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תפוחים מן המדבר
סביון ליברכט היא ילידת גרמניה, 1948, בוגרת החוגים לספרות אנגלית ופילוסופיה באוניברסיטת תל-אביב. פרסמה מסיפוריה במוספים ובכתבי-עת ספרותיים. זהו קובץ סיפוריה הראשון של המחברת והוא זכה במענק מטעם קרן תל-אביב לספרות ולאמנות ע"ש יהושע רבינוביץ.
והרי דמויות אחדות מקובץ הסיפורים: אשה יהודיה, שמבקשת לבנות חדר על גג דירתה, ופועל בניין ערבי. אֵם היוצאת להשיב את בִּתה הביתה, ומתוודעת אל עצמה. גבר ואשה, שפגישתם המחודשת מתרחשת בצל פרידתם. חייל מילואים שבמשימה צבאית במפגש עם אנשי כפר ערבי, שהכיר בנעוריו. משורר צעיר שנתקף אימת החידלון. עסקנית באירגון שמאלי ובנה החוזר בתשובה.
גיבורים אלו, המוצאים את עצמם בתוך הזמן הזה, חייבים להכריע בין הנאמנות לאמת ישנה ובין קבלת דין המציאות החדשה הצומחת תחתיה.
והרי דמויות אחדות מקובץ הסיפורים: אשה יהודיה, שמבקשת לבנות חדר על גג דירתה, ופועל בניין ערבי. אֵם היוצאת להשיב את בִּתה הביתה, ומתוודעת אל עצמה. גבר ואשה, שפגישתם המחודשת מתרחשת בצל פרידתם. חייל מילואים שבמשימה צבאית במפגש עם אנשי כפר ערבי, שהכיר בנעוריו. משורר צעיר שנתקף אימת החידלון. עסקנית באירגון שמאלי ובנה החוזר בתשובה.
גיבורים אלו, המוצאים את עצמם בתוך הזמן הזה, חייבים להכריע בין הנאמנות לאמת ישנה ובין קבלת דין המציאות החדשה הצומחת תחתיה.
174 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1986
9 people are currently reading
312 people want to read
About the author
Savyon Liebrecht
25 books17 followersSavyon Liebrecht was born in Munich, Germany, in 1948, to Holocaust survivor parents. She studied philosophy and literature at Tel Aviv University and started publishing in 1986. She has received awards for two of her TV scripts, the Alterman Prize (1987), the Amelia Rosselli Prize for Mail Order Women (Italy, 2002) and the Maior-Amalfi Award for A Good Place for the Night (Italy, 2005); as well as Playwright of the Year for her successful plays, It's All Greek to Me (2005), and Apples in the Desert (2006). In 2009, she received the WIZO Prize (France).
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
October 17, 2023
RIMUOVERE IL PASSATO
Sette racconti come un cesto di mele nate nel deserto.
Sette storie che accadono in Israele, con due elementi costanti e pressoché insormontabili: le difficoltà dei sopravvissuti alla Shoah che hanno problemi ad ambientarsi e creano problemi nel giovane stato che vorrebbe linfa nuova giovane e vitale per andare avanti, crescere, e i sopravvissuti invece sono un intralcio, un peso, a volte perfino zavorra; il conflitto con gli arabi, che non si sana né con un solo stato che accolga tutti, né con due stati distinti, semplicemente c’è, se non cova, arde, non si placa.
Ciò premesso, le cose vanno meglio nel racconto che intitola l’intera raccolta, dove una madre ebreo ortodossa prende l’autobus per raggiungere il kibbutz dove vive la figlia insieme al suo compagno. Per una donna religiosa come lei, la figlia è una giovane che vive nel peccato, lontana da dio: probabilmente pensa che sia una ‘mela bacata’. Lungo la strada si carica e cerca di prepararsi a essere osteggiata e respinta. Invece, all’arrivo, l’accoglienza è calorosa e affettuosa, sincera e aperta: le due donne si confrontano e si capiscono, si accettano con le rispettive differenze, pur se sostanziali. Ma non al punto da uccidere il loro affetto.
