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The Debba: A Novel
Winner of the 2011 Arthur Ellis Award for Best First Crime NovelIn Middle East lore the Debba is a mythical Arab hyena that can turn into a man who lures Jewish children away from their families to teach them the language of the beasts. To the Arabs he is a heroic national symbol; to the Jews he is a terrorist. To David Starkman, “The Debba” is a controversial play, written by his father the war hero, and performed only once, in Haifa in 1946, causing a massive riot. By 1977, David is living in Canada, having renounced his Israeli citizenship and withdrawn from his family, haunted by persistent nightmares about his catastrophic turn as a military assassin for Israel. Upon learning of his father’s gruesome murder, he returns to his homeland for what he hopes will be the final time. Back in Israel, David discovers that his father's will demands he stage the play within forty-five days of his death, and though he is reluctant to comply, the authorities’ evident relief at his refusal convinces him he must persevere. With his father’s legacy on the line, David is forced to reimmerse himself in a life he thought he’d escaped for good.The heart-stopping climax shows that nothing in Israel is as it appears, and not only are the sins of the fathers revisited upon the sons, but so are their virtues—and the latter are more terrible still. Disguised as a breathtaking thriller, Avner Mandelman’s novel reveals Israel’s double soul, its inherent paradoxes, and its taste for both art and violence. The riddle of the Debba—the myth, the play, and the novel— is nothing less than the tangled riddle of Israel itself.
369 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 13, 2010
13 people are currently reading
192 people want to read
About the author
Avner Mandelman
8 books2 followersAvner Mandelman was born in Israel and served in the Israeli Air Force during the Six-Day War. His story collection Talking to the Enemy was chosen by Kirkus as one of the twenty-five best books of 2005, and by the ALA as the first recipient of the Sophie Brody Medal for outstanding achievement in Jewish literature.
Several of Avner's stories were anthologized, including the Pushcart Prize, the Best American Short Stories, and the Journey prize.
Avner's literary thriller The Debba, the first in the Undertaker trilogy, won the Arthur Ellis Award for best mystery novel, and was listed for the Scotia Giller prize.
His latest book, The Undertaker's Daughter, is second in the Trilogy, and a third book is planned.
Avner also writes investment books, based on his original approach to sleuthing for physical information-- an approach that also serves him well in writing vivid & emotionally gripping fiction.
Avner has a B.Sc. from the Israeli Technion, an MBA from Stanford Graduate School of Business, and an MA in English / Creative Writing from San Francisco State University.
He lives in Toronto, Canada.
Several of Avner's stories were anthologized, including the Pushcart Prize, the Best American Short Stories, and the Journey prize.
Avner's literary thriller The Debba, the first in the Undertaker trilogy, won the Arthur Ellis Award for best mystery novel, and was listed for the Scotia Giller prize.
His latest book, The Undertaker's Daughter, is second in the Trilogy, and a third book is planned.
Avner also writes investment books, based on his original approach to sleuthing for physical information-- an approach that also serves him well in writing vivid & emotionally gripping fiction.
Avner has a B.Sc. from the Israeli Technion, an MBA from Stanford Graduate School of Business, and an MA in English / Creative Writing from San Francisco State University.
He lives in Toronto, Canada.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 41 reviews
December 31, 2011
This is from the perspective of an American Jew who was brought up to believe that Israel is the Holy Land which is not like the other nations. My grandmother was born in Teveria (Tiberius) in 1905. She had a deep abiding love for Israel and kept in communication with her relatives who still lived there. When I went to Israel at the age of sixteen with my family, I kept a travel diary. I met some of my cousins. One was an actress who was part of the Israeli military's entertainment corps. I was impressed by her account of her experiences, but there were disillusioning incidents. I recorded all the political graffiti that I encountered there with increasing disappointment. The Israel of my fantasies wasn't supposed to have graffiti or political controversies. It was supposed to be some sort of utopian society for Jews. Well, it wasn't. I was sexually harassed on the street in Tel Aviv and discovered that Moroccan Jews weren't treated the same as Ashkenazim (Jews of European origin). Our tour bus was stoned in Hebron and when we were in Jaffa, our Arab taxi driver warned that there was social unrest in Jaffa and that we shouldn't get out of the taxi. This was after the Six Day War, but before the Yom Kippur War. Since that trip to Israel, I've read about a number of serious problems in Israeli society and have spoken to Israelis who had emigrated to the United States. I discovered that Israeli Jews had adopted some Arab customs and vocabulary. This interested me very much. The Debba certainly illustrates this cultural tendency.
