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City of Many Days
City of Many Days traces the interwoven lives of many residents of Jerusalem in the years of the British mandate, the decades that formed its modern character. Hareven, through her unique polyphonic writing, creates characters who are instantly empathetic, intriguing, and credible - in a few lines, we know them. Homebodies and prostitutes, Arabs and Jews, patriots and recluses, military men and country cooks, rebels and informers, and many more make up an unforgettable mosaic of the shimmering city, Jerusalem.
192 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1972
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83 people want to read
About the author
Shulamith Hareven
19 books6 followersShulamith Hareven (1930 – November 25, 2003) was an Israeli author and essayist.
She was born in Warsaw, Poland, to a Zionist family. She immigrated to Mandate Palestine with her parents in 1940.
At 17 she joined the Haganah, serving as a combat medic in the 1948 Arab-Israeli War, in the siege of Jerusalem. She was assigned to establish Israel Defense Forces Radio, opening the station's broadcasts in 1950. She was a war correspondent in the War of Attrition and the Yom Kippur War.
In 1962 she published her first book, a book of poems titled Predatory Jerusalem. Since then she wrote prose books, translations of books, and plays. She published essays and articles about Israeli society and culture in literary journals Masa, Orlogin, and Keshet, and in newspapers Al Ha-Mishmar, Maariv, and Yedioth Ahronoth. Her essays are collected in four volumes. She also published a thriller under the pen name "Tal Yaeri". Her books have been translated into 21 languages.
She was the first woman inducted into the Academy of the Hebrew Language.
She was an activist for Peace Now. In 1995 the French weekly L'Express deemed her an Author of Peace and listed her among the 100 women "who move the world".
(from Wikipedia)
She was born in Warsaw, Poland, to a Zionist family. She immigrated to Mandate Palestine with her parents in 1940.
At 17 she joined the Haganah, serving as a combat medic in the 1948 Arab-Israeli War, in the siege of Jerusalem. She was assigned to establish Israel Defense Forces Radio, opening the station's broadcasts in 1950. She was a war correspondent in the War of Attrition and the Yom Kippur War.
In 1962 she published her first book, a book of poems titled Predatory Jerusalem. Since then she wrote prose books, translations of books, and plays. She published essays and articles about Israeli society and culture in literary journals Masa, Orlogin, and Keshet, and in newspapers Al Ha-Mishmar, Maariv, and Yedioth Ahronoth. Her essays are collected in four volumes. She also published a thriller under the pen name "Tal Yaeri". Her books have been translated into 21 languages.
She was the first woman inducted into the Academy of the Hebrew Language.
She was an activist for Peace Now. In 1995 the French weekly L'Express deemed her an Author of Peace and listed her among the 100 women "who move the world".
(from Wikipedia)
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
June 7, 2025
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September 11, 2017
Miracolo Orientale
Questo libro è un po’ sfuocato all’inizio, come spesso è l’infanzia, quando le giornate non hanno uno scopo particolare e il tempo scorre lento. Intanto la protagonista Sara racconta la sua famiglia, si guarda intorno, attraversa l’adolescenza e il suo carattere si forma, disincantato, indipendente. Nella Gerusalemme degli anni ’30 va a fare un corso per infermiera spedita dalla madre, che non la considera abbastanza bella da stare a casa e pensare a sposarsi e questa è la sua fortuna, perché la sua intelligenza ha spazio per crescere al di là degli isterismi materni. Sono anni felici, nei quali Sara può godere di feste e concerti in compagnia di amici, senza il sentore di quanto presto l’incanto sarà rotto. Dopo, gli eventi precipitano e il tempo subisce una netta accelerazione.
Nel racconto ci sono personaggi godibilissimi, come Miracolo Orientale, lo spasimante dell’attempata zia Victoria, che non può accettarlo, a sua detta perché farebbero una coppia da ridere, donnona e omino: personaggi buffi ma anche perfettamente realistici.
E in effetti uno dei molti pregi di questo libro sta nell’essere realistico e convincente: nessuno è perfetto e senza macchia e l’escalation della violenza in Palestina viene raccontata per gradi, come una marea che monta. Niente succede d’improvviso. Sara rincontra il suo amore di ragazzina in circostanze abbastanza drammatiche, in un momento in cui la sua stima nei confronti del marito ha subito un grave colpo e attraversa una crisi che non è da romanzo rosa, semmai da romanzo di guerra.
