Как несколько дней

by Meir Shalev, Меир Шалев

Роман "Как несколько дней…" - драматическая история из жизни первых еврейских поселенцев в Палестине о любви трех мужчин к одной женщине, рассказанная сыном троих отцов, которого мать наделила необыкновенным именем, охраняющим его от Ангела Смерти.
Журналисты в Италии и Франции, где Шалев собрал целую коллекцию литературных премий, назвали его "Вуди Алленом из Иудейской пустыни", а New York Times Book Review сравнил его с Маркесом за умение "создать целый мир, наполненный удивительными событиями и прекрасными фантазиями"…

Genres: Israel, Fiction, Jewish, Historical Fiction, Middle East, Novels, Contemporary

464 pages, Hardcover

Published January 1, 2007

About the author

Meir Shalev (Hebrew: מאיר שלו) was one of Israel’s most celebrated novelists. He received many awards for his work, including the National Jewish Book Award and Israel’s Brenner Prize, both for A Pigeon and a Boy.

A columnist for the Israeli daily Yedioth Ahronoth, Shalev lived in Jerusalem and in northern Israel with his wife and children.

Reviews

[Gary · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderfully written story , a masterpiece of contemporary Israeli literature , rich in imagery and deeply human.

It is the story of the boy Zayde and his enigmatic mother , Judith , as well as Judith's three lovers, all of which take the role of Zayde's fathers. We are kept guessing who Zayde's real father is.

There story takes us from the 1930's to the 1980's in Israel

Highly reccomended for a rich and whimsical read.

[Christine Bonheure · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wat een verteller, die Shalev. We zijn hier allemaal boekenliefhebbers, niet? Herinner je je nog die eerste boeken die je las als kind, puber, jongvolwassene? Die exemplaren die je de liefde voor het lezen bijbrachten, die je versteld deden staan van de schoonheid van letters, woorden, zinnen, verhalen. Die je fantasie op hol brachten. Die je al dan niet bewust deden besluiten: ja, ik hou van lezen, lezen wordt een levenslange passie en boeken mijn allerhoogste bezit… Awel, zo’n gevoel van ontdekking heb ik nu, als 51-jarige dame met al duizenden boeken op het gelezen schap, bij de boeken van Meir Shalev. Vorig jaar was zijn ‘Een geweer, een koe, een boom en een vrouw’ mijn boek van het jaar. En ook dit boek zou gemakkelijk het boek van 2016 kunnen worden, ware het niet dat ‘Begrijpend lezen’ van Zambra, vooral omwille van zijn originaliteit, met de eer is gaan lopen. Maar toch: Meir Shalev is een enorm talentvol schrijver die zijn lezers als vanzelf weet mee te trekken in zijn verhalen. Lees er een, en je bent verkocht. ‘De vier maaltijden’ is een supermooi romantisch verhaal in een exotisch, maar oh zo herkenbaar menselijk kader van smachten en houden van. En van dat noodlot dat zorgt voor die explosie van meeleven. Shalev is sterk op weg mijn favoriete schrijver te worden.

[Roberto · Rating 5 out of 5]

“C’è chi sostiene che lo scopo di ogni storia sia quello di mettere ordine nella realtà e c’è chi dice invece che ogni storia nasce solo e soltanto per rispondere a delle domande”.

Tutto il romanzo ruota intorno a Yehudit, una donna abbandonata dal marito in seguito al suo tradimento e privata di sua figlia. In seguito a ciò Yehudit tenta di ricostruirsi una vita; tre uomini rimarranno affascinati dalla sua semplicità e dal suo carattere e si innamoreranno di lei, contemporaneamente, senza riuscire mai ad essere ricambiati da lei.

Lo stile narrativo di Meir Shalev è affascinante, ricorda un po’ il racconto di una fiaba. La sua capacità di raccontare è miracolosa. Ci sono continui spunti e riflessioni sulle cose quotidiane, sull’amore, sulle persone, sugli animali, sulle passioni. Ci sono profumi, sensazioni, sapori, odori.

Alla fine il libro è una bellissima storia d’amore. L'amore per una donna, per i figli, per le piccole cose di tutti i giorni, per il cibo e gli animali; per la vita in generale. Una bellissima esperienza di lettura.

"Se amare non costa, allora perché la gente è così avara in amore?"

[Johan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Zeer dikke 4* voor het schitterende taalgebruik, kleine 4 (aka dikke 3) voor het verhaal, de inhoud.

[Bob Newman · Rating 4 out of 5]

lessons in love, lessons in life

"You can hide everything in a box...in a box and in a cage and in a closet and in a room. Even love you can close up like that, real good. But memory has all the keys, and regrets...they even pass through walls. They're like the magician Houdini, they know how to get out and like ghosts they know how to get in, when and where they want."

