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Michael Ohayon #3
Φόνος στο Κιμπούτς
Δύο ύποπτοι θάνατοι σε ένα κιμπούτς: νεκροί είναι η Οσνάτ, η όμορφη και δυναμική γραμματέας του, και ο ηλικιωμένος κύριος Σρούλκε. Πρωτόγνωρα και απίστευτα γεγονότα, οδυνηρό ξάφνιασμα και βαθύ τραύμα για τους κατοίκους του. Γιατί το κιμπούτς είναι μια μεγάλη οικογένεια· όλες οι αποφάσεις λαμβάνονται από κοινού, όλοι σιτίζονται σε κοινή τράπεζα, τα παιδιά απομακρύνονται κάθε βράδυ από τους γονείς τους και κοιμούνται σε κοιτώνες. Το κιμπούτς αποφασίζει για την εκπαίδευση και το επάγγελμα που θα ακολουθήσει κάθε μέλος του.
Ένας κόσμος περίπλοκος και κλειστός. Πώς θα καταφέρει να διεισδύσει σ' αυτόν και να εξιχνιάσει τις δύο υποθέσεις ο επιθεωρητής Μιχαέλ Οχαγιόν; Πώς θα κατορθώσει να προσανατολιστεί σ' αυτό τον μικρόκοσμο των αντιπαραθέσεων και των εντάσεων;
Από τη μια, η νέα γενιά που απαιτεί τον εκσυγχρονισμό του κιμπούτς, τον περιορισμό της κοινοκτημοσύνης, και που αφήνεται να παρασυρθεί από έναν ηδονιστικό ατομικισμό και καταναλωτισμό. Και, από την άλλη, οι βετεράνοι που εμπνέονται ακόμη από τη σοσιαλιστική ιδεολογία των ιδρυτών του κινήματος. Και το ερώτημα στο οποίο πρέπει να απαντήσει ο επιθεωρητής Οχαγιόν: Τι είναι στ’ αλήθεια το κιμπούτς; Γη της Επαγγελίας ή το τελευταίο καταφύγιο των νοσταλγών ενός εξιδανικευμένου παρελθόντος;
Ο ήρωας -γοητευτικός, ευφυής, αλλά και πολύ μοναχικός- προσπαθεί να διαχειριστεί το άγχος και το αίσθημα αποξένωσης που του γεννά η νέα του υπόθεση, το τέλος μιας ερωτικής του σχέσης και η αρχή μιας άλλης, αλλά και η στρατιωτική θητεία του γιου του στο αποκορύφωμα της δεύτερης Ιντιφάντα.
Η Μπάτυα Γκουρ πετυχαίνει να υφάνει ένα συναρπαστικό και εξαιρετικά πρωτότυπο θρίλερ, ενώ παράλληλα ανατέμνει την ευρύτερη πολιτική και ιδεολογική κρίση αξιών της ισραηλινής κοινωνίας, μέσα από τον ιδιαίτερο και συναρπαστικό κόσμο των κιμπούτς.
Ένας κόσμος περίπλοκος και κλειστός. Πώς θα καταφέρει να διεισδύσει σ' αυτόν και να εξιχνιάσει τις δύο υποθέσεις ο επιθεωρητής Μιχαέλ Οχαγιόν; Πώς θα κατορθώσει να προσανατολιστεί σ' αυτό τον μικρόκοσμο των αντιπαραθέσεων και των εντάσεων;
Από τη μια, η νέα γενιά που απαιτεί τον εκσυγχρονισμό του κιμπούτς, τον περιορισμό της κοινοκτημοσύνης, και που αφήνεται να παρασυρθεί από έναν ηδονιστικό ατομικισμό και καταναλωτισμό. Και, από την άλλη, οι βετεράνοι που εμπνέονται ακόμη από τη σοσιαλιστική ιδεολογία των ιδρυτών του κινήματος. Και το ερώτημα στο οποίο πρέπει να απαντήσει ο επιθεωρητής Οχαγιόν: Τι είναι στ’ αλήθεια το κιμπούτς; Γη της Επαγγελίας ή το τελευταίο καταφύγιο των νοσταλγών ενός εξιδανικευμένου παρελθόντος;
Ο ήρωας -γοητευτικός, ευφυής, αλλά και πολύ μοναχικός- προσπαθεί να διαχειριστεί το άγχος και το αίσθημα αποξένωσης που του γεννά η νέα του υπόθεση, το τέλος μιας ερωτικής του σχέσης και η αρχή μιας άλλης, αλλά και η στρατιωτική θητεία του γιου του στο αποκορύφωμα της δεύτερης Ιντιφάντα.
Η Μπάτυα Γκουρ πετυχαίνει να υφάνει ένα συναρπαστικό και εξαιρετικά πρωτότυπο θρίλερ, ενώ παράλληλα ανατέμνει την ευρύτερη πολιτική και ιδεολογική κρίση αξιών της ισραηλινής κοινωνίας, μέσα από τον ιδιαίτερο και συναρπαστικό κόσμο των κιμπούτς.
463 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1991
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August 8, 2022
GLI EBREI NON DOVREBBERO TRATTARE COSÌ GLI EBREI
Dal punto di vista del giallo, della trama poliziesca, dell’indagine e della soluzione del caso, questa mio primo incontro con (per lui, invece, si tratta della terza apparizione) il commissario capo Michael Ohayon dell’Unità Inquirente sui Crimini Gravi (UICG) fa acqua da tutte le parti: per riassumere la definirei un disastro.
Ma Batya Gur scrive piacevolmente e racconta un mondo affascinante, porta il lettore a calarsi in una realtà molto interessante, anche se suspense e thriller latitano, e quindi in qualche modo il tempo che le si dedica non va sprecato.
Un kibbutz nel deserto del Negev, come quello di questo romanzo.
Per le prime ottanta pagine, pur narrando in terza persona, ogni cosa è presentata dal punto di vista di un personaggio che nelle successive trecentoquaranta pagine diventa piuttosto marginale.
Queste prime ottanta pagine servono anche a raccontare chi sarà il morto sul quale verte l’inchiesta.
Ne servono altre dieci per raccontarci chi è il personaggio che con la sua assenza, o meglio, con il suo allontanamento momentaneo, rende possibile l’omicidio. Anche questo personaggio diventa meno che marginale nel prosieguo del racconto.
I colpi di scena, se tali si possono definire, avvengono fuori campo, sono raccontati dopo essere accaduti, quindi, quando il loro effetto di tensione narrativa si è già smorzato.
Salvo poi una bizzarra accelerazione finale, fuori tempo massimo, perché invece in questo caso, Gur non si prende il tempo che servirebbe per spiegare a fondo, e raccontare con beneficio di chi legge.
Il personaggio principale, il commissario capo Michael Ohayon incaricato di risolvere il caso, sembra essere protagonista suo malgrado, Gur non gli regala lo spazio che dovrebbe e potrebbe.
I personaggi sono tanti, forse troppi (potrebbe però essere necessità dovuta all’ambiente raccontato, la comunità kibbutzim), di conseguenza l’onomastica è più che ricca e di non agevole memorizzazione
Ma, come dicevo, il romanzo ha un suo nucleo che mi è piaciuto, mi ha preso e coinvolto: quello del kibbutz, di quella comunità umana, della sua storia, le alyah, i flussi migratori di ebrei dal resto del mondo verso la Palestina, dei pionieri del movimento kibbutzim contrapposti alle esigenze della modernità, dell’egualitarismo che nasce nel collettivismo in antitesi all’individualismo e alla famiglia borghese, del sabra, l’ebreo nato in Israele, contrapposto all’olim, l’ebreo emigrato, degli ebrei askenaziti contrapposti a quelli sefarditi…
Un modo per ripercorrere la storia di quel paese, anche prima della sua nascita, fino agli anni della prima Intifada.
Michael Ohayon è un ebreo sefardita arrivato a tre anni dal Marocco: in Israele si rende conto presto di essere considerato straniero, tanto che suo padre stesso dice: Gli ebrei non dovrebbero trattare così gli ebrei. Mi viene subito in mente quel bel film del regista franco-rumeno Radu Mihaileanu Va, vis et deviens – Vai e vivrai dove era un piccolo ebreo etiope (falashà) ad accorgersi già dai banchi di scuola come anche tra gli ebrei il colore della pelle conta eccome.
Il falashà protagonista da giovane nel film di Radu Mihaileanu “Va, vis et deviens – Vai e vivrai”, 2005.
Alcuni romanzi della serie dedicata a Michael Ohayon sono stati adattati per la televisione israeliana e tedesca. In tutte le sue uscite (complessivamente sei prima della prematura morte di Batya Gur a 58 anni) Michael Ohayon indaga in comunità chiuse con regole proprie come quella dei kibbutz: per esempio, fra gli psicanalisti (Delitto in una mattina di sabato) o tra gli scrittori (Un delitto letterario).
Mi viene da metterla così: a Batya Gur riesce meglio raccontare la vita della morte.
Come immagino vorrebbe il suo paese Michael Ohayon, il protagonista di questa serie di romanzi, che è sostanzialmente una “colomba”.
Dal punto di vista del giallo, della trama poliziesca, dell’indagine e della soluzione del caso, questa mio primo incontro con (per lui, invece, si tratta della terza apparizione) il commissario capo Michael Ohayon dell’Unità Inquirente sui Crimini Gravi (UICG) fa acqua da tutte le parti: per riassumere la definirei un disastro.
Ma Batya Gur scrive piacevolmente e racconta un mondo affascinante, porta il lettore a calarsi in una realtà molto interessante, anche se suspense e thriller latitano, e quindi in qualche modo il tempo che le si dedica non va sprecato.
Un kibbutz nel deserto del Negev, come quello di questo romanzo.
Per le prime ottanta pagine, pur narrando in terza persona, ogni cosa è presentata dal punto di vista di un personaggio che nelle successive trecentoquaranta pagine diventa piuttosto marginale.
Queste prime ottanta pagine servono anche a raccontare chi sarà il morto sul quale verte l’inchiesta.
Ne servono altre dieci per raccontarci chi è il personaggio che con la sua assenza, o meglio, con il suo allontanamento momentaneo, rende possibile l’omicidio. Anche questo personaggio diventa meno che marginale nel prosieguo del racconto.
I colpi di scena, se tali si possono definire, avvengono fuori campo, sono raccontati dopo essere accaduti, quindi, quando il loro effetto di tensione narrativa si è già smorzato.
Salvo poi una bizzarra accelerazione finale, fuori tempo massimo, perché invece in questo caso, Gur non si prende il tempo che servirebbe per spiegare a fondo, e raccontare con beneficio di chi legge.
Il personaggio principale, il commissario capo Michael Ohayon incaricato di risolvere il caso, sembra essere protagonista suo malgrado, Gur non gli regala lo spazio che dovrebbe e potrebbe.
I personaggi sono tanti, forse troppi (potrebbe però essere necessità dovuta all’ambiente raccontato, la comunità kibbutzim), di conseguenza l’onomastica è più che ricca e di non agevole memorizzazione
Ma, come dicevo, il romanzo ha un suo nucleo che mi è piaciuto, mi ha preso e coinvolto: quello del kibbutz, di quella comunità umana, della sua storia, le alyah, i flussi migratori di ebrei dal resto del mondo verso la Palestina, dei pionieri del movimento kibbutzim contrapposti alle esigenze della modernità, dell’egualitarismo che nasce nel collettivismo in antitesi all’individualismo e alla famiglia borghese, del sabra, l’ebreo nato in Israele, contrapposto all’olim, l’ebreo emigrato, degli ebrei askenaziti contrapposti a quelli sefarditi…
Un modo per ripercorrere la storia di quel paese, anche prima della sua nascita, fino agli anni della prima Intifada.