I perceive the protagonist of this novel as very angst ridden due to the secrets that his family kept, and that he suffered from PTSD as a result of his experiences in the Israeli military. It was these experiences that drove him into exile in Canada. When his father was murdered, he had to return. The provision in his father's will to stage a production of a play that had caused a riot the only time it was performed, was what drew me to this book. Plays that cause riots are cultural linchpins. I read about Pierre de Beaumarchais because his play The Barber of Seville caused a riot in the theatre. The Debba is a fictional play. The reader only learns enough about The Debba to be intrigued, and very aware that it would definitely cause intense controversy in Israel if such a play actually existed. Yet the protagonist professes not to understand why there is so much opposition to the play. Given his military background, I can only think that he was in denial as a result of his PTSD.
This is a dark book in many ways, but it ends on a hopeful note. Can a play change Israeli society? It seems unlikely, but artistic creations have had tremendous impact throughout history. I am convinced that there is common ground between Jews and Arabs. It just needs to be publicly acknowledged.
I perceive the protagonist of this novel as very angst ridden due to the secrets that his family kept, and that he suffered from PTSD as a result of his experiences in the Israeli military. It was these experiences that drove him into exile in Canada. When his father was murdered, he had to return. The provision in his father's will to stage a production of a play that had caused a riot the only time it was performed, was what drew me to this book. Plays that cause riots are cultural linchpins. I read about Pierre de Beaumarchais because his play The Barber of Seville caused a riot in the theatre. The Debba is a fictional play. The reader only learns enough about The Debba to be intrigued, and very aware that it would definitely cause intense controversy in Israel if such a play actually existed. Yet the protagonist professes not to understand why there is so much opposition to the play. Given his military background, I can only think that he was in denial as a result of his PTSD.
This is a dark book in many ways, but it ends on a hopeful note. Can a play change Israeli society? It seems unlikely, but artistic creations have had tremendous impact throughout history. I am convinced that there is common ground between Jews and Arabs. It just needs to be publicly acknowledged.
August 20, 2010
The characters were intriguing, complex, and well-written, but the convoluted plot sometimes got in the way (3.5 stars)
Mandelman's first full-length novel is well-written and the author is a gifted storyteller with a talent for creating intriguing, complex, and vastly different characters. As much as the plot is intricately woven and propels the book, I truly think the characters are the stars, for they are all very carefully and thoughtfully drawn and their portrayal feels honest and truthful. Even as he shows us their darkest side, Mandelman displays an affection for and understanding of each of them, and in so doing he evokes complicated and conflicting feelings in the reader. This being said, The Debba was at times an uneven read for me, with the plot seeming so thick and convoluted - blindingly so - that I had to force myself to continue.
The summary of the book had attracted me and being Jewish and having studied the Conflict, I was very much looking forward to reading it. If I like a book and I'm intrigued enough, I don't start and finish other ones during the time I'm reading it (which in this case I did), and I usually read it in either one big sitting or at least a few large chunks. The Debba's beginning went very easily and I found myself quickly drawn in, but as the story got increasingly complex and the mysteries seemed to multiply exponentially, my attention began to wane.
The middle of the book feels very stop-and-go-ish and throughout, everything is shrouded in mystery. In part, this is well done, because David, the narrator, is himself confused, tangled, and unsure of what is true and what is not - however as the reader, I felt myself to be even more so. As the plot unfolded, so many things seemed murky and riddled with unspoken things. The underlying mystery of who killed David's father grabs your interest, but there are many other mysteries, secrets, and surprises that at first we don't even realize are being alluded to or slowly uncovered. I must say that the secrets that do exist and are slowly each exposed were well done and not necessarily de trop, but that their unraveling was at times too meandering and messy.
The summary provided for the book is comprehensive enough that I won't give my own, though I will disagree with two phrases. The first is that David "decides to stick around to fulfill his father's request" - this implies a conscious thought and decision on his part and instead, he really ends up staying in spite of himself. Mandelman has crafted a very interesting and, as I said before, complex main character. David is both known to us, as a narrator should be to his or her reader, and unknown to us, as we all essentially are to one another. Like real human beings, he does both good and bad things and cannot be pinned down as being one thing. Some of his actions are abhorrent and though he thinks the same, he is unable to stop himself. At other times, he displays a very believable and authentic purity and desire to do what is right. He is both self-aware and self-deceiving, naive and cynical, sympathetic and pitiful, accessible and elusive.
Additionally, to say that David experiences "opposition from those who believe the play is subversive" is a definite oversimplification of the matter. At times, it seems like there are many different groups and factions opposing him for just as many different reasons - that even every individual within each of those groups and factions has his or her own obscure reasons for doing so. At the end, this feeling still rings true, though so does the assertion that the essential "truth" is a simple and singular one.
In conclusion, I would feel no compunction about recommending this book and am glad that I read it myself. Although I had definite criticisms, there is no doubt that Mandelman is extremely talented and I look forward to searching out his published short stories and reading the next book that he writes.
P.S. (1) Since I feel like with most books covering this issue - fiction or non - this invariably comes up, I want to say that in my opinion the book was very even-handed and that people on either "side" would really have to stretch themselves to be offended. (2) To classify The Debba as a thriller is not very accurate - it is more intricate and careful than I think the term implies. (3) I was familiar with much of the historic references, but if you're not it is easy to get lost and confused, so I think reading even just a little historical background beforehand will be helpful. (4) The epilogue was not very satisfying and it had one phrase about one of the characters that really bothered me.
[This review is of an advanced copy format of the book:]
(Written on June 25, 2010)
Mandelman's first full-length novel is well-written and the author is a gifted storyteller with a talent for creating intriguing, complex, and vastly different characters. As much as the plot is intricately woven and propels the book, I truly think the characters are the stars, for they are all very carefully and thoughtfully drawn and their portrayal feels honest and truthful. Even as he shows us their darkest side, Mandelman displays an affection for and understanding of each of them, and in so doing he evokes complicated and conflicting feelings in the reader. This being said, The Debba was at times an uneven read for me, with the plot seeming so thick and convoluted - blindingly so - that I had to force myself to continue.
The summary of the book had attracted me and being Jewish and having studied the Conflict, I was very much looking forward to reading it. If I like a book and I'm intrigued enough, I don't start and finish other ones during the time I'm reading it (which in this case I did), and I usually read it in either one big sitting or at least a few large chunks. The Debba's beginning went very easily and I found myself quickly drawn in, but as the story got increasingly complex and the mysteries seemed to multiply exponentially, my attention began to wane.
The middle of the book feels very stop-and-go-ish and throughout, everything is shrouded in mystery. In part, this is well done, because David, the narrator, is himself confused, tangled, and unsure of what is true and what is not - however as the reader, I felt myself to be even more so. As the plot unfolded, so many things seemed murky and riddled with unspoken things. The underlying mystery of who killed David's father grabs your interest, but there are many other mysteries, secrets, and surprises that at first we don't even realize are being alluded to or slowly uncovered. I must say that the secrets that do exist and are slowly each exposed were well done and not necessarily de trop, but that their unraveling was at times too meandering and messy.
The summary provided for the book is comprehensive enough that I won't give my own, though I will disagree with two phrases. The first is that David "decides to stick around to fulfill his father's request" - this implies a conscious thought and decision on his part and instead, he really ends up staying in spite of himself. Mandelman has crafted a very interesting and, as I said before, complex main character. David is both known to us, as a narrator should be to his or her reader, and unknown to us, as we all essentially are to one another. Like real human beings, he does both good and bad things and cannot be pinned down as being one thing. Some of his actions are abhorrent and though he thinks the same, he is unable to stop himself. At other times, he displays a very believable and authentic purity and desire to do what is right. He is both self-aware and self-deceiving, naive and cynical, sympathetic and pitiful, accessible and elusive.
Additionally, to say that David experiences "opposition from those who believe the play is subversive" is a definite oversimplification of the matter. At times, it seems like there are many different groups and factions opposing him for just as many different reasons - that even every individual within each of those groups and factions has his or her own obscure reasons for doing so. At the end, this feeling still rings true, though so does the assertion that the essential "truth" is a simple and singular one.
In conclusion, I would feel no compunction about recommending this book and am glad that I read it myself. Although I had definite criticisms, there is no doubt that Mandelman is extremely talented and I look forward to searching out his published short stories and reading the next book that he writes.
P.S. (1) Since I feel like with most books covering this issue - fiction or non - this invariably comes up, I want to say that in my opinion the book was very even-handed and that people on either "side" would really have to stretch themselves to be offended. (2) To classify The Debba as a thriller is not very accurate - it is more intricate and careful than I think the term implies. (3) I was familiar with much of the historic references, but if you're not it is easy to get lost and confused, so I think reading even just a little historical background beforehand will be helpful. (4) The epilogue was not very satisfying and it had one phrase about one of the characters that really bothered me.
[This review is of an advanced copy format of the book:]
(Written on June 25, 2010)
June 15, 2023
As an American Jew and both secular and far more progressive than the self-appointed leadership of the U.S. Jewish community, I’ve often wondered how the current intractable standoff between Israelis and Palestinians came about. “It’s obvious,” you’ll say. “Jewish immigrants from Europe forced Palestinians from their land,” and of course that’s true. But doesn’t it seem unlikely that every Israeli became an Arab-hater shortly after arriving, and every Arab a Jew-hater just as quickly? Weren’t there those on both sides who opposed the fighting? Those who worked for reconciliation through the years of Israel’s “pre-history” (before 1948) and in the decades since? Surely, the latter-day Peace Now movement had its precursors. After all, Israel’s modern history is full of contradictions.
The Debba, though framed as a murder mystery (and an excellent one at that), is a serious fictional inquiry into this question. In the view of its author, Avner Mandelman, it’s also an examination of “necessary evil,” the manipulations and assassinations and kidnappings that governments carry out in the name of national security. As a veteran of the Israeli Air Force with combat experience, he is well qualified to explore both questions.
A TRAINED KILLER UNDERTAKES AN INQUIRY INTO HIS FATHER’S MURDER
Mandelman’s protagonist, David Starkman, a naturalized Canadian citizen, was a trained assassin for the Israeli armed forces who carried out black missions in Arab capitals in the 1960s. When he learns of his father’s murder in Tel Aviv, Starkman is suddenly pulled back into the ethically murky environment he had fled seven years earlier.
The time is 1977, and the Right-Wing Likkud Party is given an even chance of overturning the Labor Government that has held office in Israel ever since Independence. Starkman’s father, Isser, a celebrated hero in Israel’s War of Independence, has been knifed to death and his body mutilated in the manner employed by Arab fighters. Starkman teams up with police investigators but carries out his own independent inquiry through friends and family. He encounters violent opposition along the way.
A FATHER’S PLAY REVEALS THE FAMILY, AND THE COUNTRY’S, HISTORY
Meanwhile, when his father’s will is read, Starkman learns that the old man is leaving his apartment and his savings to David. But there’s a condition. Within 45 days, David must produce a play Isser wrote much earlier in life. This play, The Debba, gives the novel its title and illuminates the early history of Jewish-Arab relations in Palestine. Its production brings about Starkman’s surprising new understanding of his father and his own family history. He also gains startling new insight into some of the events that set the course of Israel’s history.
The book, and the play, spotlight the “Debba,” a hyena-like creature that embodies the spirit of an Arab messiah who can lead the Palestinian people to victory over the Jews.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
In addition to this novel, Avner Mandelman is the author of two short story collections and two books on investment, grounded in his experience as a hedge fund manager. He has won several awards for his writing. Mandelman is Israeli-Canadian. He was born in Israel and served in the Israeli Air Force during the Six-Day War. According to his author website, Mandelman has a BSc from the Israeli Technion, an MBA from Stanford Graduate School of Business, and an MA in English / Creative Writing from San Francisco State University. He divides his time among Canada, California, and Paris.
The Debba, though framed as a murder mystery (and an excellent one at that), is a serious fictional inquiry into this question. In the view of its author, Avner Mandelman, it’s also an examination of “necessary evil,” the manipulations and assassinations and kidnappings that governments carry out in the name of national security. As a veteran of the Israeli Air Force with combat experience, he is well qualified to explore both questions.
A TRAINED KILLER UNDERTAKES AN INQUIRY INTO HIS FATHER’S MURDER
Mandelman’s protagonist, David Starkman, a naturalized Canadian citizen, was a trained assassin for the Israeli armed forces who carried out black missions in Arab capitals in the 1960s. When he learns of his father’s murder in Tel Aviv, Starkman is suddenly pulled back into the ethically murky environment he had fled seven years earlier.
The time is 1977, and the Right-Wing Likkud Party is given an even chance of overturning the Labor Government that has held office in Israel ever since Independence. Starkman’s father, Isser, a celebrated hero in Israel’s War of Independence, has been knifed to death and his body mutilated in the manner employed by Arab fighters. Starkman teams up with police investigators but carries out his own independent inquiry through friends and family. He encounters violent opposition along the way.
A FATHER’S PLAY REVEALS THE FAMILY, AND THE COUNTRY’S, HISTORY
Meanwhile, when his father’s will is read, Starkman learns that the old man is leaving his apartment and his savings to David. But there’s a condition. Within 45 days, David must produce a play Isser wrote much earlier in life. This play, The Debba, gives the novel its title and illuminates the early history of Jewish-Arab relations in Palestine. Its production brings about Starkman’s surprising new understanding of his father and his own family history. He also gains startling new insight into some of the events that set the course of Israel’s history.
The book, and the play, spotlight the “Debba,” a hyena-like creature that embodies the spirit of an Arab messiah who can lead the Palestinian people to victory over the Jews.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
In addition to this novel, Avner Mandelman is the author of two short story collections and two books on investment, grounded in his experience as a hedge fund manager. He has won several awards for his writing. Mandelman is Israeli-Canadian. He was born in Israel and served in the Israeli Air Force during the Six-Day War. According to his author website, Mandelman has a BSc from the Israeli Technion, an MBA from Stanford Graduate School of Business, and an MA in English / Creative Writing from San Francisco State University. He divides his time among Canada, California, and Paris.
April 22, 2018
2.5 rounded up to 3 stars. I'll admit that I got lost in the names, not able to keep all the characters straight. Perhaps I would have been more invested in the "thriller" aspect of this novel if I had been able to keep the characters, and their relationships to each other and to David, straight. I intensely disliked Ruthy, and could find no redeeming qualities in her. But she also was really peripheral to the story except as a vehicle for David's confusion about his loyalties. Thank heavens for the last chapter (not the epilogue) as it finally tied up all the loose ends. The epilogue wasn't needed.
July 19, 2011
Wow. I was driven to read this book because I simply wanted to know what happened. The thriller aspect, former assassin trying to quit the life is called back to Israel after his father's death, the political aspect, Arabs v. Jews, and the historical aspect, Jews v. Arabs and Germans, all drove the plot. I don't pretend to understand the conflict in the Middle East any better than when I started reading, even though I swear I learned stuff along the way. If you try it, have a dictionary handy for all the slang.
December 24, 2010
Do not expect to better understand the situation in the Middle East after reading this book. Perhaps if you are from there, but as I am not I found it only added to my despair of what has been transpiring for the last hundred years.
One self exiled Israel receives word his father has died and he must come home to handle the affairs. His father as it turns out is a War hero who saved the day in the 67 war. His son who has been living in Canada is an ex assassin for the Israelis which has caused him great anguish over the years.
