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Michael Ohayon #2
Φόνος στο πανεπιστήμιο
Η συγγραφέας του "Φόνος Σάββατο πρωί" επιστρέφει με ένα ακόμα αστυνομικό μυθιστόρημα, γεμάτο αγωνία και ανατροπές...
Ο αρχιεπιθεωρητής Μιχαέλ Οχαγιόν πρέπει να διελευκάνει τη βίαιη δολοφονία ενός φημισμένου κριτικού και καθηγητή λογοτεχνίας στο Πανεπιστήμιο του Ισραήλ, που συγχρόνως ήταν και ένας από τους πιο αγαπητούς ποιητές της χώρας του. Την ίδια στιγμή, χιλιόμετρα μακριά, ένα εξέχον, νεώτερο στέλεχος της ίδιας, άτυπης λογοτεχνικής κοινότητας χάνει τη ζωή του σε μια, φαινομενικά "αθώα", υποβρύχια κατάδυση.
Τη φορά αυτή, ο αρχιεπιθεωρητής καλείται να αντιμετωπίσει βαθιά πνευματικά και ηθικά διλήμματα που αφορούν τη σχέση του καλλιτέχνη με το έργο του, καθώς και το ακανθώδες ζήτημα της λογοκλοπίας, ενώ ένα ολόκληρο πανεπιστημιακό τμήμα είναι γεμάτο υπόπτους.
Στην προσπάθειά του να ξεδιαλύνει το μυστήριο που καλύπτει το φόνο (ή μήπως ήταν δύο οι φόνοι, τελικά;), ο Οχαγιόν θα βυθιστεί σε έναν ανελέητο ακαδημαϊκό κόσμο που θα του φέρει στο νου τα δικά του χρόνια στο πανεπιστήμιο.
Ο "Φόνος στο πανεπιστήμιο" είναι ένα αστυνομικό μυθιστόρημα που κόβει την ανάσα - και συγχρόνως μια αποκαλυπτική ματιά στην κοινωνία, την πνευματική ελίτ και την κουλτούρα του Ισραήλ.
Ο αρχιεπιθεωρητής Μιχαέλ Οχαγιόν πρέπει να διελευκάνει τη βίαιη δολοφονία ενός φημισμένου κριτικού και καθηγητή λογοτεχνίας στο Πανεπιστήμιο του Ισραήλ, που συγχρόνως ήταν και ένας από τους πιο αγαπητούς ποιητές της χώρας του. Την ίδια στιγμή, χιλιόμετρα μακριά, ένα εξέχον, νεώτερο στέλεχος της ίδιας, άτυπης λογοτεχνικής κοινότητας χάνει τη ζωή του σε μια, φαινομενικά "αθώα", υποβρύχια κατάδυση.
Τη φορά αυτή, ο αρχιεπιθεωρητής καλείται να αντιμετωπίσει βαθιά πνευματικά και ηθικά διλήμματα που αφορούν τη σχέση του καλλιτέχνη με το έργο του, καθώς και το ακανθώδες ζήτημα της λογοκλοπίας, ενώ ένα ολόκληρο πανεπιστημιακό τμήμα είναι γεμάτο υπόπτους.
Στην προσπάθειά του να ξεδιαλύνει το μυστήριο που καλύπτει το φόνο (ή μήπως ήταν δύο οι φόνοι, τελικά;), ο Οχαγιόν θα βυθιστεί σε έναν ανελέητο ακαδημαϊκό κόσμο που θα του φέρει στο νου τα δικά του χρόνια στο πανεπιστήμιο.
Ο "Φόνος στο πανεπιστήμιο" είναι ένα αστυνομικό μυθιστόρημα που κόβει την ανάσα - και συγχρόνως μια αποκαλυπτική ματιά στην κοινωνία, την πνευματική ελίτ και την κουλτούρα του Ισραήλ.
524 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1989
65 people are currently reading
350 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 73 reviews
March 16, 2025
לסקירה מפורטת בעברית, קישור לבלוג שלי -
https://sivi-the-avid-reader.com/מוות...
https://sivi-the-avid-reader.com/מוות...
