Musical Moment: And Other Stories

by Yehoshua Kenaz

YOUNG MEN DISCOVERING the magic of evil and the beauty of sin are the subjects of these novellas and stories by the author of The Way To the Cats (Steerforth Press, 1994). In the title story a boy repays his mother and his violin for all of the trouble they have caused him. His mother becomes his arch enemy, and in their war he wins his manhood. In "Between Night and Dawn," Yigal, the fascistic youth leader at an ROTC-like summer camp, initiates a eucalyptus planting contest among the other boys that culminates in an episode of precocious sexual abandonment. Rites of passage and the erosion of innocence are the prominent themes in all of these stories, but in the hands of Kenaz each takes its unsentimental turn. The themes and richness of these coming-of-age tales will bring to mind the works of such masters as James Joyce, Franz Kafka, and Isaac Babel. Much like Schubert’s "Musical Moment," so do Kenaz’s stories become like a musical moment, staying and expanding in the reader’s mind long after the last page has been read.

Genres: Short Stories

176 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1980

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

[Ferris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Yehoshua Kenaz is an exceptional author. He writes with great clarity and somehow also with great subtlety. This collection of short stories are bound together by a common thematic denominator of youth and the rite of passage into adulthood. Each of the four stories tackle an aspect of the passage to adulthood and it's revelations about death, love, beauty, and sexual awakening. A very male perspective coupled with Israeli cultural norms make this very interesting and enjoyable reading!

[Beth · Rating 4 out of 5]

An exquisite coming of age story.