Upon his return he is told his father was murdered in his shop, and it appears that it was done by an enemy long thought dead. He is also told that his fathers will states he must stage a performance of a play which was written by his fathers long dead friend, partner and poet. The play as it turns out is considered incendiary and forces are put in motion to stop him. Of course this only fuels his need to get it done.
With the help of his oldest friend who is now engaged to his first love they proceed and along the way many truths are revealed. Finally with the help of Arabs and Jews the show goes on, of course I am leaving out all the good parts but this is definitely a page turner and you should not be disappointed. Though you may scratch your head at the folly of man.
One self exiled Israel receives word his father has died and he must come home to handle the affairs. His father as it turns out is a War hero who saved the day in the 67 war. His son who has been living in Canada is an ex assassin for the Israelis which has caused him great anguish over the years.
Upon his return he is told his father was murdered in his shop, and it appears that it was done by an enemy long thought dead. He is also told that his fathers will states he must stage a performance of a play which was written by his fathers long dead friend, partner and poet. The play as it turns out is considered incendiary and forces are put in motion to stop him. Of course this only fuels his need to get it done.
With the help of his oldest friend who is now engaged to his first love they proceed and along the way many truths are revealed. Finally with the help of Arabs and Jews the show goes on, of course I am leaving out all the good parts but this is definitely a page turner and you should not be disappointed. Though you may scratch your head at the folly of man.
January 13, 2011
The Debba by Avner Mandelman is part thriller, part historical novel, part political murder mystery set in Israel in the 1970’s. David Starkman has emigrated from Israel to Canada, renounced his Israeli citizenship and cut off contact with his parents. The gruesome murder of his father, a national hero, brings him back and an unusual request in the will keeps him in Israel. David must stage a play written by his father within 45 days. And unusual happenings force him to find his father’s killer.
I wanted to like this book far more than I did. It has all the right elements to work, but the pacing is uneven: it starts slowly and by the end is moving so quickly that it’s hard to keep up. The author does an admirable job of weaving the myriad themes and overlapping plots together, but there are many unnecessary wrinkles and unneeded complications. Then there is the main character. I found him to be indecisive, sullen, highly unlikable. More than once I wondered how this man could have been a highly trained assassin.
I wanted to like this book far more than I did. It has all the right elements to work, but the pacing is uneven: it starts slowly and by the end is moving so quickly that it’s hard to keep up. The author does an admirable job of weaving the myriad themes and overlapping plots together, but there are many unnecessary wrinkles and unneeded complications. Then there is the main character. I found him to be indecisive, sullen, highly unlikable. More than once I wondered how this man could have been a highly trained assassin.
April 7, 2012
An awful book and I therefore recommend that it be avoided.
I struggled to finish it in order to find out the identity of the murderer. It was a real chore to do this. It is a muddled tale of woe and deceit, full of nonsense. The essential message seems to be that Arabs and Jews can co-exist on a personal level even with the Israeli establishment keeping them apart. An intermediate knowledge of Palestinian history post Balfour Declaration is needed to figure out some of the events being discussed amongst the characters. The protagonist David is difficult to figure out: there's things in his past as an Israeli assassin that are mentioned but never explained and so on. Also, there were too many characters who kept coming and going throughout the book. Pass it by.
I struggled to finish it in order to find out the identity of the murderer. It was a real chore to do this. It is a muddled tale of woe and deceit, full of nonsense. The essential message seems to be that Arabs and Jews can co-exist on a personal level even with the Israeli establishment keeping them apart. An intermediate knowledge of Palestinian history post Balfour Declaration is needed to figure out some of the events being discussed amongst the characters. The protagonist David is difficult to figure out: there's things in his past as an Israeli assassin that are mentioned but never explained and so on. Also, there were too many characters who kept coming and going throughout the book. Pass it by.
October 3, 2014
I'm really glad I read this one. It's a decent mystery/thriller (quite a few twists & turns & there are plenty of various military/police/secret ops groups in here!), but more interesting to me are the history/questions/issues it raises about Israelis & Palestinians -- from the 1940s through the 1970s (when the book is set). I'd definitely recommend it if you are interested in the history & politics of the area. The book also fit in nicely with my Banned Books reading as it revolves around a controversial play that is to be staged & the various efforts made to quash the production of the play.