May 22, 2012
Batya Gur is one of the best writers of police procedurals around and Literary Murder is her finest. Three things make this book outstanding: first, a tightly constructed plot with lots of parallelism; second, the application of certain themes; and third, the complexity and contrast in the characterization. The book is laid in the Literature Dept. of Hebrew University in Jerusalem, a milieu in which the author is right at home, having studied there. The major theme is corruption (and corruption versus beauty). The image of corruption and decay appears promptly, when Ruchama Shai is picking up dust balls in her apartment – that’s sort of a dry image of return to dust – dry decay, lack of life and substance, futility. Then we see the two corpses, with faces and bodies that are moist, nasty, and repellent. The Hebrew title of the book, which translates as "Death in the Department of Literature," is much more illustrative of this theme than "Literary Murder"; the word “death” is a lot broader than the word “murder.” A lot more died in that Literature Dept. than two of its members – a lot of illusions and suppositions and faith – and furthermore, so many of the characters are already effectively dead inside.
This is absolutely wonderful book, which I recommend wholeheartedly to anyone, whether they read mysteries or not, and especially to people who are fascinated by literature and poetry, both of which play such an important part in the story.
This is absolutely wonderful book, which I recommend wholeheartedly to anyone, whether they read mysteries or not, and especially to people who are fascinated by literature and poetry, both of which play such an important part in the story.
February 17, 2020
Ωραία ιστορία,όχι πολύ του γούστου μου η θεματολογία βέβαια(ποιητές,ποίηση κλπ),όμως αυτό το γεγονός ήρθε κάπως στα ίσια του,με τον πολύ συμπαθή επιθεωρητή Οχαγιόν:τον μόνο λόγο ίσως που θα αναζητήσω και τα υπόλοιπα της συγγραφέως.
Δυο εγκλήματα διαφορετικής φύσης,πολύπλοκες ανθρώπινες σχέσεις,πολύς κόσμος πήγε κι ήρθε,παρόλα αυτά,αυτό που μου έλειψε είναι λίγο παραπάνω άρωμα των περιοχών που κινήθηκε-μου έδωσε την εντύπωση πως αν κάναμε μια μικρή αλλαγή στα ονόματα των περιοχών και μόνο,θα μπορούσε να εξελίσσεται οπουδήποτε.Ευχάριστη γραφή,συμπαθητική ατμόσφαιρα και 3,5 ⭐
Δυο εγκλήματα διαφορετικής φύσης,πολύπλοκες ανθρώπινες σχέσεις,πολύς κόσμος πήγε κι ήρθε,παρόλα αυτά,αυτό που μου έλειψε είναι λίγο παραπάνω άρωμα των περιοχών που κινήθηκε-μου έδωσε την εντύπωση πως αν κάναμε μια μικρή αλλαγή στα ονόματα των περιοχών και μόνο,θα μπορούσε να εξελίσσεται οπουδήποτε.Ευχάριστη γραφή,συμπαθητική ατμόσφαιρα και 3,5 ⭐
March 5, 2010
I couldn't get into it. Forced myself through it and appreciated a couple of passages on literary analysis. It reads like a literary textbook thinly disguised by a murder whodunit.
March 24, 2017
Too many characters and none I cared about; I've read 3 in the Ohayan series and I'm done. Good, detailed writing, although confusing and awkward at times. More than I wanted to know about poetry in this tiny university setting. Sorry, just can't recommend it.
July 11, 2022
Even ***1/2, in the end.
It took a while before taking off - probably also because I have difficulties when I don't know if a name is for a woman or a man, and I can't remember them from one page to the other.
Still a mystery all cantered on love of Art and Literature couldn't possibly not catch me in the end!!!
It took a while before taking off - probably also because I have difficulties when I don't know if a name is for a woman or a man, and I can't remember them from one page to the other.
Still a mystery all cantered on love of Art and Literature couldn't possibly not catch me in the end!!!
November 13, 2007
Go here for the English version
Murder story set in the literature department of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. The German title, which compelled me to read this book in the first place, sounds much better than the English one.