Aphorisms and sayings, a book full of lessons sprinkled full of natural beauty in the land of Israel and the passing of the seasons. Paper boats in Russian rivers bearing messages of love; a lonely woman's love of a lost daughter and a male milk cow who may or may not have borne the same name; three men's different loves for Judith, the center (curiously undefined) of the novel. A son named "Grandfather" belonging to one or all of the men, four meals over many years---at each one we eat the times as well as the food. Crows fly through the pages, a giant eucalyptus grows over our heads, and death, weddings, humor, trucks, portents, the cattle business, and unusual characters march by. In the English translation certain characters speak with Yiddish-derived grammar and many Yiddish words. Perhaps it adds to the color.

As I read THE LOVES OF JUDITH I began to feel that the author must have written children's books because of his whimsical didacticism and his love of the tiny beauties of nature. Turns out he did. His desire for miracles outstrips his feeling for tragedy. Judith, like her ancient namesake, remains apart. We don't really know her thoughts or feelings; we know Sheinfeld most intimately as he serves the four meals to the three-fathered son Zayde. We know Globerman, the tricky but cool cattle dealer but only the beginnings of Moshe Rabinovitch, a farmer, the third and possibly most successful in the quest for Judith's hand. His own children, Oded and Naomi, play supporting roles to the central story. But who is Judith ? Why did she love or reject each of the three ? Not clear. The story lasts too long, the ending is not as riveting as the beginning. The ancient, pious Judith fooled the Greeks and brought the cut-off head of the enemy general to her beseiged town. On seeing that, the enemy broke and fled. This modern, self-contained Judith buries the cut-off braid of one of the men under a large rock. When it is found, her situation is also resolved. Mythology upon mythology. The first two hundred pages of this novel read like a bright reflection in a still, blue pond, but when Salvatore (`the savior'..an extraordinarily talented Italian POW) comes to Sheinfeld, I felt things had gotten out of hand, one deus ex machina too many. Original writing with many wry and poignant insights, beautiful and poetical metaphors, but it could have been sharpened with some editing.

[Zdenka · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have discovered this book when browsing and I was intrigued by the comparison to Marquez and Murakami (both authors I appreciate greatly) in the reviews. The title of the book, and the synopsis - this is a story of a boy who has three fathers - instantly caught my interest.

This is a first time ever I have read a book by an Israeli author and I have liked it a lot - so much that I am going to look up and read his other books too. I don't want to give no spoilers, but this is a very human story - somewhat sheltered (although not completely) from the turpitudes of history and political events affecting the country and the world, the story describes village life that is on one hand ordinary - and on the other hand magical. I have immensely enjoyed the variety and complexity of characters in the story - each with their quirks and wounds and peculiarities which makes them great and funny and moving all at the same time. I have laughed and cried and I did not get the chance to be bored for one second.

The author manages to keep the suspense alive through the whole book - mainly by asking the question who is the real father of the child - but somehow after reading for a while, you ae so attached t all the characters, you almost don't want to know... you want to keep them all together...I also very much liked the end - not at all what I had expected, which is very refreshing. I have finished reading the book with a smile and a feeling that all is well - although this has not exactly been a classic happy ending... I still don't understand how the author has managed this, but it was very smoothly done!

My personal favourite bits about the book - in addition to this are : the little Yiddish expressions and songs (they seem strangely familiar to my czech ears), reminiscences about Ukraine and the important role of nature, water, birds, cows, farming and trees which bring equally good and bad things.

Finally, I have to agree - Meir Shalev is an author to watch out for.

[Ivka · Rating 5 out of 5]

Štyri hostiny je vskutku prekrásny román. Je snúbením čarovného jazyka s množstvom nádherných metafor, ktorý vytvoril nezabudnuteľnú atmosféru príbehu a nezvyčajným, no o to pôsobivejším príbehom - príbehom chlapca, ktorý mal jednu matku a troch otcov. Jeden z nich je prešibaný a praktický, druhý je tichý a pracovitý a napokon tretí je citlivý. Ten citlivý otec Jákob mu počas štyroch hostín vysvetľuje mnohé, čo sa počas svojho života naučil, no najmä sa snaží chlapcovi zdôveriť o svojej oddanosti a láske k jeho matke. Román však v sebe ukrýva omnoho viac príbehov, do ktorých stojí za to sa zahĺbiť. Je to ten typ knihy, ktorú by som si neváhala vziať na opustený ostrov a tam by som si ju dookola a dookola čítala.
Vrelo odporúčam.