In un altro racconto una donna approfitta dell’assenza del marito per farsi costruire una stanza nella terrazza sul tetto. E per farlo assume tre operai arabi. La donna è indipendente, si capisce: e quindi stupisce relativamente che dall’iniziale pregiudizio e diffidenza si passi a una migliore conoscenza l’una degli altri, a una forma di disponibilità e apertura. Ma Liebrecht evita lieto fine sdolcinato: il sospetto e la tensione tra i due popoli, l’ebreo e l’arabo, sono radicati e difficili da superare.
Si tratta dell’esordio di questa scrittrice che ho imparato ad amare: la sua prima raccolta di racconti e la sua prima pubblicazione, apparsa quando Liebrecht era alla soglia dei quarant’anni.
Come nella migliore tradizione del racconto, si tratta di storie ordinarie, a suo modo insignificanti, che Liebrecht fa risplendere grazie a piccoli particolari, alla marginalità di esistenze quotidiane. Soprattutto grazie alla precisione e alla delicatezza con cui tratteggia la grammatica interiore dei suoi personaggi.
Nel 2014 dal racconto che intitola la raccolta è stato tratto un film omonimo.
Sette racconti come un cesto di mele nate nel deserto.
Sette storie che accadono in Israele, con due elementi costanti e pressoché insormontabili: le difficoltà dei sopravvissuti alla Shoah che hanno problemi ad ambientarsi e creano problemi nel giovane stato che vorrebbe linfa nuova giovane e vitale per andare avanti, crescere, e i sopravvissuti invece sono un intralcio, un peso, a volte perfino zavorra; il conflitto con gli arabi, che non si sana né con un solo stato che accolga tutti, né con due stati distinti, semplicemente c’è, se non cova, arde, non si placa.
Ciò premesso, le cose vanno meglio nel racconto che intitola l’intera raccolta, dove una madre ebreo ortodossa prende l’autobus per raggiungere il kibbutz dove vive la figlia insieme al suo compagno. Per una donna religiosa come lei, la figlia è una giovane che vive nel peccato, lontana da dio: probabilmente pensa che sia una ‘mela bacata’. Lungo la strada si carica e cerca di prepararsi a essere osteggiata e respinta. Invece, all’arrivo, l’accoglienza è calorosa e affettuosa, sincera e aperta: le due donne si confrontano e si capiscono, si accettano con le rispettive differenze, pur se sostanziali. Ma non al punto da uccidere il loro affetto.
In un altro racconto una donna approfitta dell’assenza del marito per farsi costruire una stanza nella terrazza sul tetto. E per farlo assume tre operai arabi. La donna è indipendente, si capisce: e quindi stupisce relativamente che dall’iniziale pregiudizio e diffidenza si passi a una migliore conoscenza l’una degli altri, a una forma di disponibilità e apertura. Ma Liebrecht evita lieto fine sdolcinato: il sospetto e la tensione tra i due popoli, l’ebreo e l’arabo, sono radicati e difficili da superare.
Si tratta dell’esordio di questa scrittrice che ho imparato ad amare: la sua prima raccolta di racconti e la sua prima pubblicazione, apparsa quando Liebrecht era alla soglia dei quarant’anni.
Come nella migliore tradizione del racconto, si tratta di storie ordinarie, a suo modo insignificanti, che Liebrecht fa risplendere grazie a piccoli particolari, alla marginalità di esistenze quotidiane. Soprattutto grazie alla precisione e alla delicatezza con cui tratteggia la grammatica interiore dei suoi personaggi.
Nel 2014 dal racconto che intitola la raccolta è stato tratto un film omonimo.
November 29, 2019
This is an interesting collection of literary short stories by Savyon Liebrecht, Israeli feminist writer, and daughter of a Holocaust survivor. The stories are subtle, nuanced and expose the reader to varied and unusual slices of life. While I admired the writing and the finely drawn characterizations, I found many of the stories depressing though very well done.