March 6, 2019
I didn't enjoy reading this book at all, I totally struggled and pushed myself to finish this book just for the sake of it.
The names are confusing, as is the story. Everything felt all over the place, messy and disoriented... just like the main character David. So many people are against "The Debba" from being staged in Israel, yet that is the wish of David's dead father. The more David tries to question what happened back in 1946, when the play had it's first and only staging, and more about his family, the more unexpected people show up determining to stop him.
Everything is so confusing and supposedly complicated. Part way through it is really obvious the secret that "The Debba" represented
A messy plot with huge wack of characters that you never really get to connect with. Definitely give this book a hard pass.
The names are confusing, as is the story. Everything felt all over the place, messy and disoriented... just like the main character David. So many people are against "The Debba" from being staged in Israel, yet that is the wish of David's dead father. The more David tries to question what happened back in 1946, when the play had it's first and only staging, and more about his family, the more unexpected people show up determining to stop him.
Everything is so confusing and supposedly complicated. Part way through it is really obvious the secret that "The Debba" represented
A messy plot with huge wack of characters that you never really get to connect with. Definitely give this book a hard pass.
February 28, 2020
This novel is presented from the inside and thus different than many “best seller” books of this time, place and subject. Maybe because it depicts reality?, it was also very confusing at many points lacking explanation and background. Maybe just the difference in culture? All in all, a novel well worth reading.
Want to read
October 14, 2019Synopsis: former Israeli military assassin, David Starkman finds that his father's will requires that his controversial play be performed again.
January 31, 2024
Melodramatic.
June 21, 2024
I liked that this book was set in Israel but I felt there were too many characters. I also didn't find the storyline believable.
September 26, 2024
I read this book because of my name, obviously. I found it dull and hard to follow and the characters unlikable, so I wasn't invested in what happened to them.
June 1, 2010
This is a strange but ultimately fascinating novel. Nominally a thriller, it is also a work of serious literary intent that explores Israeli history, or the "pre-history" as it is referred to in the novel. The ambivalence with which the younger generation views the founding of Israel is in striking contrast to that of the older characters in the book. This includes the narrator's late father and many of his friends. I found the viewpoints expressed in the book of great interest. Of course, to anyone who knows more of Israeli society and literature this might not be surprising but I found it a deeply satisfying read. I read this in an advance proof. The book will be published in July 2010.
December 26, 2010
It's hard to read a book when you can't stand the characters or their lives, their world. I stuck with this one only because I was going to the author's talk and wanted to know "what were you thinking?" He told me it took him 12 years to write this, and hoped I would read it in less time. It took me three months. He described this book as having three themes: the past, the present, and the play. And although the three areas weave and bob in an interesting way, it was not a good read for me. Most of the people attending the author's talk were furious with him. He pushed it all away, saying a writer is not responsible for the words he writes.
Really?
Really?
December 7, 2011
Murder mystery set against the backdrop of Israeli history/politics. I find that many Israeli novels (and movies for that matter) are jam-packed with exposing/including all the conflicts (innner and outer) in Israeli society--and this book is no exception. There is the 19 year old who is selected to be a trained assassin, who has to live with the memoiries of what he did. There is the emigrant who is in a relationship with a "shiksa," the woman who chooses Israel over a man who wants to leave, the orange shirt settlers verus the left, etc. What this book also has , though, is a humanized view of the complex personal relationships that develop between Arabs and Israelis.
May 2, 2013
A very good first novel! I was surprised at how absorbed I became reading it since neither mysteries nor thrillers are my usual 'loves'.
A large part of what I like about The Debba is that although I'm better informed than many [if not most] people about the times and places I wound up learning a vast amount - almost subliminally. The people inhabiting this book are _real_; I've met their like before and those I haven't met I either wish to meet or would stay clear of altogether. Yet nothing in this book is cast in black and white - people and their behaviours are all cast in uncompromising shades of grey.