[Niki Vervaeke · Rating 4 out of 5]

Over een jongen die zijn moeder verloor toen hij 10 was. Over zijn leven, over haar leven, over zijn mogelijke vaders, zijn mogelijke families, zijn leven, zijn naam. Over Israël, over de liefde, over schoonheid en over de onvoorspelbaarheid van het leven.
Prachtig.

https://www.amboanthos.nl/boek/vier-m...

[Grazia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Meir Shalev, le storie le sa raccontare bene, ma proprio bene bene.

E io di fronte al questo romanzo, mi sono lasciata completamente trasportare, assorbire, incantare.

Seguendolo ti porta in luoghi lontani, luoghi in cui mito e realtà si confondono e tutto può apparire possibile, ma non solo possibile addirittura credibile.
In questi luoghi dell’immaginazione, in cui le descrizioni della natura, il mondo animale la fanno da padrone e da nume ispiratore per i comportamenti umani, può esistere un figlio di tre padri, può esistere una donna ermetica, incomprensibile, ma amata a tal punto da esserle concesso qualunque comportamento, e può esistere un destino cieco e crudele che conduce i passi dei protagonisti della storia, perché “l’uomo fa progetti e Dio se la ride”.

Leggendo ho sottolineato talmente tanti passaggi, che non saprei quali riportare.

Consigliato a chi conserva l’amore e il gusto per le favole, per il bel racconto e per la poesia.

[Viera Némethová · Rating 5 out of 5]

" ...Rozprávka o najkrajšej žene na svete a o bielej lodi s jej menom, rozprávka o Talianovi, ktorý vie napodobniť každé zviera, odborníkovi na tanečné kroky a na pravidlá lásky. Rozrávka o strome, ktorý čaká, o lampe, ktorá spadla, o jalovici, o búrlivej noci, o albínovi, ktorý odkázal vtáky susedoi a prevrátil u celý svet hore nohami." str. 285.
" Sú aj iné zvuky, ako keď človek zomiera, ale napokon zvuky živého stromu a živého človeka sa tiež odlišujú a zanechávajú po sebe aj odlišné ticho." str. 9

Spoločné čítanie s E.

[Alba Souto · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tan dulce este libro :) estoy muy triste de que se me haya terminado :( me estaba dando mucha calma leerlo!!

Me ha encantado que los capítulos sean tan cortos y las historias que cuenta y cómo las cuenta y cómo nunca parece que haya prisa por nada mientras lo lees.

[I. Mónica del P Pinzon Verano · Rating 4 out of 5]

Por Amor A Judit es acostarse sobre el pasto en un día soleado y tibio, y esperar que figuras forman las nubes. Cuando arrancas la lectura de esta novela de Meir Shalev, no sabes por cuales derroteros te va a llevar, o de dónde te va a traer, la tala de un árbol de eucalipto con valor tradicional.

Por Amor a Judit es el título en español (cuya traducción más fiel al original podría ser “Como Otros Días" o "Como Otra Época”) de esta novela del israelí Meir Shalev. La historia es contada por Zeide (que significa abuelo) el hijo de Judit, quien ubica el punto de partida en la tala del árbol de eucalipto. Curiosamente, toda la trama gira alrededor de Judit, el personaje que menos se nos da a conocer, y ella se convierte así en una excusa del autor para hablar del tiempo, las relaciones humanas (que me parece es el tema central de esta novela), la cotidianidad y la cultura popular, utilizando como vehículo el realismo mágico. La realidad mostrada por Meir Shalev me lleva instantáneamente a pensar en Gabriel García Márquez, de ninguna manera sin ser copia; más bien por la sutileza, por la exquisita combinación entre lo real y lo mágico, lo cual me llevó a vivir esa realidad sin extrañeza alguna. Pero no solo es el realismo mágico de “Por Amor a Judit” lo que me recuerda a Gabriel García Márquez, también está el color amarillo de los billetes de amor y de los canarios. No obstante, hay otro elemento que te da la confianza para simplemente quedarte ahí a esperar que pasa, y es la cotidianidad, uno de mis temas favoritos, y el autor te la entrega generando un sentimiento universal sin perder su forma local. La historia se desarrolla en un pueblo que intuimos es cercano a Jerusalén, entre los años 30 a los 50 (algo también desde principios de los 80’s), pero el autor prácticamente deja fuera el contexto histórico.