January 10, 2021
Apples from the Desert revolved around a woman confronting between Orthodoxy and Secularism, as she viewed an antagonistic and a very sympathetic male . Savyon wrote an impressive description, particularly as “Victoria,” a traditional Orthodox Jewish woman, relating to her daughter, Rivka, who grew from a meek “greenhorn” to a more self-possessed, rebellious woman thriving in a kibbutz.
October 22, 2019
זהו ספרה הראשון של סביון ליברכט שקראתי, ספר של סיפורים קצרים, שבגדול הוא לא הז׳נר האהוב עליי. ז׳נר שלדעתי קשה להצליח בו אפילו לסופרים מעולים.
הסיפורים כוללים מערכות יחסים מתוסבכות, בין קרובי משפחה, אהובים, עבר והווה. הסיפור הראשון הוא סיפורה של נירה, רופאה שנתקלת באהובה לשעבר. השני הוא סיפורה של חיה, פעילה במפלגה הקומינסטית וניצולת שואה שמתנגדת לדת, שבנה אמנון, כבמעין דווקא, חזר בתשובה, וכעת הוא חולה והרב אוסר עליו ללכת לרופא. לאחר מכן ישנו סיפור על סבתא ונכדתה ומערכת יחסים מעורערת, עם חוסר שליטה של סבתא שרוצה שהכל יהיה בשליטתה. סיפורים נוספים כוללים ערבים ויהודים. אישה צעירה שרוצה לבנות חדר נוסף על גג ביתה, ומייצרת סוג של מערכת יחסים בינה לבין הפועלים הערבים, משהו שבין אדונית ונתינים, ובין חברות. וישנו סיפורו של חייל מילואים פעיל שמאל, שסייע בעבר לבנות דו קיום, וכעת מבקר בכפר ובביתו של חברו הטוב לחפש מסתננים.
סך הכל, הסיפורים כתובים היטב. הבעייה המרכזית היא שהם כולם נקטעים באחת. אין להם סיום, אפילו אם יש להם קצת פואנטה. ולי זה הוריד מאוד מהספר, ברמה שאיני יכולה בלב שלם להמליץ עליו.
סיכום סופי, כ-2.5 כוכבים מעוגלים למטה ל-2 כוכבים.
הסיפורים כוללים מערכות יחסים מתוסבכות, בין קרובי משפחה, אהובים, עבר והווה. הסיפור הראשון הוא סיפורה של נירה, רופאה שנתקלת באהובה לשעבר. השני הוא סיפורה של חיה, פעילה במפלגה הקומינסטית וניצולת שואה שמתנגדת לדת, שבנה אמנון, כבמעין דווקא, חזר בתשובה, וכעת הוא חולה והרב אוסר עליו ללכת לרופא. לאחר מכן ישנו סיפור על סבתא ונכדתה ומערכת יחסים מעורערת, עם חוסר שליטה של סבתא שרוצה שהכל יהיה בשליטתה. סיפורים נוספים כוללים ערבים ויהודים. אישה צעירה שרוצה לבנות חדר נוסף על גג ביתה, ומייצרת סוג של מערכת יחסים בינה לבין הפועלים הערבים, משהו שבין אדונית ונתינים, ובין חברות. וישנו סיפורו של חייל מילואים פעיל שמאל, שסייע בעבר לבנות דו קיום, וכעת מבקר בכפר ובביתו של חברו הטוב לחפש מסתננים.
סך הכל, הסיפורים כתובים היטב. הבעייה המרכזית היא שהם כולם נקטעים באחת. אין להם סיום, אפילו אם יש להם קצת פואנטה. ולי זה הוריד מאוד מהספר, ברמה שאיני יכולה בלב שלם להמליץ עליו.
סיכום סופי, כ-2.5 כוכבים מעוגלים למטה ל-2 כוכבים.