I will keep an eye out for Mandelbaum's other book.
A large part of what I like about The Debba is that although I'm better informed than many [if not most] people about the times and places I wound up learning a vast amount - almost subliminally. The people inhabiting this book are _real_; I've met their like before and those I haven't met I either wish to meet or would stay clear of altogether. Yet nothing in this book is cast in black and white - people and their behaviours are all cast in uncompromising shades of grey.
I will keep an eye out for Mandelbaum's other book.
November 1, 2010
A Canadian man goes to Israel to clean up his father's affairs after his death and ends up in a thriller related to an old manuscript of a play that he decides to re-stage.
I think I learned a bit about Israel's recent history through this book. And Mandelman examines Jewish-Arab relations on a personal level, which gets away from a lot of the rhetoric swirling about the characters in the larger political context.
There is an element of supposed supernatural in the book, but it doesn't go too far and it ties into the climax, so it works for the most part.
I think I learned a bit about Israel's recent history through this book. And Mandelman examines Jewish-Arab relations on a personal level, which gets away from a lot of the rhetoric swirling about the characters in the larger political context.
There is an element of supposed supernatural in the book, but it doesn't go too far and it ties into the climax, so it works for the most part.
November 14, 2010
Political thriller, murder mystery, multilayered love story, detective yarn - a clean, smart, absorbing, twisty, dark, bright story. Historical fiction, too, maybe as we're immersed in the before and after of Palestine through its characters that inhabit this book. Dropped me right into the heat of Tel Aviv and Yaffo and the confusion of David Starkman, our hero, and I didn't put the book back down until the acknowledgments. Took Mr. Mandelman a long time to write his first novel, and his skill and attention to detail show in this terrific book.
January 4, 2016
I'm going to give this one a nice easy one right down the centre of the plate. I'm not exactly sure how I feel about this book - it was interesting, but I couldn't really relate. The whole setting of Israel was one that I don't know much about, and as a result, I found it hard to relate to or understand the context of the story. That said, I did find it interesting, so I'll give it three stars.
December 8, 2010
Between the death of his father and the past that seems to keep him from sleeping the main character overcomes some of his own demons while trying to come to terms with some of his fathers past history. Filled with stark realizations, a bit of humour, this book will keep you interested until the final page is read.
September 26, 2010
It reads like one of those spy thrillers but gets very deep in the weeds with Israeli political intrigue, so much so that you feel you should have read up on Israeli history before picking up this book beforehand. I never felt engaged by the author to care for the story or any of the characters in this. By the end, I felt lost in the story tie-ups.
December 17, 2010
This novel is part history, part murder mystery. It takes you from Canada to Israel. David Starkman comes to Israel to bury his father, whom he has not seen or spoken to in seven years. His father wrote a play which the Israel
Government does not want tone produced. Lots of action and moments of losing the reader.
Government does not want tone produced. Lots of action and moments of losing the reader.
December 13, 2014
This book started off strong and I like it, but then with the introduction of the Debba play I sort of lost interest. I found the story line interesting of an Israeli/Canadian going back for the first time and the hardships he faced, but then the play would be brought back into the story and I would lose interest.
December 26, 2010
Really enjoyed this; in fact had trouble putting it down. More on the complications of relationships with long term effects between Jewish (both eastern and western) with each other and the Arab residents and the difficulties in living there. Very complicated, but still very much there.
June 14, 2011
THE CHARACTERS ARE FLAT, AND THE PLOT IS DRAWN OUT. LOTS OF JEWISH REFERENCES AND INSIDE JOKES/DOUBLE MEANINGS I DIDN'T GET. THE BOOK WAS NOT AS GOOD AS OTHER REVIEWS SAID IT WAS. I WAS DISAPPOINTED.
August 8, 2011
I found this to be quite the absorbing read though very different. From the first page I was swept up into the story even though the main character was not the most appealing and the plot, at times, seemed most unlikely.
December 13, 2011
It was a new perspective of a long history of the middle east but somehow the conflict of this character didn't ring convincing to me. I would recommend it however, as it kept me interested enough to read through quickly.
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