Laish

by Aharon Appelfeld

A caravan of Jews wanders through Eastern Europe at the end of the nineteenth century on a heartbreaking quest. Spiritual seekers and the elderly, widows and orphans, the sick and the dying, con artists and adventurers, victims of pogroms who have no place else to go–they are all on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land, but the journey is filled with unexpected detours and unanticipated disaster.

Among them is Laish, a fifteen-year-old orphan, through whose eyes we observe the interactions within this ragtag group of dreamers, holy men, misfits, and thieves as they battle with one another, try to stay one step ahead of the gendarmes, and do what little they can to keep up their flagging spirits. With the death of the rabbi who brought the group together, they are now led by men whom Laish refers to as “the dealers”–black-market traders whose motives are questionable but who periodically infuse the group with the money they need to get to the next town.

Years pass, tempers start to fray, and the caravan grows smaller as people die or abandon the venture. A brutal winter and typhoid epidemic further decimate the ranks, and the pilgrims have begun to reach the limits of their endurance. The dream of Jerusalem keeps the remnant going, and against all odds they finally arrive–emotionally and physically exhausted–at the port city of Galacz. They see their ship in the harbor, but whether they will actually make it onto that ship is suddenly and tragically thrown into doubt.

This magnificent new novel from Aharon Appelfeld (“One of the greatest writers of the age” — The Guardian ) resonates with a universality of the will to survive, the struggle to hold on to hope.

Genres: Fiction, Israel, Historical Fiction, Holocaust, Judaism

240 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1994

About the author

AHARON APPELFELD is the author of more than forty works of fiction and nonfiction, including Until the Dawn's Light and The Iron Tracks (both winners of the National Jewish Book Award) and The Story of a Life (winner of the Prix Médicis Étranger). Other honors he has received include the Giovanni Bocaccio Literary Prize, the Nelly Sachs Prize, the Israel Prize, the Bialik Prize, the Independent Foreign Fiction Prize, and the MLA Commonwealth Award. He is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and has received honorary degrees from the Jewish Theological Seminary, Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion, and Yeshiva University.

Reviews

[Garryvivianne · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fifteen year old orphaned Jewish boy is part of a caravan to the Holy Land from Eastern Europe. This is a story of their journey and all the difficulties they encounter on the way. As they go on this trek, many die along the way or completely abandon the journey. The older men try to keep them focused on the pilgrimage. When the holy man who was heading this journey dies, they are at the mercy of the drivers, the "dealers" & the thieves. This is Laish's telling of the different Jewish people that are trying to go to the Holy Land and how he sees them & how he interprets their feelings. Very well written.

[Victoria · Rating 4 out of 5]

Despite being a translation, one slips directly into the culture of these turn-of-the-century Jews on their journey to Israel by the practices and expectations as seen through Laish's eyes. Even the brevity of the part of the journey covered lends itself to the feeling of being with them, being submerged into the experience. As a reader of a lot of plot-driven novels I was a bit disappointed at first not to know if the group successfully arrives in Israel, but on contemplation it was perfectly all right to end when it does. This is a book to experience, rather than to analyze.

[Francesco · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of my favorite books of this author.
His romantic view of Jews on a haphazard journey,
comprising elements from all walks of life, including rogues and gambling traders …
The original unity and better arrangement of the group is only hinted at, and so is its next final step, what matter is how they find themselves during the journey, how they get affected by the ravaging weather, robbers, authorities, disease, madness and their own wayward elements that should lead and protect them. The group offers shelter and unity of purpose, a higher ideal, but the mundane elements of life seem to take everything slowly apart. There’s a portrayal of a whole spectrum of behaviours, the shrinking relevance of the religious ideal. Eventually the best moments reminisced by Laish seem to the quiet serene ones en route, with the fuller complement of fellow pilgrims, by the flowing river Prut.
Eventually there is no consideration left as to the dream to be achieved, the hope and dreams of those still in the game, so to speak. It seems that the core of the story revolves around the travels on the wagons with the varied members, possibly a reflection on the Jewish communities in Eastern Europe, with their material and spiritual richness. There’s no reference to the Shoah, nor to pogroms; the adversities encountered by this travelling community are the very dangers to which the people of the book have been exposed wherever they settled and thrived.