I gave this book three stars, though I really felt only "it was okay" about it. Three stars because it is a good boook. Two stars, because I've been to Jerusalem and nothing in the book gave me the feeling that it was set there. It could have been set anywhere. Missed chance.
Three stars, because it was a good mystery, with many characters that were well enough drawn to keep them apart. Two stars because it took her about 100 pages to get started, with all the character descriptions that were necessary to make it work.
Three stars, because for a crime story, it's quite well-written.
Two stars, because the thing I care about most in crime tories, the investigator, never really clicked with me. Even though he is in every chapter, I have no idea what kind of man Ochajon is. And while I like reading about strangers, I don't like leaving them as strangers.
Conclusion: I don't regret reading this, but I won't read anotherbook by the author any time soon.
Murder story set in the literature department of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. The German title, which compelled me to read this book in the first place, sounds much better than the English one.
I gave this book three stars, though I really felt only "it was okay" about it. Three stars because it is a good boook. Two stars, because I've been to Jerusalem and nothing in the book gave me the feeling that it was set there. It could have been set anywhere. Missed chance.
Three stars, because it was a good mystery, with many characters that were well enough drawn to keep them apart. Two stars because it took her about 100 pages to get started, with all the character descriptions that were necessary to make it work.
Three stars, because for a crime story, it's quite well-written.
Two stars, because the thing I care about most in crime tories, the investigator, never really clicked with me. Even though he is in every chapter, I have no idea what kind of man Ochajon is. And while I like reading about strangers, I don't like leaving them as strangers.
Conclusion: I don't regret reading this, but I won't read anotherbook by the author any time soon.
Read
February 25, 2012Gur keeps as incisive as ever in this early work: her interplay of character and plot balances well over the course of the book--minor characters appear and reappear at different angles, seen from different perspectives, each time shedding new light not only on the protagonist, but the issues of ownership, fidelity, identity and jealousy central to the plot. She has a talent for depicting close-knit communities with specific interests and esoteric demands--setting, tone, and detail draw out glancing responses from the central character, while developing more elaborate enthusiasms or affinities from readers. In this book, she is less interested than elsewhere in holding up a mirror to literary devices themselves, which comes as a relief, but at the same time we're left with some meandering passages meant, I suppose, to create a sense of surpassing meaning...more successful in some areas than others. For instance, she's not interested in happy endings: her detective protagonist is reportedly 'reknown' for needing time, after solving a case, to recover from the implications he's discovered: about the paucity of the human condition, or the conundrums of sympathy and judgment, perhaps. Here, we're left with the question posed by the villain--does truth transcend morality, or does morality depend on truth? Meh...
July 13, 2015
In the tradition of P.D. James, here is a fine character-driven mystery story, one of a half-dozen by this Israeli author (now deceased) who was also a teacher and literary critic for the Ha’aretz newspaper. The mystery involves the death of two members of the Hebrew Literature department at the Hebrew University, and the interpretation of poetry plays an important part in the story.
The detective, Michael Ohayon, is himself a graduate of the Hebrew University, where he majored in history but did study poetry at one point. Ohayon’s university degree sets him apart from others in the police department, as his boss keeps annoyingly reminding him. As a cop and a Jew of Moroccan birth, he is also seen as an outsider by the university people.
I returned to this book, which I had read years ago, and this time was pleasantly surprised and impressed by the way in which the author integrates the interpretation of poetry into the story. I recommend Literary Murder and Gur’s other books, which include Murder on a Kibbutz: A Communal Case and Bethlehem Road Murder.
The detective, Michael Ohayon, is himself a graduate of the Hebrew University, where he majored in history but did study poetry at one point. Ohayon’s university degree sets him apart from others in the police department, as his boss keeps annoyingly reminding him. As a cop and a Jew of Moroccan birth, he is also seen as an outsider by the university people.
I returned to this book, which I had read years ago, and this time was pleasantly surprised and impressed by the way in which the author integrates the interpretation of poetry into the story. I recommend Literary Murder and Gur’s other books, which include Murder on a Kibbutz: A Communal Case and Bethlehem Road Murder.
October 10, 2024
Israeli police Superintendent Michael Ohayon faces two murders in the closed ranks of academia when he begins investigation of two murders of professors in the Hebrew Literature Department at Hebrew University.
