בדרך אל החתולים

by Yehoshua Kenaz

המעגל הסגור של הזיקנה והחולי משקף כראי גרוטסקי ונוגע ללב את החיים שמחוצה לו, על היצרים, הפחדים, החלומות והבדידות שבהם.
בכתיבתו הרגישה והמדויקת, שכבשה לה מקום ייחודי בספרותנו, מתאר כאן המחבר את המראות והקולות, הקונפליקטים ורגעי החסד של גברים ונשים בערוב יומם, שבצירופם יוצרים סיפור רב עוצמה החורג מגבולות העולם המצומצם לכאורה שהם מתרחשים בו.
ספרו החמישי של מחבר אחרי החגים, מומנט מוסיקל, האשה הגדולה מן החלומות והתגנבות יחידים.

Genres: Israel, Fiction

280 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1973

About the author

Yehoshua Kenaz (Hebrew: ‎‎יהושע קנז, born Yehoshua Glass) was one of Israel's leading novelists. Kenaz studied Philosophy and Romance Languages at the Hebrew University, and French literature at the Sorbonne. A translator of French classics into Hebrew, he has worked on the editorial staff of the Ha'aretz newspaper. Kenaz, currently living in Tel Aviv, was awarded the 1995 Bialik Prize.

Reviews

[Esi Rubanovich · Rating 4 out of 5]

After every hell awaits another hell, but a lower one, a worse one. And I don’t know when all of it ends.

This was a sad, dark, grotesque, amazingly written book.

All throughout my reading I kept thinking how this book would make a great depressing play, one that I’d go running to the theatre for. Old age life reveals itself as full of hate, pettiness, jealousy, greed, paranoia and egoism, with only a few fleeting moments of beauty, compassion and solidarity. It leaves you wondering whether perhaps human nature reveals itself fully when reaching old age: one has nothing to lose, therefore he takes off all masks and doesn’t have to be politically correct or act polite anymore.

[Harry · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kenaz has written a poignant portrait of what it means to grow old and deteriorate both physically and mentally. To become dependent upon others for your daily needs, and have others prey upon you in your infirmity. The protagonist, Yolanda Moscowitz is narcissistic and self-absorbed. Although only briefly married, she is always known as Mrs. Moscowitz. At 76 years old, this former French teacher is childless and has few friends. Her weight and bad legs make it difficult to get up from a chair or even walk without aid. A fall down the stairs from her fourth-floor walk-up in Tel Aviv puts her in a rehab hospital where she meets other “inmates” with varying grasps on reality.
Kudos to the translator, Dalia Bilu. Israel, especially among the elderly, is a country of immigrants. You can often detect in a person’s spoken Hebrew his country of origin, whether it be Russia, France or America. Bilu takes the Hebrew syntax and prepositions and translates dialogue as an immigrant with a less than fluent command of the language would speak.

[Maurizio Manco · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Cos'è la vita di un uomo, non è una grande ferita che non si rimargina mai?" (p. 94)

"Tutto cade, e cade, e cade." (p. 296)

[Marie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book depicted with vivid detail the fear, isolation, and vulnerability that elderly deal with.

[K C · Rating 2 out of 5]

I had never even heard of this Israeli author until he died recently so I decided to try one of his books. Very realistic but considering most of it takes place in a rehab hospital in the 90s, realism means depressing and unappealing. Didn’t understand what he was getting at with the ending - uplifting or even more depressing? But given the title I assume the latter.

[Rouviere Marie-Line · Rating 4 out of 5]

L'errance physique et mentale de la vieillesse.

[The boomer-siamosempreiboomerdiqualcuno · Rating 5 out of 5]

Da tempo non leggevo qualcosa di così sconvolgente, ma sconvolgente-bello. Non capisco perché questo scrittore sia praticamente sconosciuto in Italia: se non avessi letto il suo necrologio a ottobre su diversi giornali, è probabile che non ne avrei mai sentito parlare. Leggerò tutto quello che riesco a trovare di suo. Ma prima mi prendo una pausa, mi sento come se avessi trattenuto il respiro per giorni, devo riprendere fiato.

[Pogue · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an interesting book. I was not fond of the protagonist and I think much of what her problem was she created. There are a lot of questions that I had when reading this book, and will go over in my blog when I write that later. I would if I were teaching nursing class use this as required reading. It had some very good points on aging and preconceived notions.