקרא אותו בהמשך) ונראה לי שמצאתי סופר אהוב חדש.
התיאור של ההאחזות מעלה חרמש ג' וגורלה מזכיר (כמעט) את סיפור עמונה: כיצד מוקם מאחז בקריצה, איך השלטונות בנשימה אחת מסייעים ומתנגדים לקיומו וכו' וכו'.
הגדולה של גברון, היא בכך שעל אף שהוא נוגע בישראליות בדורות שונים, במקומות שונים, במינים שונים הכל מתואר בריאליזים ובאמינות ובהזדהות גדולה, גם עם דמויות שרחוקות מעולמנו.
על סוף הספר לא אפרט אבל כמה מסצנות הסיום ממחישות עד כמה אנחנו חיים באבסורד מוחלט.
מאוד אהבתי את הספר (וכן אני נוטה לדרוג גבוה אבל אני גם משתדל לברור היטב מראש ספרים שיקלעו לטעמי) זה הספר הראשון של גברון שקראתי (התכוונתי לקרוא דווקא את הידרומניה אבל לא הסתייע ואקרא אותו בהמשך) ונראה לי שמצאתי סופר אהוב חדש.
kattbiff's review
challenging
informative
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
mimi13's review against another edition
3.0
3.5*
I guess my expectations were too high. But great read anyway.
I guess my expectations were too high. But great read anyway.
shellys's review against another edition
2.0
The Hilltop was disappointing.
It has been called "the great Israeli novel", so I expected it would include the messy layers of day to day life in Israel. It had the inane workings of bureaucracy I expected, it had the overlapping and conflicting rules, the mixture of secularism and piety, the juxtaposition of neighbors who can quickly become friends or enemies. But - the characters still seem shallow. We see all their failings, clearly, but we don't see if their lives can be more than their failings.
The interactions with the people of the ancient village of Kharmish (and even the characters themselves) were not deeply explored.
I had expected to love the book and reccomend it to friends. It took some time after reading it to conclude that I really did not.
wonder too about the target audience. Israeli's? I don't think so. Maybe for non-Israelis who think West Bank issues are easily solved? Even for non Israelis, a book like Blood Brothers by Elias Chacour would be better.
It has been called "the great Israeli novel", so I expected it would include the messy layers of day to day life in Israel. It had the inane workings of bureaucracy I expected, it had the overlapping and conflicting rules, the mixture of secularism and piety, the juxtaposition of neighbors who can quickly become friends or enemies. But - the characters still seem shallow. We see all their failings, clearly, but we don't see if their lives can be more than their failings.
The interactions with the people of the ancient village of Kharmish (and even the characters themselves) were not deeply explored.
I had expected to love the book and reccomend it to friends. It took some time after reading it to conclude that I really did not.
wonder too about the target audience. Israeli's? I don't think so. Maybe for non-Israelis who think West Bank issues are easily solved? Even for non Israelis, a book like Blood Brothers by Elias Chacour would be better.
More...