La historia no es trepidante o llena de altibajos, la historia se funda en las palabras, en la vivencia del entorno, de las personas, de la manera de contar tu propia historia o de escuchar la de otros, porque si bien la forma de narrar de este autor no puedo dejarla de calificar como bellísima, lo que yo experimente fue más una sensación de tradición oral que de narración escrita. Me gustó y me parece digna de ser leía; no obstante, sugiero leerla para momentos de búsqueda de contemplación y no tanto de emoción.

[Marie-Paule · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dat Meir Shalev een begenadigd verhalenverteller is, bewijst hij keer op keer, dus ook met dit boek.

'Volgens sommigen heeft elk verhaal als doel orde aan te brengen in de werkelijkheid. Niet alleen een ordening van tijden, maar ook van graden van belang', schrijft Shalev aan het begin van hoofdstuk 10 (Eerste maaltijd). Wie kan hem ongelijk geven? Zeker als hij in hoofdstuk 6 (Derde maaltijd) zelf beweert dat 'ook leugenaars best weten dat de waarheid en verzinsel niet elkaars tegenpolen zijn. Het zijn goede buren, die elkaar vragen hoe het met het leven staat en elkaar dingen lenen als de ander ze nodig heeft'.

De verhaallijn van het boek - een kind met drie vermoedelijke vaders, dat samen met zijn moeder opgroeit in een koeienstal, onder het toeziend oog van die drie vaders - is daarbij van ondergeschikt belang, het is immers het verhaal dat telt. Een verhaal dat is opgehangen aan vier maaltijden, die het kind - later de jongeling en de oudere man - met één van zijn vaders nuttigt. Zegt de vader: 'Een kok is alles welbeschouwd een huwelijksmakelaar'. 'Tussen het vlees en de kruiden?', vraagt het kind. 'Nee, tussen de maaltijd en de eter'.

'Vier maaltijden' is een prachtig verhaal over liefde, hunkering, mededogen, herinnering en weemoed, dat zijn plaats verdient in de grote traditie van de Joodse verhaalkunst. Je moet het traag lezen en pagina per pagina genieten. Dat veel Jiddische zinnen en woorden behouden zijn in de Nederlandse vertaling, draagt alleen maar bij tot de pracht en de weemoed van dit boek.

[Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

Prachtig geschreven

[Anatoly Bezrukov · Rating 5 out of 5]

Роман о любви, каким он должен быть.
О любви взаимной и нет, трагичной и смешной, убивающей и воскрешающей, хрупкой и всепобеждающей, телесной и духовной, о любви к женщине, мужчине, ребёнку, родителям, животным, ко всему миру.
О любви, ради которой можно всё отдать, из-за которой можно всё потерять и которая дарит смысл существования.
И всё это - в присущем Шалеву поэтичном, немного сказочном неповторимом стиле.
Прекрасно, просто прекрасно.

[Hens Books · Rating 2 out of 5]

„Judiths Liebe“ setzt am Beginn des rätselhaften Lebens von Sejde an. In einem Kuhstall in einem israelischen Dorf bringt Judith ihn zur Welt. Doch wer ist sein Vater? Drei Männer stellen zeitlebens den Anspruch und bereichern Sejdes Leben auf ganz verschiedene Art und Weise. Und wer war Judith, die so früh schon verstarb und all ihre Geheimnisse mit ins Grab nahm? Sie wurde geliebt, von allen „drei Vätern“ auf ihre verschiedene Art und Weise. Die Menschen, die Sejde geblieben sind, versuchen ihm diese Konstellationen rund um sein Leben zu erklären.

„Judiths Liebe“ ist ein, im positiven wie im negativen, seltsamer Roman. Er ist hoch poetisch, teilweise überfrachtet von Poesie. Er ist voller Liebe, diese Liebe ist aber allzu oft völlig surreal und ungreifbar. Die Figuren sind warmherzig gezeichnet, und bleiben einem doch fremd und unzugänglich. Der Roman stellt viele Fragen an das Leben, und gibt doch kaum Antworten. Der Text hat mich immer wieder kurz beeindruckt, und im nächsten Moment schon wieder verloren. Trotzdem musste ich ihn beenden, weil er eben sehr unique ist. Das Lesen war aber im Großen und Ganzen ein mühsamer Kampf.

[Ellen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had to work hard to push myself through this book. Khaya was annoyed by the lack of a plot--a sentiment I agree with--and I was also bothered by the lack of characters. Yes, there are characters, but they aren't real people. They are archetypes. The book is a fable. If you are happy with fables, you'll probably enjoy it, since Shalev's writing is beautiful (if more than a bit repetitive). But i like a real story, with real characters and a plot. So this wasn't for me. 2.5 stars that I am rounding up because I do love books set in pre-State Israel.