E’ un libro fedele per quanto possibile ai fatti e alle atmosfere, che riesce a rievocare in modo vivido e conciso e contiene anche cose sorprendenti. Mi è piaciuto molto il discorso che il dottor Barzel tiene alle infermiere durante una lezione, nel quale dice che la morte è il prezzo pagato dall’uomo per la sua individualità. Quando si era materia biologica non evoluta, le cellule venivano sostituite da cellule uguali e l’entità si perpetuava. Quando le cellule si sono differenziate e hanno fatto l’uomo, l’animale, la pianta, a noi è stato dato di godere della nostra vita, emozioni, conoscenza, colori, paesaggi, sentimenti. Il prezzo è di dover restituire alla terra quello che abbiamo avuto. Mi è sembrato un pensiero “biologico”, equilibrato, soddisfacente.
Questo libro è un po’ sfuocato all’inizio, come spesso è l’infanzia, quando le giornate non hanno uno scopo particolare e il tempo scorre lento. Intanto la protagonista Sara racconta la sua famiglia, si guarda intorno, attraversa l’adolescenza e il suo carattere si forma, disincantato, indipendente. Nella Gerusalemme degli anni ’30 va a fare un corso per infermiera spedita dalla madre, che non la considera abbastanza bella da stare a casa e pensare a sposarsi e questa è la sua fortuna, perché la sua intelligenza ha spazio per crescere al di là degli isterismi materni. Sono anni felici, nei quali Sara può godere di feste e concerti in compagnia di amici, senza il sentore di quanto presto l’incanto sarà rotto. Dopo, gli eventi precipitano e il tempo subisce una netta accelerazione.
Nel racconto ci sono personaggi godibilissimi, come Miracolo Orientale, lo spasimante dell’attempata zia Victoria, che non può accettarlo, a sua detta perché farebbero una coppia da ridere, donnona e omino: personaggi buffi ma anche perfettamente realistici.
E in effetti uno dei molti pregi di questo libro sta nell’essere realistico e convincente: nessuno è perfetto e senza macchia e l’escalation della violenza in Palestina viene raccontata per gradi, come una marea che monta. Niente succede d’improvviso. Sara rincontra il suo amore di ragazzina in circostanze abbastanza drammatiche, in un momento in cui la sua stima nei confronti del marito ha subito un grave colpo e attraversa una crisi che non è da romanzo rosa, semmai da romanzo di guerra.
E’ un libro fedele per quanto possibile ai fatti e alle atmosfere, che riesce a rievocare in modo vivido e conciso e contiene anche cose sorprendenti. Mi è piaciuto molto il discorso che il dottor Barzel tiene alle infermiere durante una lezione, nel quale dice che la morte è il prezzo pagato dall’uomo per la sua individualità. Quando si era materia biologica non evoluta, le cellule venivano sostituite da cellule uguali e l’entità si perpetuava. Quando le cellule si sono differenziate e hanno fatto l’uomo, l’animale, la pianta, a noi è stato dato di godere della nostra vita, emozioni, conoscenza, colori, paesaggi, sentimenti. Il prezzo è di dover restituire alla terra quello che abbiamo avuto. Mi è sembrato un pensiero “biologico”, equilibrato, soddisfacente.
March 21, 2012
Although I very much enjoyed this book in college, I found myself disappointed this time. I felt that to understand it you had to have been there during that time as she provides no context of her own. She fails to provide the foundations of the Palestinians' grievances but has them committing murders as though unprovoked.
November 9, 2024
A book that deeply resonated with me, not just because of its story, but because it is about the Jerusalem I grew up in. This book offers a captivating view of Jerusalem in the first half of the 20th century, capturing the unique fusion of cultures, languages, and traditions that have shaped the city over generations. Reading it, I felt transported to the neighborhoods I know so well, seeing them as they were—full of people from Germany, Yemen, Russia, Lebanon, Spain, England, and more, in addition to the locals, each bringing their own histories and customs to the city.
The book’s portrayal of Jerusalem is intimate and detailed, showing how these diverse influences molded the city’s atmosphere, architecture, and community life. I found myself reminiscing about my own experiences in these neighborhoods, recognizing streets and places that still bear traces of these influences. The author’s descriptions bring these early days to life with authenticity and richness, capturing the multi-layered identity that Jerusalem still holds.