The story opens with a broadcast department seminar led by the department chair, the noted poet Shaul Tirosh, with senior lecturer Tuvia Shai and grad student Iddo Dudai. The lecture: "Good Poem, Bad Poem."
Author Batya Gur creates a wonderful setting where readers get the opening salvo of the world where this story will be focused. She begins with a departmental seminar that instead of the usual small group setting, it is being taped and broadcast to the public, and among the audience are not only faculty members but literary critics, and members of the broader academic community.
Even the three presenters reflect the entire department and provide an inkling into the dynamics of the world they inhabit: Tirosh, highly opinionated and well aware of his reputation as one of the country's most beloved poets; Shai, his accolade who idolizes the man and his work; and Dudai, who stuns everyone with his presentation, an apparent verbal strike at Tirosh.
And then there are the others in the live audience — Tuvia's wife, Ruchama, Tirosh's latest lover, who like many in the audience, are enamored by the man, his theatrical mannerisms, his voice; and faculty and staff members of the department.
The evening ends with Dudai seeking our Shai to talk to discuss something. Shai, who is as shocked as the others by his presentation and angered by the apparent challenge of it, agrees.
The action then changes: Ohayon has taken his son, Yuva, for a weekend learning scuba diving. As groups go into the water and return to the beach, a rescue attempt is made and one of those taking lessons, Dudai, is found dead. It is quickly found that this is no tragic accident — Dudai's tanks carried a odorless, tasteless gas, rather than oxygen.
Ohayon takes over the investigation and begins to explore the world of Dudai, which is the university, specifically the department. But one of the key players is missing: Tirosh. No one knows what has happened to him. Finally, in a search for where he could be, his staff enters his office and it is there they come across his corpse.
This leads to the heart of the story, the investigation into these two deaths. And this is where we really see the most important skills of the author. Through Ohayon, Gur explores this tightly knit community, the power structure, it, the sense of belonging of its members and their relationships within the group. And the reader gains so much from this type of investigation, as does Ohayon, who even attends a lecture given by Tuvia Shai (which was the only weak link to the story — I got the general gist of the lecture but it was really too technical for true understanding and could have been made more concise).
This goes beyond the physical clues to what drives individuals — to rebel, to argue, to subsume their own personalities in support of a leader. This is Gur's key point, what drives people, even to murder.
This is why I continue to search out Gur's work, strong writing, well developed characters and mysteries that expose the human condition.
The story opens with a broadcast department seminar led by the department chair, the noted poet Shaul Tirosh, with senior lecturer Tuvia Shai and grad student Iddo Dudai. The lecture: "Good Poem, Bad Poem."
Author Batya Gur creates a wonderful setting where readers get the opening salvo of the world where this story will be focused. She begins with a departmental seminar that instead of the usual small group setting, it is being taped and broadcast to the public, and among the audience are not only faculty members but literary critics, and members of the broader academic community.
Even the three presenters reflect the entire department and provide an inkling into the dynamics of the world they inhabit: Tirosh, highly opinionated and well aware of his reputation as one of the country's most beloved poets; Shai, his accolade who idolizes the man and his work; and Dudai, who stuns everyone with his presentation, an apparent verbal strike at Tirosh.
And then there are the others in the live audience — Tuvia's wife, Ruchama, Tirosh's latest lover, who like many in the audience, are enamored by the man, his theatrical mannerisms, his voice; and faculty and staff members of the department.
The evening ends with Dudai seeking our Shai to talk to discuss something. Shai, who is as shocked as the others by his presentation and angered by the apparent challenge of it, agrees.
The action then changes: Ohayon has taken his son, Yuva, for a weekend learning scuba diving. As groups go into the water and return to the beach, a rescue attempt is made and one of those taking lessons, Dudai, is found dead. It is quickly found that this is no tragic accident — Dudai's tanks carried a odorless, tasteless gas, rather than oxygen.
Ohayon takes over the investigation and begins to explore the world of Dudai, which is the university, specifically the department. But one of the key players is missing: Tirosh. No one knows what has happened to him. Finally, in a search for where he could be, his staff enters his office and it is there they come across his corpse.
This leads to the heart of the story, the investigation into these two deaths. And this is where we really see the most important skills of the author. Through Ohayon, Gur explores this tightly knit community, the power structure, it, the sense of belonging of its members and their relationships within the group. And the reader gains so much from this type of investigation, as does Ohayon, who even attends a lecture given by Tuvia Shai (which was the only weak link to the story — I got the general gist of the lecture but it was really too technical for true understanding and could have been made more concise).
This goes beyond the physical clues to what drives individuals — to rebel, to argue, to subsume their own personalities in support of a leader. This is Gur's key point, what drives people, even to murder.
This is why I continue to search out Gur's work, strong writing, well developed characters and mysteries that expose the human condition.
June 2, 2019
Me encantan Batya Gur y el inspector jefe Michael Ohayon. En este caso sobre justicia poética (literal) el misterio envuelve hasta el útimo capítulo. Joyita israelí.
December 22, 2023
3.5 stars
April 28, 2016
This novel intrigued me. It contained a reference to literature in the title, is a mystery, and set in Jerusalem, an unusual location. How disappointing! I had to wade through the academic literary pseudo-babble in the first chapter. "Okay," I thought, "I guess this is necessary if the main characters are university professors specializing in Israeli literature." Then I met the cast of characters; none of whom are likable or appealing. Two murders ensue. A great deal is made of the question: Are they related? Of course they are! Get on with the story! Sad to say, I had the mystery solved halfway through the book. Who and why were obvious. The detective helped me by working out how the murders were committed, but as a reader of crime mysteries, I want the author to lead me to the solution near the end when he or she figures it out. I do NOT want to figure it out and have that confirmed at the end when the detective finally solves the mystery. Not worth the time I spent reading it. The typos and omitted words are not acceptable either!
February 10, 2020
Gur's characters somehow don't connect with me. Maybe it is a lack of humor. Also, there are so many of them I have trouble keeping them straight. I have read a few of her books in a quest to get a feel for Israeli culture, having known little until recently, as we prepare for a trip. She is not one to provide a sense of place, though her Kibbutz Murder book was somewhat of an exception. The last few chapters interested me more, with their allusion to the Soviet Gulag of my college memories. This book is also overloaded with dull literary analysis for my money.
February 5, 2021
אין זה מדובר בספר מתח בלשי פרופר (אין מתח, אין מרדפים, אין טוויסטים
מסמרי שיער. פשוט, יש עובדה ברורה - גופה/ות וצריך לחקור אין הגענו
למצב הזה ותו לא).
נדמה יותר כספר מחקר ספרותי ושבמקרה ועל הדרך מתבצעת בו חקירה
משטרתית. שכן, מרבית מהספר, 55% ממנו, עוסק במחקר ובדיון ספרותי
ואקדמי. רק כ-30% עוסק בחקירה בלשית באמת. 15% הנותרים עוסקים
בעניינים יום-יומיים רגילים.
מסמרי שיער. פשוט, יש עובדה ברורה - גופה/ות וצריך לחקור אין הגענו
למצב הזה ותו לא).
נדמה יותר כספר מחקר ספרותי ושבמקרה ועל הדרך מתבצעת בו חקירה
משטרתית. שכן, מרבית מהספר, 55% ממנו, עוסק במחקר ובדיון ספרותי
ואקדמי. רק כ-30% עוסק בחקירה בלשית באמת. 15% הנותרים עוסקים
בעניינים יום-יומיים רגילים.
April 5, 2012
.
Read my review on my blog at:
http://maryslibrary.typepad.com/my_we...
Read my review on my blog at:
http://maryslibrary.typepad.com/my_we...