[Adina · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don't know if you will love this book, but everything about Shalev's voice, his the world he describes and his ideas of love and magic wove a poetic world that was a pleasure to inhabit. I dragged out this reading because I didn't want to leave.

[Shakhla · Rating 5 out of 5]

סיפור אהבתם של שלושה גברים לאשה אחת , אם בנם זיידה. עבודה מדהימה של גאון מושלם

[Veronika Pizano · Rating 5 out of 5]

Po prečítaní knihy ostáva vo mne pocit neurčitého krásneho smútku, ktorý sa vinie celou knihou a je znásobovaný repetitívnosťou udalostí či niektorých viet. Každá jedna postava v sebe nesie tento smútok. Dokázať pretkávať náznaky budúcich udalostí do deja bez toho, aby autor vyzradil všetko, ale zas povedal dostatok, to je umenie, ktoré Meir Shalev naozaj majstrovsky ovláda.

[Siv30 · Rating 3 out of 5]

לסקירה מפורטת בעברית ואנגלית, קישור לבלוג שלי -

https://sivi-the-avid-reader.com/כימי...

[Joni Cornell · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a charming and rather mysterious story of Zayde, his mother Judith and the three men who loved her, one of whom could possibly be Zayde’s father, though Jacob tells us that if a woman wants a child, sometimes she can make herself pregnant without a man. The four meals made by Jacob, staggered over the course of Zayde’s life, begin with the first invitation when Zayde is 12. Jacob cooks a lavish meal, usually finished off with Zabaglione, while he consumes a fairly modest one of salad and recounts to Zayde how his mother came to their village to mind Moshe Rabinovitch’s children and ended up living in Rabinovitch’s cowshed. Even though Jacob is married to the most beautiful woman in the village, he is besotted with Judith and sacrifices all to woo and marry her.

Judith names her son Zayde which in Hebrew means ‘grandfather’ to cheat the Angel of Death whom if he ever shows up, will find a child and know that he has made a mistake. But the name seems to seal Zayde’s fate; as he is afraid to marry and bear children or to get older and find himself as a grandfather. The name alienates him from the other village children too. The birds of the field and forests tend to become his friends and in this way he is closer to his ‘father’ Jacob who breeds canaries, than he is either to Rabinovitch, or the cattle trader Globerman. One night each week even though she detests him, Judith meets with Globerman to drink grappa, as he attempts to woo her with his stories. Judith talks not about herself and we learn about her largely through others.

This is a collection of enigmatic ‘characters’, nothing run of the mill or indeed ordinary, although they engage in ordinary things, relating to the heart, bringing up children, cooking, tending to birds and experiencing loss. Rabinovitch searches for the lost braid of his infancy, as he mourns the loss of his wife, who was his twin both in soul and body. He it seems has no inclination or time for wooing. Judith wails every night for a lost daughter until she is pregnant. Globerman who is rich and crass thinks he can just buy his way through life but he has his ‘soft’ underbelly which is touched by Judith, as well as the boy; money which he is always waving about tends to create a divide but it allows him to spoil Judith with gifts. And Jacob – well he is our narrator and is too complicated to sum up in one line – philosopher, cook, wooer, bird lover and breeder and surrogate parent, he loses the most beautiful woman in the village but it takes him several days to realize his wife has left him. Perhaps Jacob feels that love can be shown through cooking. Indeed as an Italian POW shows him, there are ‘rules’ for love, just as there are rules for cooking. If you prepare the meal, or for the event, even if it is a wedding, when everything is in place – it will happen. So we hold our breath waiting for it to happen.

What I wanted as I read was to find myself a recipe and make myself some Zabaglione.

[J.M. Hushour · Rating 4 out of 5]

Shalev is one of my most favorite living authors, and this is, like the others, a very unusual and wonderfully written book. It feels, though, a little more...distant than say The Blue Mountain or Two She-Bears...and I can't put my finger on why. It might be the translation. The story is a lot less cohesive than his other novels, too, so that might play a role.
The plot: an Israeli guy remembers his mother and his three "fathers" through a series of meals orchestrated by one of those fathers every 12 years or so. His paternity is unknown and all three fathers claim him as their son. Like all of Shalev's work, the folksy wackiness of a small village in the Mandate period and just a little after is the core here, with a wide array of funny characters and an almost folkloric and daft sense of magical humor.
Probably not one I'd recommend for the Shalev virgin, but fine in it's own right.

[Dora Okeyo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Described as "an extraordinary story of three men in the Jezreel valley and their love for Judith and her son, whom each man raises as his own," this book right her was a delight to read.