One of the book’s most profound aspects is its treatment of the Arab-Jewish conflict, presented in a violent but more innocent light than we are used to seeing today. The story hints at a looming path of violence and misunderstanding, a shadow that grows as the narrative unfolds. Rather than confronting the conflict head-on, the book suggests how the seeds of tension were sown, even among people who coexisted side by side. It evokes a poignant sense of inevitability that these early differences would lead to a hardened divide, violence, and loss.
Reading this book was both a nostalgic and an emotional journey, as it captured not only the Jerusalem of history but also the complex, often bittersweet reality of the city today. It’s a testament to a Jerusalem that feels both familiar and foreign, a place constantly transforming yet grounded in its diverse roots and complicated past.
The book’s portrayal of Jerusalem is intimate and detailed, showing how these diverse influences molded the city’s atmosphere, architecture, and community life. I found myself reminiscing about my own experiences in these neighborhoods, recognizing streets and places that still bear traces of these influences. The author’s descriptions bring these early days to life with authenticity and richness, capturing the multi-layered identity that Jerusalem still holds.
One of the book’s most profound aspects is its treatment of the Arab-Jewish conflict, presented in a violent but more innocent light than we are used to seeing today. The story hints at a looming path of violence and misunderstanding, a shadow that grows as the narrative unfolds. Rather than confronting the conflict head-on, the book suggests how the seeds of tension were sown, even among people who coexisted side by side. It evokes a poignant sense of inevitability that these early differences would lead to a hardened divide, violence, and loss.
Reading this book was both a nostalgic and an emotional journey, as it captured not only the Jerusalem of history but also the complex, often bittersweet reality of the city today. It’s a testament to a Jerusalem that feels both familiar and foreign, a place constantly transforming yet grounded in its diverse roots and complicated past.
December 9, 2024
I reviewed Hareven's "Thirst, A Desert Trilogy" today, an old favorite from decades ago, and a rare five-star rating. John Podheretz recommended this account of a decade, from the mid-1930s through the end of WWII, for its evocative descriptions of Jerusalem. There's the British overseers, lots of Jewish settlers, naturally, and Arab natives whose "effendi" landlords enrich themselves off selling land that their tenants resent, as immigration accelerates amidst the threat of German annihilation.
But the conflict remains distant. Instead, there's sporadic violence, mostly instigated by the Muslims and largely offstage. Meanwhile, we see in passing Zionist Haganah (to which the author belonged) recruits literally underground, in the city sewers, assembling grenades and anticipating independence.
There's little action. Instead, conversation among the various citizens of the growing municipality. The scion, Isaac Amarillo, is a Sephardic descendant, and his offspring engender their flirtations, and their marriages, over the decade, as a doctor from Frankfurt arrives to carry out his profession. That's about it for plot. People come and go, live and die. I closed this with acknowledgement for Hareven's ability to invent lyrical descriptions of the places, but when the most memorable passage is the doctor's letter to a friend back home about the moods evoked by the names of the neighborhoods in the Arab and Jewish districts, it's evident that this novel's not much of a pageturner. I don't think that Hillel Halkin's translation can be blamed, but rather a lack of tension or character depth throughout.
But the conflict remains distant. Instead, there's sporadic violence, mostly instigated by the Muslims and largely offstage. Meanwhile, we see in passing Zionist Haganah (to which the author belonged) recruits literally underground, in the city sewers, assembling grenades and anticipating independence.
There's little action. Instead, conversation among the various citizens of the growing municipality. The scion, Isaac Amarillo, is a Sephardic descendant, and his offspring engender their flirtations, and their marriages, over the decade, as a doctor from Frankfurt arrives to carry out his profession. That's about it for plot. People come and go, live and die. I closed this with acknowledgement for Hareven's ability to invent lyrical descriptions of the places, but when the most memorable passage is the doctor's letter to a friend back home about the moods evoked by the names of the neighborhoods in the Arab and Jewish districts, it's evident that this novel's not much of a pageturner. I don't think that Hillel Halkin's translation can be blamed, but rather a lack of tension or character depth throughout.
December 18, 2024
A nice story and about a romantic time in mandatory Palestine. Located in Jerusalem A number of colorful and diverse characters, From a variety of nationalities - Arabs, Jews and British. Wonderful and special story.
October 13, 2010
Shulamith Hareven is an Israeli author who wrote City of Many Days, a novel about Jerusalem and a family which has lived there for many generations. It's beautifully written.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews