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Reviews Of Ten Thousand Lovers
Ravel is unflinching in her exploration of the moral
and emotional conflicts of her characters and of the country in which
they live, but the light she shines is as compassionate as it is
clear-eyed, illuminating each character's full humanity and revealing
the beating heart of the state of Israel as well as its wounded spirit…
her seemingly simple and direct sentences often resonate with myriad
meanings, possibilities and ironies… The etymological forays provide
fascinating, insightful glimpses into the development of the Israeli
psyche… This is a brave and beautiful book. It is a heartbreaking book.
It could have been called Ten Thousand Dreams, or Ten Thousand Hopes,
but Ten Thousand Lovers is best, for this book is at heart a love
story. Read it for that, for the pure pleasure of it. But read it also
to understand why love -- even transcendent love -- is sometimes not
enough. ~ Nancy Richler, Globe & Mail, Toronto
Edeet Ravel’s debut novel, Ten Thousand Lovers, is a
stunning book, a must-read for anyone who likes a love story and who
cares about justice, humanity, and the state of the world. ~ Quill And Quire, Montreal
Ten Thousand Lovers weaves a beguiling spell that is
equal parts darkness and light...[Ravel's] prose rings with such
verisimilitude that even Israel's strongest defenders will be disturbed
by its details... The amazing thing is, even if you are some distance
away along the spectrum, it doesn't seem to matter. Like a
self-enclosed world, her book is a thing of integrity, true to itself
and so deeply felt that it somehow manages to bridge the gap. ~ Forward, New York
In her lyrically tough-minded first novel, Edeet Ravel
reminds us again of the limitations of nonfiction. No matter how many
books and articles about, say, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict you may
read, you cannot know it from the inside out… Unless, of course, you
have the good fortune to stumble upon a fiction with the deceptive
depth and complexity of Ten Thousand Lovers. ~
Sun-Sentinel, Fort Lauderdale
The strength of [Ami and Lily's] affair is deeply
moving... Lily's narrative alternates bewteen memoir and linguistic
meditations on ancient and modern Hebrew. It is in these passages,
conveyed in a quiet and almost lyrical voice, that the full tragic
dimension of Israel's character emerges." ~ New
York Times
Determined to avoid stereotype, Edeet Ravel succeeds in
sketching the intriguing portrait of a skillful interrogator… The
beauty of the conversations is that while [Ami and Lily] are in bed, in
the living room, on hikes, at parties or sharing a joint, hovering over
them is the hideous specter of torture… Ravel’s strength lies not only
in fantasizing about the beauties of Israel, but in allowing the
menacing and the terrible to become part of her portrait of Israeli
life. This is a wonderful book, compelling not only for its literary
merit but because it expands our grasp of what 'Israeli' means." ~ Haaretz, Israel
[Ten Thousand Lovers] is immensely readable… Ravel
succeeds in moving the main plot forward effortlessly, and keeps us
hurtling toward the characters' doomed ending. Herein lies Ravel's
strength as an author, and this in itself will ensure her a fair share
of readers. ~ The Jerusalem Post
This is a powerful, provocative and poignant debut
novel. A love story haunted by the endless tragedy of day-to-day living
in the world’s most intractable trouble spot. ~
Canberra Times, Australia
A shrewd and compassionate storyteller. ~ Sunday Herald, U.K.
Ravel weaves a rich tapestry of love… her knowledge of
history and language infuses the book with veracity and vividness. ~ The Chronicle Herald, Halifax
A small gem of a novel ~ Hamilton
Jewish News, Ontario
I was hooked…well-written and gripping. ~ Jewish Voice and Herald, Rhode Island
An entrancing tale of love, language and politics. ~ Times Colonist, British Columbia
Compelling, emotionally searing…Lovers is a terribly
sad story, a story about loss of innocence, of idealism gone awry, of
battered psyches, of hope turned to despair. It is not so much an
indictment of Israel as it is a search for the question (from Twelfth
Night), ‘What country, friends, is this?’ ~
Ottawa Jewish Bulletin
What's best about Ravel's book is her analysis of
Israeli politics through the prism of the Hebrew language, with all its
evasions and ambiguities. ~ Baltimore Sun
Ten Thousand Lovers captures the beauty of the vagaries
of contemporary life in Israel. It portrays, in poignant fashion, the
impact of the never-ending cycle of violence on the psyche of the
average Israeli citizen... the novel is a mirror into the soul of
modern day Israel. ~ Jewish Book World
Passionate and troubling...Highly recommended for
libraries and discussion groups. ~ Library Journal
The textured personal story rises above its political
context like a melody soaring beyond the steady rhythm pulsing below
it. ~ Book List
I read far into the night, the graphic descriptions
surrounding life in Israel where love is ravishing, beautiful, but
politically not easy to cling onto. This book is most atmospheric,
resounding and a compulsive piece of writing. A book I will cherish
forever. ~ Bangor Chronicle, North Wales
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