If there is a book that I have highlighted so much this year, it's got to be this one. And told from Zayde's point of view, it's entertaining as it is thought-provoking and the mystery surrounding Judith and his Father, I guess the author succeeded in keeping me glued for more than 300 pages and still never answered the question I hoped would be answered.

[ana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Qué bonito, qué palabras, qué amores.

Al principio me intrigaba conocer el secreto del protagonista, pero hubo un momento en que dejó de importar. Me mantuvieron leyendo estos personajes que viven vidas de realismo mágico y huelen a guisos sabrosos y ganado en el campo, la fruta madura pudriéndose en la tierra sin arar, los cuervos vigilando a los habitantes del pueblo, los canarios cantando, el camión de Oded corriendo a velocidades peligrosas, Noemí, los tres padres indiscutibles, la torrentera, la trenza y Judit, Judit, Judit. Judit que, diciendo poco y sin quererlo, es el centro de tantas vidas. Judit con sus granadas y su vaca Raquel. Y Jacob, con sus reglas y sus comidas. «El amarillo es el color del amor». Ay, Judit.

[Bea · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mijn kennismaking met Meir Shalev. Een schrijver die het 'vertellen van verhalen' naar een hoger niveau tilt.

[Ivana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kupila som si tuto knizku len preto, aby som mala nieco "intelektualskejsie" na citanie pri vsetkych detektivkach a historickych romanoch. Ale bol to skvely vyber.

Chvilu som ju nechala doma odpocivat a az neskor som sa pustila do styroch hostin, na ktore pozyva Jakob Seinfeld chlapca Zajdeho. Jeden z troch otcov svojho syna. Traja otcovia, jeden syn? Vselico sa stava a nic nie je nemozne. Aspon nie v tomto spolocenskom romane od Meira Shaleva.
Musim priznat, ze mi trvalo dlhsie, kym som sa zacitala a knizka nema "grady", skor si tak plynie. Treba jej dat sancu, ma svoje caro.

Poziciam si uryvok (jemne ale len jemne spoilerovy):
"Rozprávka o lejaku, o vode stúpajúcej vo vádí, o klamárskom revizionistovi, o manželovi, ktorý otáľa, a o manželke, ktorá bola neverná, prišla o dcéru a prišla žiť a pracovať do maštale vdovca, ktorého kravy dojila a ktorého deti vychovávala...

Rozprávka o handliarovi, ktorý nevie šoférovať, o dieťati, nad ktorým nemá vládu smrť ani žiadostivosť, o papierových loďkách, o odstrihnutom vrkoči...

No vrkoč bol schovaný, had uštipol, albín prišiel, klamár klamal, manžel otáľal, žena otehotnela a tam, v maštali, žila, pracovala, spala, plakala a porodila syna, nad ktorým smrť nemala vládu...

Samozrejme, že to tak bolo. Ak to tak nebolo, tak teda ako?"

Pribeh o vasni a o ludskom osude sa pise na zadnej obalke. A nic viac k tomu netreba.

[Otto · Rating 5 out of 5]

Meine Buchhändlerin hat mich auf diesen Roman von Meir Shalev aufmerksam gemacht, er sei witzig und handle von der Geschichte dreier Männer in Palästina (später Israel), die dieselbe Frau liebten und alle drei meinten, der Sohn der Frau sei ihr Sohn.
Was ich dann gelesen habe ist keine witzige Geschichte, wenn auch mit immer wieder durchscheinendem subtilen jüdischen Humor geschrieben, sondern ein melancholisch, berührendes Epos über eine vergangene Welt, die Welt der jüdischen Siedler in ländlicher Gegend Palästinas, insbesondere in einem Flecken Land im Gebiet des Karmels. Die Geschichte spielt in den 10er bis 50er Jahren des 20. Jahrhunderts, also vor und nach dem israelischen Unabhängigkeitskrieg, beginnend noch vor dem 1. Weltkrieg und mit der jüdischen Zuwanderung in das Land. Shalev beschreibt die traditionelle Lebensweise der jüdischen Bevölkerung, ihre Feste, ihre Freuden, ihr Zusammenleben und mit den Personen der Familien Rabinowitz (Landwirt), Scheinfeld (Vogelzüchter) und Globermann (Viehhändler), den drei Verehrern von Judith und den möglichen Vätern des Sejde (dessen Name auf deutsch Großvater ihn vor dem Zugriff des Todes bewahren soll) schafft er es einen höchst liebevollen Blick auf die unterschiedlichen Menschentypen zu werfen. Im Mittelpunkt steht die rätselhafte Judith, die nachdem sie von ihrem Mann verlassen wurde, der auch die Tochter mitnahm, im Dorf als Helferin des verwitweten Mosche Rabinowitz auftaucht, dort in den Stall einzieht und den drei Männern, ohne ihr Zutun, den Kopf verdreht.
Shalev schreibt über jüdische Volksweisheit, Glauben an übernatürliche Dinge, Wundersames (etwa die Fähigkeiten des Ischua, eines italienischen entflohenen Kriegsgefangenen, der von Scheinfeld als Mitarbeiter versteckt wird) und die unermessliche Gabe des Geschichtenerzählers, die jüdische Erzählungen so lebendig und spannend machen.
Der große Liebende ist Jakob Scheinfeld, der bei mehreren über die Jahre verteilten Essenseinladungen (Jakob ist ein hervorragender Koch, der bei seinem Ischua die Kunst des Kochens erlernt hat) seinem Drittelsohn Sejde die Geschichte seiner Mutter erzählt.
Eines meiner Lieblingsbücher des Jahres, und wieder einmal beweist der Diogenes-Verlag, dass er es versteht tollen Erzählern Raum zu geben.

