היפה בנשים

by Shifra Horn, שפרה הורן

ספורה הנפתל של רוזה, הילדה בעלת תלתלי הזהב משכונת קטמון בירושלים, שגדלה והייתה ליפה בנשות ירושלים.
הסיפור, האפוף נבואה וקסם, מתרחש בין מציאות לדמיון במרוצת חמישים שנותיה הראשונות של המדינה.
נבואה שהחלה במשחק ילדות תמים הבטיחה לרוזה ארבע בעלים.
בלילה אפוף פחדים, בעודה נערה, נולדה אהבתה אל בעלה הראשון, יוסף דודה, אבל הכול יודעים שהוא לא יהיה היחיד.
הבעל השני הוא שרגא מורה הריקודים, אהובה מימי בית הספר אשר אינו יכול לממש את אהבתו לרוזה ובמקום זאת הוא מפטם אותה במאכלים ובמיני מתיקה עד שהיא הופכת לאישה הגדולה ביותר בירושלים. גורלו של שרגא נחרץ תחת לגופה הכבד ובתום ימי האבל מתוודעת רוזה לשמואל הצייר, ניצול השואה שהקדיש את חייו לציורי נשים דשנות.
האם רוזה תינשא לבעל רביעי כפי שהבטיחה לה הנבואה וכפי שהאמינו
תושבי העיר?
רוזה החוששת מפני כל שינוי, תיאלץ להתמודד עם תהפוכות הגורל פעם אחר פעם.
ברומן מתוארים חייה הסוערים של האישה גדולת הממדים שגברים אינם יכולים לעמוד מול קסמיה.
החיים בשכונה, קולנוע רוזה שמקרינים בו רק סרטים סוחטי דמעות, העורבים המתיידדים עם בתה הנכה מלאך, הפרפרים חורצי הגורלות, סולם הזהב, מיטת המלאכים והילדה המסתורית המבקרת את רוזה הילדה בלילות.

Genres: Fiction, Middle East, Jewish

336 pages, Unknown Binding

First published January 1, 1998

About the author

Shifra Horn was born in Tel Aviv. She lives in the Old Malcha neighbourhood of Jerusalem and in Auckland New Zealand. After majoring in Bible Studies and Archeology - BA (Hons)- at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, she earned an MA in Bible Studies. Horn also studied mass communications and completed a teaching degree.

Horn worked as an educational officer for the World Union of Jewish Students, and helped to organize the airlift of Ethiopian Jews to Israel. Horn also participated in the campaign to free Soviet and Syrian Jews, producing films and written material.

In the course of her work with Jewish students from oppressed communities around the world, she discovered a village of Jewish Marranos who had kept their Jewish identity secret for over 500 years. Horn's activity in the village of Belmonte in northwest Portugal resulted in the entire population converting fully to Judaism .

Horn was a spokesperson for the Israel Absorption Ministry until her departure for Japan, where she served as Far East correspondent for the Israel Defense Forces Radio station and Ma'ariv daily newspaper for five years. Horn worked as the director of the Tokyo Jewish Community Center and taught Bible Studies and Hebrew at the Bible College in Ginza, Tokyo.

Upon her return to Jerusalem, she opened a public relations firm, and lectured on Japan and literary topics. Her books have been translated from Hebrew into English, French, Dutch, German, Italian, Greek, Mandarin and Turkish.

Reviews

[Leora Wenger · Rating 2 out of 5]

The first chapter, taking place as Jerusalem is divided by war into two, pulled me into this tale with descriptions of Jews from varying countries settle into one crowded, abandoned house in the neighborhood of Katamon, a neighborhood that once was that of wealthy Arabs who fled. The rest of the book was not worth much ... by the second husband I was bored, by the third husband I really couldn't care less.

[Diane · Rating 1 out of 5]

I recently received a text message saying that the sender of the message had read 50 pages of a book before realising that they had no idea what they had been reading and they decided to give up on the book. I read the whole book before I came to the same conclusion with this book. I mean, I kind of got the gist of it but why? The purpose of this book still eludes me and so it is best for me to forget about it entirely.

[Julia · Rating 1 out of 5]

it was mostly about this guys penis or that guy's penis, this lady seriously was fixated with writing about dicks. totally unnecessary - also she couldn't initiate conversation between her characters, they were all "amazingly thinking just then of the same thing I was about to ask her!" so totally stupid. what a waste of paper. when not talking about genitals she did have a good ability to describe things...

[Kimberly · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book. It is completely unrealistic and that is one of the things I enjoyed about it. It was nice getting lost in a "relatively" current fairy tale. To be clear though, it's not a fiary tale for children. The story wasnt pornographic by any means but it is definitely adult in nature.

[Katrin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this book... The author manages to mix tragedy, mysticism and hilarious sex scenes into one fabulous story. Rosa, the main protagonist is fat,sensuous, tragic,funny and wonderfully over the top.

[Jennifer Albright · Rating 3 out of 5]

Troubling

[Fara · Rating 2 out of 5]

This might have been been better, but I had difficulty with the translation.