February 28, 2023
I admit I'm an American Jew who has no familiarity with modern Hebrew poetry, but I don't think that's entirely my excuse for merely skimming the interminable 25-page first chapter of Literary Murder by Batya Gur. I assume the author is trying to introduce all the characters, but a short list of them at the beginning (like many novels do) would at least would have let me look up who was who. Thankfully, this being a murder mystery, the plot speeds up after that as we get one victim in chapter two and the next in chapter four. Then the plot thickens as we learn that there's a connection between the two victims and that: 1] some of the possible suspects can't account for where or what they were doing at certain times, and 2] neither of the victims can either. Unfortunately for me, there were more boring literary digressions that slowed down the investigative plot considerably. The ending was well thought out, but this novel should have been at least 100 pages shorter. Yet I couldn’t skim too much for fear of missing the important clues. I doubt I’ll read any more of this author’s murder mysteries.
August 21, 2020
This really was a literary murder story, in that the characters spent so much time discussing literature, that it rather took from the detective story. When we were focused on the detective and their life and work, it was interesting - how hard they all worked against the clock, to the detriment of their family lives, and how they worked to put the case together, was very well described. The constant smoking, including in the home of the murder victim as they gathered evidence and in the interview room was hilarious - so dated, or at least I hope it is.
I did find it an interesting coincidence that this book focused on the importance of art to those who are in extremely difficult and deprived circumstances, as did the recently read Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress
Overall this book tried too hard to be intellectual and succeeded far more when it was focusing on being a detective novel.
I did find it an interesting coincidence that this book focused on the importance of art to those who are in extremely difficult and deprived circumstances, as did the recently read Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress
Overall this book tried too hard to be intellectual and succeeded far more when it was focusing on being a detective novel.
March 30, 2021
due stelline e mezza con giudizio sospeso.
Due omicidi (uno dei quali malamente mascherato da incidente di immersione) vedono come vittime membri del dipartimento di letterature dell'università di Gerusalemme.
Il libro è molto discorsivo e divaga ampiamente con descrizioni e narrazioni di personaggi meramente accessori che improvvisamente scompaiono e che non portano nulla all'indagine che è raccontata e descritta solo in una limitata parte del libro. Molto pesanti, a mio gusto, le disquisizioni sulla poesia, sulla letteratura, sul valore del poeta e così via. Non discuto che i delitti sono ambientati all'interno del mondo accademico ma alcune disquisizioni sembrano fuoriluogo in una detective novel. Da leggere altro e verificare che i limiti riscontrati (e la noia) siano dovuti all'ambientazione. Peccato perchè la parte investigativa non è male, ma decisamente secondaria.
Due omicidi (uno dei quali malamente mascherato da incidente di immersione) vedono come vittime membri del dipartimento di letterature dell'università di Gerusalemme.
Il libro è molto discorsivo e divaga ampiamente con descrizioni e narrazioni di personaggi meramente accessori che improvvisamente scompaiono e che non portano nulla all'indagine che è raccontata e descritta solo in una limitata parte del libro. Molto pesanti, a mio gusto, le disquisizioni sulla poesia, sulla letteratura, sul valore del poeta e così via. Non discuto che i delitti sono ambientati all'interno del mondo accademico ma alcune disquisizioni sembrano fuoriluogo in una detective novel. Da leggere altro e verificare che i limiti riscontrati (e la noia) siano dovuti all'ambientazione. Peccato perchè la parte investigativa non è male, ma decisamente secondaria.
September 25, 2020
Muy beno! No es sólo un buen libro "policial", con personajes bien logrados (aunque me cuesta seguir la identidad de algunos dada la diferencia del lenguaje... ¡son nombres tan distintos a los que estoy acostumbrado!), sino que además describe muy bien el ambiente en que se desarrolla la trama; no sólo el Israel contemporáneo, sino el ambiente específico - en este caso el departamento de literatura hebrea de un universidad de Jerusalen - y la complejidad de las relaciones interpersonales de los implicados (no los policías que son casi secundarios). No sólo me "atrapa" con la trama, sino me entretiene - por lo bien escrito - y siento que aprendo a conocer el mundo un poco mejor...
September 28, 2021
Follow the investigation of one of Israel's police superintendents, Michael Ohayon to see if you can solve the murders in this complex mystery. Two murders occur among the staff of the literary department of one of Israel's top academic institutions. Luckily for the police department, Ohayon attended university and can traverse this universe as well as any grad students. His superiors, grudgingly realize the value of his formal education and cultural interests that they have previously derided. The character also asks ethical questions about the relationship between the artist and his creations and between the artist and a moral code. Not a light read.
July 22, 2023
This police procedural is more interesting for its setting and culture than for the story. A nationally renowned poet, critic, and teacher at Hebrew University in Jerusalem is found beaten to death in his office several days after one of his proteges dies in a suspicious scuba diving accident. Superintendent Michael Ohayon has the task of untangling the web of deceit, affairs, professional rivalries, and, in a surprising twist, international poetry intrigue for the Jerusalem police department. The case gives him a sometimes uncomfortably close look at some of the eminent professors who taught him as an undergraduate. Interesting but a slow read.
July 11, 2023
This book was a real disappointment unfortunately. The author goes all over the place chasing down clues , trying to over intellectualize what ends if being two murders, drags in Russian history, the basics of Hebrew literature and stereotypical characters. How Michael Ohayon deals with some of his former professors and his "team" is not fair, not just and full of holes
Basically, the author tries too hard. Some sidelines could be eliminated and the language needs streamlining. I do not recommend this book.
Basically, the author tries too hard. Some sidelines could be eliminated and the language needs streamlining. I do not recommend this book.
October 21, 2023
Batya Gur was an internationally acclaimed Israeli mystery novelist and intellectual. Literary Murder, which I just read for the second time, is one of her best. Set in the Hebrew Literature Department at Hebrew University, the books asks questions about what is good poetry and what is a professor's responsibility to good poetry. The novel veers into Dostoevskian territory. Anyone who loves literature and a fine mystery would surely enjoy this book.
August 31, 2017
Πολύ ωραία πλοκή κι ενδιαφέρουσες οι λογοτεχνικές και ποιητικές παραπομπές που περιέχει το βιβλίο. Δυστυχώς όμως η φιλολογική επιμέλειά του είναι (επιεικώς) ελλιπής, καθώς σε κάθε σελίδα εντοπίζει κανείς ορθογραφικά/τυπογραφικά λάθη τόσο σε λέξεις όσο και στα ονόματα των κεντρικών χαρακτήρων, ενώ η απουσία στίξης σε κομβικά σημεία μπερδεύει τον αναγνώστη.
February 28, 2021
First of all, this is just a good murder mystery. A bit slow, but it worked well. I have a couple minor quibbles with the translation (from Hebrew), but I don't think they're all that noticeable. What I did love was the look back at mid-80s Jerusalem, especially Hebrew U, where I studied. I came here at the end of the 80s, so not that much had changed. It's a very different city now.
June 24, 2024
Επίδειξη γνώσης των λογοτεχνικών πεπραγμένων σε πανεπιστήμιο του Ισραήλ.
Ανάλυση εβραϊκών ποιημάτων (σε σχέση με θρησκευτικές αναφορές που ο αναγνώστης δεν έχει) από λογοτεχνικής άποψης.
Μια μπερδεμένη ιστορία, χωρίς καμία περιγραφή χαρακτήρων ή τόπων.
Απίστευτα βαρετό και κουραστικό.
Γιατί ξόδεψα τόσες ώρες για να το διαβάσω και δεν το παράτησα; Γιατί;
1,5/5
Ανάλυση εβραϊκών ποιημάτων (σε σχέση με θρησκευτικές αναφορές που ο αναγνώστης δεν έχει) από λογοτεχνικής άποψης.
Μια μπερδεμένη ιστορία, χωρίς καμία περιγραφή χαρακτήρων ή τόπων.
Απίστευτα βαρετό και κουραστικό.
Γιατί ξόδεψα τόσες ώρες για να το διαβάσω και δεν το παράτησα; Γιατί;
1,5/5
June 29, 2017
A little slower moving than Batya's other two books, but fascinating look into Jerusalem life and university politics - with a murder or two to solve, of course.
December 9, 2017
New to the Michael Ohayon series, but definitely enjoyed the writing style and the glimpse of Israel in the 1980's.
August 6, 2020
Certainly a literary story based on an esoteric theme, with well described characters and plot. I don’t usually enjoy this genre but it made an interesting change.
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