[Alex · Rating 5 out of 5]

Toľko múdrosti, lásky a krásy bolo v tejto knihe 😌

Tieto “kúsky” si sem sebecky odložím, aby som sa mohla znova rozcítiť, keď to tu raz opäť nájdem.

„Chovné klietky zhoreli a prišiel albín. Tonia Rabinovičová sa utopila a prišla tvoja matka Judita. Rebeka odišla, kanáriky odleteli, narodil sa Zajde, prišla robotníčka, Judita zomrela a Jákob ostal. Môže byť niečo jednoduchšie? Tak je to vždy na konci každej lásky. Začiatok je vždy iný a prostriedok je vždy zložitý. No koniec je vždy jednoduchý a rovnaký. Na konci vždy niekto príde, niekto odíde, niekto zomrie a niekto zostane."

„Ľudia si myslia, ze čas ide len s nimi a len pre nich. Ale keď dojíš kravy v dedine, zároveň dozrievajú na strome grapefruity, na šnúre sa suší bielizeň a nejaká duša pomaly opúšťa niečie telo. A zatiaľ čo spíš, v zemi pracujú červy, po oblohe pomaly plávajú oblaky, v matkinom bruchu rastie dieťa a niekto v Amerike cestuje vlakom za inou ženou. A v lete sa na streche pomaličky suší ovocie. A ak takto vnímaš svet, odrazu máš oveľa viac času."

“A ak niekto čakal na lásku tak ako ja, má trpezlivosť aj s koňmi, husami, stromami, dažďom a hlavne s časom. Lebo hlavné je mať trpezlivost s časom, nie s niekým druhým, s láskou, s prácou ani s ničím iným, len trpezlivosť s časom. S časom, ktorý ide do kruhu ako ročné obdobia, s časom, ktorý ide rovno ako ľudský vek.”

“Potom, povedal mi Jákob, jeho srdce ovládli základné farby lásky, lebo v láske malého chlapca, vyhlásil, je div väčsí než žiadostivosť, úžas je väčší než žiarlivosť a väčší než všetky lásky, ktoré prídu, lebo je rovnako silný a ťažký ako jeho telo.
V tých chlapčenských časoch nemiloval len jednu ženu, doložil, ale všetky ženy, miloval zem, ktorá nosí túžbu ich tela, miloval oblohu, ktorá sa vznášala nad ich nádhernymi hlavami ako baldachýn, a miloval jediného židovského Boha, ktorý ich privádzal na prah jeho domu.”

[Кремена Михайлова · Rating 4 out of 5]

„Исав“ на Меир Шалев ми хареса много повече като „цялостност“. Но тази книга си струваше заради езика - като гъстия сок на смокиня (като споменах смокиня – не мога да не се сетя за Никос Казандзакис, има нещо от неговата „сочност“ в книгата); заради различното виждане за любовта „Защото това е най-важният закон на любовта – тя е въпрос на решение. Казах ти веднъж и пак ще ти го кажа: просто трябва да решиш – и ето ти я любовта. Толкова е просто.“ ; заради връзката между Юдит и Наоми (за мен не толкова заради отношенията межди Юдит и тримата мъже) – самото обръщение „Номеле“ ми звучеше като любов.

Иначе прекалената бавност и чувството за тегнеща обреченост малко намалиха удоволствието. Еврейската религиозност не беше онази ритуалната, „институционалната“. Но пак имаше една митологичност, която ми е малко чужда, когато не е чиста магичност, а е свързана с по-фиксирани вярвания и традиции. На моменти ми звучеше дори като легенда.