Michael Ohayon è un ebreo sefardita arrivato a tre anni dal Marocco: in Israele si rende conto presto di essere considerato straniero, tanto che suo padre stesso dice: Gli ebrei non dovrebbero trattare così gli ebrei. Mi viene subito in mente quel bel film del regista franco-rumeno Radu Mihaileanu Va, vis et deviens – Vai e vivrai dove era un piccolo ebreo etiope (falashà) ad accorgersi già dai banchi di scuola come anche tra gli ebrei il colore della pelle conta eccome.
Il falashà protagonista da giovane nel film di Radu Mihaileanu “Va, vis et deviens – Vai e vivrai”, 2005.
Alcuni romanzi della serie dedicata a Michael Ohayon sono stati adattati per la televisione israeliana e tedesca. In tutte le sue uscite (complessivamente sei prima della prematura morte di Batya Gur a 58 anni) Michael Ohayon indaga in comunità chiuse con regole proprie come quella dei kibbutz: per esempio, fra gli psicanalisti (Delitto in una mattina di sabato) o tra gli scrittori (Un delitto letterario).
Mi viene da metterla così: a Batya Gur riesce meglio raccontare la vita della morte.
Come immagino vorrebbe il suo paese Michael Ohayon, il protagonista di questa serie di romanzi, che è sostanzialmente una “colomba”.
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February 10, 2019Αρκετά ενδιαφέρον καθώς μας μεταφέρει στον κόσμο των κιμπούτζ μια πιο σύγχρονης εποχής από αυτή πύο γνωρίζουμε συνήθως από την ιστορία. Με αφορμή ένα έγκλημα η συγγραφέας μιλάει για πολλούς από τους προβληματισμούς και την κοινωνική οργάνωση αυτού του θεσμού και παράλληλα διαγράφει και τη σχέση τους με την Ισραηλινή κοινωνία. Η επίλυση της υπόθεσης φέρνει όχι ακριβώς την κάθαρση αλλά σίγουρα τη ρήξη με το παρελθόν.
March 16, 2025
לסקירה מפורטת בעברית, קישור לבלוג שלי -
https://sivi-the-avid-reader.com/לינה...
https://sivi-the-avid-reader.com/לינה...
April 16, 2022
The mystery here was less compelling than Gur's insights into the state of the Kibbutz movement -- in some ways a microcosm of Israeli society itself in the 1990s -- as the collectivist principles of the founding generation, its idealism, sacrifices, and stubborn strength, gave way to capitalist individualism and the desire for bourgeois comforts. I heard a story on NPR several years ago about reimagining kibbutz life, which the program presented as moribund at that time. So Murder on a Kibbutz might serve as a snapshot of the movement in decline.
August 7, 2023
This book took me a while to get through, but I found it interesting and insightful. I learned a lot about a community that I previously didn’t know existed, and enjoyed the plot.
October 24, 2019
A mi modo de ver le falla la voz narrativa, no logra dar el enfoque adecuado, se dispersa mucho y se acaba perdiendo el interés. Por lo menos un kibbutz ya nos ha quedado claro lo que es... pero poco más.
May 12, 2021
La historia de por qué he leído esta novela es más o menos larga. Coincide en que al leer Estación Central de Lavie Tidhar me llamó la atención que se hubiera criado en un kibbutz en Israel. al comentarlo en twitter me respondió que si quería leer algo sobre los kibbutz y su forma de vida comunitaria lo mejor era esta novela:
He visto que ha hecho la misma recomendación en twitter muchas veces. La verdad es que los más interesante de la novela es como cuenta ese mundo en torno a los kibbutz y su utopía comunista desde su creación, crecimiento y un atisbo de su colapso. Todo entretejido en la historia sin que resulte realmente pesado pero a la vez muy pedagógico. Esa parte es de 5 estrellas.
Así que entre una cosa y otra le voy a dar 3 estrellas *** y recomendarla también como hace Lavie. Si el que lo vivió en primera persona tiene esa opinión creo que no hay más que decir.
I don't know if you have it in Spanish, but Batya Gur's Murder on the Kibbutz is fantastic for capturing the feel of it.
twit
He visto que ha hecho la misma recomendación en twitter muchas veces. La verdad es que los más interesante de la novela es como cuenta ese mundo en torno a los kibbutz y su utopía comunista desde su creación, crecimiento y un atisbo de su colapso. Todo entretejido en la historia sin que resulte realmente pesado pero a la vez muy pedagógico. Esa parte es de 5 estrellas.
Así que entre una cosa y otra le voy a dar 3 estrellas *** y recomendarla también como hace Lavie. Si el que lo vivió en primera persona tiene esa opinión creo que no hay más que decir.
December 8, 2021
Una novela policíaca en donde la trama policial es lo menos relevante. La autora es incapaz de provocar en el lector incertidumbres y suposiciones respecto a quién puede ser el asesino. Ni siquiera parece destacable la resolución del caso, tan sólo como cierre de la obra.
Parece que toda la novela y el aparente argumento es una excusa para hablar del movimiento kibbutz, convirtiéndose en el auténtico tema argumental. Aquí la autora, sin explayarse en demasía en explicaciones farragosas, es una novela y no un ensayo, describe bastante bien lo que es un kibbutz, su desarrollo, sus virtudes y carencias, sus contradicciones y tensiones internas, la posibilidad o dificultad de cambios estructurales profundos en el movimiento dentro del seno de la actual sociedad israelí,…
En suma, una mediocre novela policíaca pero una excelente introducción para quién esté interesado en esa mezcla de socialismo y sionismo que dio origen y sustentó el desarrollo durante décadas del movimiento kibbutz y en alguna medida del estado de Israel.
Parece que toda la novela y el aparente argumento es una excusa para hablar del movimiento kibbutz, convirtiéndose en el auténtico tema argumental. Aquí la autora, sin explayarse en demasía en explicaciones farragosas, es una novela y no un ensayo, describe bastante bien lo que es un kibbutz, su desarrollo, sus virtudes y carencias, sus contradicciones y tensiones internas, la posibilidad o dificultad de cambios estructurales profundos en el movimiento dentro del seno de la actual sociedad israelí,…
En suma, una mediocre novela policíaca pero una excelente introducción para quién esté interesado en esa mezcla de socialismo y sionismo que dio origen y sustentó el desarrollo durante décadas del movimiento kibbutz y en alguna medida del estado de Israel.
July 1, 2021
בתחילה שקלתי לפסוח על הספר. אין ז'אנר יותר מתיש בעיני בספרות הישראלית מאשר הקיבוץ. בתור עירונית בת עירונים מעולם לא התחברתי לגאוות האליטה הקיבוצית מחד, או לסיפורי האימים מבית הילדים מאידך. אני שמחה שנתתי לו צ'אנס, כי בתיה גור משרטטת באופן מופתי מיקרוקוסמוס קיבוצי על שלל דמויותיו השונות, המאובחנות היטב, מעולם שכבר לא קיים יותר. גם התפתחות דמותו של הבלש מיכאל אוחיון מעניינת מאוד. לצערי, התעלומה הבלשית לא שכנעה אותי במיוחד וזו הסיבה שהספר זוכה רק לארבעה כוכבים ולא לחמישה
April 6, 2024
A lot of interesting details about kibbutz life, but overall this moved really slowly.
August 11, 2012
If you are interested in "psychologically astute mysteries set in Israel" this is the book and series by Batya Gur for you. They not only give you a different slant on the country and its modern history, but will intrigue you with personal dramas, police work, and the solving of mysteries by her police detective, Michael Ohayon. I am reminded in a way of the modern Irish police series by Tana French. They have the same fasination with country as well as people. I recommend it and other books by Batya Gur.
December 10, 2017
For those of us raised with the mythology of the kibbutz and the founding generation in Israel, those who survived the Holocaust or saw it coming and fled, this book peels back the layers of dispute and discord that survive in the egalitarian society that avowed socialistic principles. The book is all about the children: those reared in the traditional children's house, those fostered or adopted by the kibbutz families who never seemed to fit into the society and those who are damaged in multiple ways. Along the way we get to know other layers of the complex Israeli society and their views of the closed community that is the kibbutz at the center of the book.
My quibble with the book was the number of characters introduced which led to a confusing cast that was hard to keep straight. However, this book was part of a series and readers who start at the beginning most probably know who all these multiple players are and why they reappear here.
My quibble with the book was the number of characters introduced which led to a confusing cast that was hard to keep straight. However, this book was part of a series and readers who start at the beginning most probably know who all these multiple players are and why they reappear here.
January 1, 2020
A novel that illuminates a foundational element in Israeli history. The kibbutz system played a major role in building the nation of Israel, and its communal traditions and alterations affected the development of Israeli society. In this book, Michael Ohayon solves a murder that takes place on a kibbutz. This mystery is a vehicle for examining challenges faced by individuals living in the kibbutz, including communal eating, sleeping, medical care, care for the elderly, education,politics, and relationships.
December 26, 2020
Como otros libros de Batya Gur con Michael Ohayon como protagonista, el interés no sólo se centra en la resolución del crimen, de por sí interesante en su trama, sino nos permite conocer un ambiente especial y en este caso es el de la vida y la cultura imperante en un Kibbutz tradicional pero en "nuestros" tiempos. Ansiaba leer este libro (como soy un poco obsesivo debí leer los otros dos anteriores de la saga) y no me decepcionó. Sin dudas lo recomiendo y ya me daré tiempo de leer el siguiente de la saga en un futuro no tan lejano...
February 1, 2022
3.5/5
Es un libro que me gustó mucho, aún después de nunca haber escuchado la palabra "Kibbutz" y lo que significaba. Hubiera querido que me atrapará más de lo que me hizo y quitando el hecho de que habían días que no leía, o había ciertas partes que no entendía por no saber nada de Jerusalén, si me hubiera tardado unos días en leerlo. Pero si me permitió entrar en otro mundo totalmente distinto al que vivo y estoy acostumbrada y que quizás no sea tan parecido al del mundo real pero que sin duda puedo investigar, visitar y conocer como es actualmente.
Es un libro que me gustó mucho, aún después de nunca haber escuchado la palabra "Kibbutz" y lo que significaba. Hubiera querido que me atrapará más de lo que me hizo y quitando el hecho de que habían días que no leía, o había ciertas partes que no entendía por no saber nada de Jerusalén, si me hubiera tardado unos días en leerlo. Pero si me permitió entrar en otro mundo totalmente distinto al que vivo y estoy acostumbrada y que quizás no sea tan parecido al del mundo real pero que sin duda puedo investigar, visitar y conocer como es actualmente.
June 25, 2021
This was a read at the right time. Enthralling and detailed, it gives a glimpse into the inner working of the collective group while also examining the flaws of the same- deceit, arrogance, resistance leading to murder. Some can pursue a collective life, fitting into the place made and open to group dynamics and socialization. That’s not me. It was very interesting to visit but I won’t be going there.
May 31, 2021
אחד הספרים עם הפתיחה הכי ארוכה ומשעממת שנתקלתי בו איי פעם.
עד הפרק השישי לא היה שום דבר מעניין, למעט דיבורים על ענייני
הקיבוץ והיכרות עם הדמויות העתידות לשמש עניין מרכזי בסיפור.
על אף שהדמות הראשית בספרים, מיכאל אוחיון, מעניינת. נדמה
שטוויית העלילה וקידומה איטי להחריד והאלמנט של המתח הוא
זניח עד כלא קיים.
עד הפרק השישי לא היה שום דבר מעניין, למעט דיבורים על ענייני
הקיבוץ והיכרות עם הדמויות העתידות לשמש עניין מרכזי בסיפור.
על אף שהדמות הראשית בספרים, מיכאל אוחיון, מעניינת. נדמה
שטוויית העלילה וקידומה איטי להחריד והאלמנט של המתח הוא
זניח עד כלא קיים.
June 14, 2019
I am tempted to give this book a five. The beginning was a bit slow, but Gur's characters and the kibbutz setting pulled me in and made me care about what was going to happen. She created a sense of dread that kept me turning pages til the very end. I will read more of this series.
November 15, 2020
3.5 more accurately. It was a slow read for me. I'm used to mysteries/thrillers with more action. The conclusion also felt a bit rushed. But I learned more about kibbutzes than I did in Hebrew school.
November 8, 2020
A meaty murder mystery and deep psychological thriller with a fascinating insight into kibbutz life.
June 1, 2021
Confronts the historical and the modern Kibbutz.
July 3, 2022
Ενδιαφέρον βιβλίο κυρίως για την ιστορία των κιμπούτς στο Ισραήλ. Οι απαρχές και η εξέλιξη. Όσον αφορά το αστυνομικό κομμάτι η πλοκή όχι κάτι το ιδιαίτερο.
July 18, 2022
What makes this series interesting is the location…I’m not that invested.
July 7, 2024
Interessante per capire cos'è un kibbutz e come funziona.
July 16, 2024
Excellente et passionnante plongée dans l'univers du kibbutz avec ses réussites et ses échecs. On n'en ressort pas indemne.
October 4, 2024
3.4- the weakest of the series but- even the weakest of batya Gur is great read for me.
May 14, 2025
An und für sich durchaus lesenswert, aber teilweise waren die Dialoge und Geschehnisse ein wenig undurchsichtig und nicht nachvollziehbar. Eine Spur zu langatmig, darunter leidet auch die Spannung.
September 3, 2025
לא יכול להגיד שנהניתי מהספר הזה. הוא היה די מתיש. מקווה שהשלושה הנותרים בסדרה יהיו טובים יותר. התפקיד המוקטן של הדמות הראשית הפריע לי מאוד. למה שספר כזה יעניין אותי?
November 29, 2012
Murder mysteries wear many faces. The best use the crime story as a mere vehicle to introduce unfamiliar localities, cultures and eras, and interesting personalities. If you like this sort of reading, "Murder on a Kibbutz" is a trip worth taking
To the average American, the kibbutz, Israel's communal village, seems like an exotic lifestyle, permeated by idealism and communal sharing. Reality is more complex. Idealism does exist, as do a shared lifestyle and strong community feeling--but one also finds dissension over ideology, e.g. whether children should stay overnight with their parents or in a "children's house," or whether elders should be housed in a central facility. The pervading sentiment is one of mutual kindness, born out of an open lifestyle in close quarters (anyone who cannot abide by it leaves), yet gossip, argument, divorce, subterfuge and bullying are not unknown, nor are hired employees from "the outside."
A murder on a kibbutz is almost unheard of. Lives are so intertwined that tensions which might lead to this are quickly detected and resolved. Michael Ohayon, the police inspector assigned to handle a suspicious death on a kibbutz, quickly concludes that handling a crime in a kibbutz is much like handling one in a close-knit family. It is a fitting comparison.
Batya Gur's unnamed kibbutz, somewhere in the southern coastland of Israel, is believably drawn (having stayed in one in the very same area, home to a cousin, I can personally vouch for that). Dalya Bilu's translation is fluent throughout. To an Israeli reader many personalities may seem like stock characters, but they too are believable, and if towards the end the plot becomes frayed, and the climax is somewhat implausible--still, the journey is what matters, not the arrival at its destination.
These days most news from Israel concern the struggle between Jews and Arabs. In 1991, when this book was written, that conflict was more distant, something happening out of sight--and even now, in 2002, this still holds in many kibbutz settings. Sure, change is in the air. The old generation of kibbutz founders, which remembers British rule, the Holocaust and the war to establish Israel, is fading from the scene, and communal living, kibbutz style, may itself be eroding. Yet a lot remains, and this fast-moving crime novel, in an unusual setting, lets you taste a little of it.
Postscript (7 June 22 '05): Batya Gur passed away 19 March 2005, at age 57. Four other mysteries by her were published in English, all involving groups in Israel's society--"Saturday Morning Murder" ('92), "Literary Murder: A Critical Case" ('93), "Murder Duet: A Musical Case" ('94) and "Betlehem Road Murder" (2004). This one is probably the best among them.
