Eden

by Yael Hedaya

Eine Mitfahrgelegenheit in ein anderes Leben suchte Langzeit-Single Alona, als sie den geschiedenen Mark traf, der gerade eine Trattoria eröffnet hat und phantastisch kocht. Doch die Idylle mit Häuschen und Garten und zwei kleinen Kindern auf dem Lande hat ihre Schönheitsfehler, genauso wie die der anderen Paare in ›Eden‹, diesem Paradies alternder Yuppies vor den Toren von Tel Aviv.

Genres: Fiction, Israel, Jewish

944 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2005

About the author

Yael Hedaya was born in Jerusalem in 1964, and now lives in Messilat Zion. She holds a BA in philosophy and liberal arts from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and received an MA in English literature and creative writing from New York University. Hedaya has worked as a journalist and columnist for the mass circulation daily Yedioth Ahronoth and the Tel Aviv weekly, Ha'Ir. She was also one of the head writers of the acclaimed TV series In Treatment adapted by HBO. At present, she teaches creative writing at the Hebrew University and screenwriting at Sapir College. Hedaya was awarded the Peime Minister's Prize in 2001, and her novel, Accidents, was a finalist for the National Jewish Book Award in 2006.

http://www.ithl.org.il/page_13658

https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yael_He...

Reviews

[Molly · Rating 3 out of 5]

Positive:
Yael Hedaya's writing style is really enjoyable. She effortlessly works in some beautiful descriptions and imagery. I found the characters believable and likable, though at times frustrating in their thoughts and actions. I enjoyed how Hedaya bounces from character to character, the story takes on more dimension and perspective and each person has a unique look on the plot. I also really absorbed the world that she was depicting and felt like I could relate, despite having never been to Israel, and of a different age than most of the people depicted.

Negative:
While Hedaya's writing is beautiful, I was very frustrated with what was not covered by the story. I was angry when I reached the end with more questions than answers. There are gaps in the storytelling, which makes some aspects of the story hard to deduce and follow. Some characters seem unnecessarily thrown in there, didn't play a role in the larger story, and share stories that don't go anywhere. And while her characters were believable, all of them seemed to have very similar political views (with small exceptions), so they didn't appear as diverse or different as I think the author intended. I often got the female characters mixed up and forgot how people were related, having to reference back to earlier in the book.


Overall, I'm glad I read it, and would read it again, but it feels unfinished and it left me unsatisfied in the end.

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read my review on New York Journal of Books: http://www.nyjournalofbooks.com/revie...

[Krysia · Rating 2 out of 5]

Maybe as a soap opera or a tv show, this just doesn't work for me as a novel.

[Liz · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting characters but about 2/3 of the way through I lost interest. Chapters arranged by character and some of them seemed too insignificant. Lost track of what was going on.

[Elyn]

I tried twice with this book....I just could not manage to get involved in it.

[Yvonne · Rating 4 out of 5]

My first taste of Israeli Authors... I am hooked...

[Rachelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Awesome! More of a character study than an actual story line, but I identified greatly with one character in particular. Many passages about this character spoke to me as well:
"Now she knew that great pain could kill you or redeem you, it just depended on you." (390)
"...she felt as if she were chasing her own long-gone shadow. There was an insult of sorts in that girl's persence, as if her every word and movement said: I am everyone you no longer are." (419)
"...she knew this was probably what tormented her so much: her children were her anchor, but also her storm." (422)
"That embrace, she thought now..., was not the question but the answer: let's go back to that morning..., let's go back there with all out luggage, let's go back there with everything we didn't know then. Fall in love with me! it had said. It was no wonder she had forgotten the main thing. Fall in love with me-it had demaded-because now you can." (423)

[Nick · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book has what I have always loved about secular Israeli fiction--brilliantly portrayed characters, dealing with the here-and-now while struggling with the overwhelming burden of the past. Because this is the first Israeli novel I have ready in many years, it describes a country that is barely recognizable from the one I knew when I was there in the 80s. Really fascinating. Also, the political scenes are unbelievably funny.

[Liz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hedaya's narrative echoes the true manner in which someone might relate a story... The past and present fade in and out, as the thoughts about the presentation remind each character of past experiences. The constant fluctuations between memories and current plot somehow manage never to confuse the reader, but instead lend an ultra-realistic tone to the novel as they so closely resemble the way we all think and progress through our own lives.

[Nathan · Rating 2 out of 5]

Puzzling...what was the point of this?
Just the inner thoughts of couples, parents and children...fine....but so many stories touched on, then abandoned....Questions left unanswered. But basically a bunch of very unlikable people and I had a lot less questions than the author probably wished.

[Ruth Sloviter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Brilliant analysis of psyches. Very well written..

[Sharon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it; perfect

[K C · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting novel about three couples and their offspring on a moshav outside of Tel Aviv in the 2000's. Primarily about parenthood, couplehood, and how to keep it all together, or not.