Освен заради напевната сила на обръщението „Номеле“, се разтапях в моментите на съпричастност – съсед е готов да помогне в беда; търговец-сметкаджия проявява естествена човечност в решаващи моменти, между дългогодишни съперници не се вижда онази безмилостна омраза, а по-скоро обща грижа за любимата жена и детето ѝ.

„А дотогава продължавай да растеш, да играеш и да гониш враните. А ние тримата, аз, Рабинович и Глоберман, ще се грижим да имаш хубаво детство.“

Най-общо мотивите, които ми направиха впечатление:

Постоянната нишка на меланхолията и неудовлетвореността:
„Можеш да скриеш всичко в кутия, Зейде, в кутия или в клетка, в килер, в стая. Дори любовта си можеш да заключиш , хубавичко да я скриеш – каза ми Яков. – Но споменът държи всички ключове, а скърбите, Зейде, минават дори през стени. Те са като фокусника Худини, знаят как да се смъкнат и да се изнижат като призраци когато и където си поискат.“

Усещането за предначертаност:
„Понеже човек има Съдба, която идва отгоре – продължи той. – Има и Съдба, която идва отстрани. Съдба, която те напада изотзад, та дори и Съдба, която е на някой друг, но се е отплеснала и е дошла при теб. А в моят случай е най-лошата Съдба, тая, дето човек си носи отвътре.“

„Слънцето грееше, каруцата дойде, очите гледаха оттук и човек изведнъж почва да вижда и с очите, и със помена: една жена идва, все едно се носи по зелено-златна река, а вятърът тъкмо тогава размята роклята ѝ, прилепва я към тялото, пък сянката пада точно на шията ѝ... Е, как да не се влюбиш в нея? Като пожълтяло листо към водата бях привлечен към нея.“

Чисто човешките стремежи – да те разбират, да си свободен от хорските претенции.
„Обичала кравите, защото те не я гледали с подозрение, не ѝ говорели откъм глухото ухо, не я питали откъде е дошла, нито пък мърморели, щом я видели да отпива от бутилката, която криела между балите сено.“

Засегната е любимата ми тема: „мъж-жена“ – две различни създания или близнаци? Има я идеята за „близнаците“, но сякаш жената е поставена по-високо тук, чак благоговеят пред нея тримата поклонници.

„Не е за вярване колко много сила и колко много гняв може да се съберат в тялото на един човек, колко силно може да стане то, цялата болка, всичко спомени и всички съжаления,, всичко, което една жена да побере в утробата си, когато е бременна, един мъж може да стаи в своите кости и мускули, но никога няма да роди, няма и да се надуе, просто става твърд и тежък отвътре, все едно е пълен с камъни, които се трупат в корема му. Ние, мъжете сме като каменоломни от всички тия деца, които никога няма да родим. “

„Тъкмо затова ти говорех преди малко – не ти трябват причини, за да обикнеш някоя жена. И стилата на любовта няма нищо общо със значимостта на причината. Понякога стига една нейна дума. Понякога само извивката на бедрото… - като стъбълце на мак. А друг път – движението на устните ѝ, когато казва „седем“ или „тринадесет“. Вгледай се и ще видиш, че при седем устните се свиват както за целувка. След това виждаш как езикът докосва устната, за да направи „д“. А после устните се разтварят леко… ей така… се-дем. Виждал ли? А при тринадесет върхът на езика се показва при „д“. След това устата се разтваря, а езикът докосва небцето.“

Изразителност на езика:
„И през цялото време беше здраво стиснал челюсти и вкопчил длани, а хлиповете му ставаха на пара в студа, докато не се разнесе мощният писък на пречупения ствол и стилното възклицание на зяпачите, подобно на мърморенето, което се надигаше в селския салон, щом угаснеха лампите, само че по-високо и по-уплашено.“

„Не приличат на звуците от смъртта на човешко същество, но и приживе звуците на дървото и човека са толкова различни, а когато си отидат, те оставят след себе си различна тишина.“

Природа:
„Паяжини блестяха, бръмбари пъплеха наоколо, влажна топлина се надигаше изпод слоя листа на земята, знак за бавната ферментация на тора. Ушите ми привикнаха с тишината и вече можех да различа пукнатините между нейните пластове: непрекъснатото шумолене на дъбовите листа, гризането на червеите в ствола, триенето на семената в гушките на гургулиците, които се тъпчат през този сезон и набират сили за зимното си пътешествие до Африка.“

За любителите на гастрономията – има и такъв елемент, но на мен не ми е интересен (а, също и канарчета като в "Пилето").
Не съжалявам, че прочетох и тази книга след „Исав“. Бих прочела и трета на автора, ако намеря някоя с различни теми.