[Richard · Rating 3 out of 5]

As with his other books Appelfeld portrays the story of Eastern European Jews trying to cope with the hardships of their lives. In this instance it is on a caravan of broken down wagons ever so slowly and torturously wending their way through the countryside to try to get to a port city where they can board a boat to Jerusalem. Told through the eyes of a 15 year old orphan boy it is at times a poignant tale of the struggles people face in holding on to their faith while also just trying to stay alive. Equally touching sometimes are the struggles that some of the other characters have to cope with.

The cast of characters sometimes gets confusing because there are many to keep track of. And the story plods along slowly, almost painfully so at times. How many more assaults, insults, threats to their well-being must they face?!? Maybe it might have been better with a few less characters and/or incidents?

Perhaps it was the challenge of translating Hebrew into English but the prose is choppy at times. At other times, however, Appelfeld writes lyrically, if not poetically.

Overall, it is not a great book. In fact, not as good as some of Appelfeld's other ones. But it is still one with many worthwhile elements in it. He captures the angst people feel as they struggle to preserve their dignity and find meaning in a harsh and at times dangerous life. It is another one of Appelfeld's books that I am glad to have read.

[Lorri · Rating 5 out of 5]

Laish, by aharon Appelfeld , is a novel that slowly weaves its way through the pages, depicting a six-wagon caravan of Ukranian individuals wandering through Eastern Europe, trying to make their way to Jerusalem. It is a tapestry that, in many ways, can be compared to the exodus of the Jews from Egypt.

What one has to do in order to survive and reach their goal is a testament to their courage, and to their physical and spiritual endurance. There is a constant ritual that occurs each day within this Jewish caravan, from praying to eating, always being mindful of their spirituality and need for tradition and education.

This is one of Appelfeld’s messages…within the darkness, struggles, and adversity, there is light at the end of the journey. Laish, the novel, is a testament to endurance and overcoming adversity. It is not a fast read or page-turner, but a book of clear reflection within the sentences that often have loose ends or are choppy. Aharon Appelfeld has delivered a strong message within the simplicity of the written word.

[Bandit · Rating 2 out of 5]

Second read by Appelfeld. Definitely seeing a pattern. He writes of the plight of Jews around the turn of last century. This story is a tale of a traveling caravn of piligrims on their ways to the Promised Land. It's exceptionally bleak, but not just bleak, it's also utterly joyless, completely free of even glimpses of colors other than grey. Just terrible things happening over and over to a bunch of fairly helpless but basically decent human beings. Appelfeld is a good writer, his narrative rolls with great ease, it just isn't enough. For me personally the book needs to offer more, something more like a traditional plot line, some variations, some events occurring, something to make it more interesting and exciting, something other than the bleak uniformity of accepted sadness and devastation. Oh well, at least it was a very quick read.

[Peter · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well-intentioned but strangely sluggish story of a ragtag band of Jews (zealots, peddlers and thugs) on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem. The story plods, meanders and ultimately goes nowhere, and there are too many characters for such a short novel - we only get to know a few of them closely, with the rest little more than names.

[Lauren · Rating 3 out of 5]

I admire the way his novels work as folktale, allegory, and story. A beautiful, quiet tale about struggle, hardship and perseverance.

I do think he tells the same story over and over but that doesn't bother me.

[Knittingdragonflies · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautifully told.

[Amanda · Rating 1 out of 5]

I enjoyed the lyricism of this book, but it was confusing and I didn't find it to have a very forward moving plot.

[Torey · Rating 1 out of 5]

For the first time in a really long time, I couldn't force myself to finish this book. It wasn't uncomfortable or challenging or... Anything, really. It just wasn't.