To the average American, the kibbutz, Israel's communal village, seems like an exotic lifestyle, permeated by idealism and communal sharing. Reality is more complex. Idealism does exist, as do a shared lifestyle and strong community feeling--but one also finds dissension over ideology, e.g. whether children should stay overnight with their parents or in a "children's house," or whether elders should be housed in a central facility. The pervading sentiment is one of mutual kindness, born out of an open lifestyle in close quarters (anyone who cannot abide by it leaves), yet gossip, argument, divorce, subterfuge and bullying are not unknown, nor are hired employees from "the outside."
A murder on a kibbutz is almost unheard of. Lives are so intertwined that tensions which might lead to this are quickly detected and resolved. Michael Ohayon, the police inspector assigned to handle a suspicious death on a kibbutz, quickly concludes that handling a crime in a kibbutz is much like handling one in a close-knit family. It is a fitting comparison.
Batya Gur's unnamed kibbutz, somewhere in the southern coastland of Israel, is believably drawn (having stayed in one in the very same area, home to a cousin, I can personally vouch for that). Dalya Bilu's translation is fluent throughout. To an Israeli reader many personalities may seem like stock characters, but they too are believable, and if towards the end the plot becomes frayed, and the climax is somewhat implausible--still, the journey is what matters, not the arrival at its destination.
These days most news from Israel concern the struggle between Jews and Arabs. In 1991, when this book was written, that conflict was more distant, something happening out of sight--and even now, in 2002, this still holds in many kibbutz settings. Sure, change is in the air. The old generation of kibbutz founders, which remembers British rule, the Holocaust and the war to establish Israel, is fading from the scene, and communal living, kibbutz style, may itself be eroding. Yet a lot remains, and this fast-moving crime novel, in an unusual setting, lets you taste a little of it.
Postscript (7 June 22 '05): Batya Gur passed away 19 March 2005, at age 57. Four other mysteries by her were published in English, all involving groups in Israel's society--"Saturday Morning Murder" ('92), "Literary Murder: A Critical Case" ('93), "Murder Duet: A Musical Case" ('94) and "Betlehem Road Murder" (2004). This one is probably the best among them.
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December 7, 2010[These comments are taken from a mailing list discussion and as such contain spoilers....]
[on the characters]
I don't remember any of the characters other than Michael appearing before and I didn't find him as interesting as in previous books. He seems rather nondescript in this one, I expected his history background to come into use at some point and I want to know how Eli and Tzilla are getting on with their baby but apart from a brief mention of Michael's son there's very little continuity of characters from the last book.
I almost wonder why Gur wrote this as a series. The recurring character of Michael doesn't add very much to the books.
I think Avigail is an interesting person, the policewoman who is working undercover as a nurse, but I hold out no great hope of seeing her in the next book. Nearly everyone on the kibbutz seems unlikeable, Moish and Dave are the only two I can recall thinking were ok, but on the whole they are quite an interesting bunch to read about.
I think it's hard, without knowing anything about a kibbutz, to know if the relationships between the kibbutz members are realistic but they feel quite realistic to me and they certainly seem more real than Michael's relationships with his colleagues.
[on the plot]
The big weakness of the plot was that it was full of devices that had been used in the first two books. I've no problem with them in theory and the closed community theme was fine but it was just a bit predictable that the killer would be protecting the kibbutz from change and preserving an ideal. So I think the plotting was plausible just not very innovative from the point of view of the series.
I think if I was reading these books further apart and not thinking so much about them I'd like the structure more, as it is, apart from the diverse settings they are becoming rather samey.
I'd like to have heard more about the side issues like the face cream fraud. Gur puts tons of stories into her books but doesn't develop them into full sub plots, it's like having too much to read and not enough to read at the same time. I feel the only real thread is the murder and everything else is just bits of cotton lying around being too short to sew anything with.
The conclusion was satisfactory enough but I found the journey a bit empty, lots of scenery and not that much substance.
more to come...
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