March 26, 2022
I do not usually like short stories. I prefer the detailed histories and complex narratives of a novel. A favorite teacher of mine is giving a four session class on this book so I thought I'd read it and go to the class. I haven't even been to session #1 of the class and I still feel I owe a debt of gratitude to that teacher. Liebrecht takes us from the particular to the universal in each story and in aggregate we have a multi-dimensional view of life in Israel. In just a few short pages, we are given insights into and understanding of the lives of complex individuals in complicated situations. Congratulations to the author...and to the translators.
July 28, 2022
more like a 3.5, but still pretty good!
December 13, 2018
A few years ago I watched the Israeli movie "Apples from the Desert" at the DC Jewish Film Fest. I mention it here, while reviewing another movie: https://jewishdc.wordpress.com/2015/0...
My remembrance of the film is that it follows the arc of the main character, an oppressed religious girl, leaving home. Her father plays a prominent role. And yet, in the original short story, penned by Savyon Liebrecht, the girl's mother is the main character. All of the action of the story comprises just a handful of scenes from the movie, from what I remember. The mother arrives to the kibbutz where her daughter is living a secular life with a boyfriend, in order to drag her back to Jerusalem. Instead, her visit makes her confront her own loveless marriage.
Oppression is a big theme for postwar German-born Israeli Savyon Liebrecht. Sometimes it's about the oppression of women, like in my favorite story, "The Road to Cedar City," where a woman is maliciously mocked for her emotions and often abandoned by her husband and son in a foreign country. And more overtly in "Compassion," which takes place in a violently patriarchal Israeli Arab village (though Liebrecht perhaps didn't want to speak for Arab women, per se, so she made her narrator a convert with a fascinating history of her own.)
The interpersonal oppression of Palestinians in Israel also plays a part, again in "The Road to Cedar City" (it's a long story!), and some other strong contenders; like "The Room on the Roof," where the protagonist isn't quite able to get over her prejudices about men she hires from the West Bank to do some work on her house.
But her most harrowing example is that of how Israelis often treat Holocaust survivors. As the daughter of survivors herself, Liebrecht seems to have a special window into this world. She probes it through stories like "Hayuta's Engagement Party" (her most successful imho), where a granddaughter's desperation to silence her grandfather's attempts to sift through his trauma ends in tragedy; "Morning in the Park Among the Nannies" (her least successful, imho) where a chance encounter sparks the memories of a Polish survivor forced to service German soldiers in a whore house; and "Excision," where an Auschwitz survivor hacks off her granddaughter's lice-infected hair, to the consternation of her entire family, due to her experiences in the camps.
The collection as a whole (or technically the translated selections from her three Hebrew short story books) seem to be a call for greater empathy and understanding. The POV character is most often a woman, whose story is told in third person, and my absolute least favorite of the bunch broke that mold. "The Homesick Scientist" is first person from a male perspective, about people using old haunts and relatives to foster a sense of self, and I found the writing to be a bit more overwrought. Considering that her more haunting and lyrical stories were most often translated by the same person (Marganit Weinberger-Rotman,) I assume the issue lies with the original writing.
Almost all short story collections are uneven, apparently even when cherry picking from various collections. Still, over all, I was taken with this book, which I was so fortunate to find at my public library's bookstore! I hope more of Liebrecht's works may get translated in the future. In the meantime, here's my in depth review of the last 8 stories of this anthology, which I read for the 8 nights of Chanukah. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bNhrJ...
My remembrance of the film is that it follows the arc of the main character, an oppressed religious girl, leaving home. Her father plays a prominent role. And yet, in the original short story, penned by Savyon Liebrecht, the girl's mother is the main character. All of the action of the story comprises just a handful of scenes from the movie, from what I remember. The mother arrives to the kibbutz where her daughter is living a secular life with a boyfriend, in order to drag her back to Jerusalem. Instead, her visit makes her confront her own loveless marriage.
Oppression is a big theme for postwar German-born Israeli Savyon Liebrecht. Sometimes it's about the oppression of women, like in my favorite story, "The Road to Cedar City," where a woman is maliciously mocked for her emotions and often abandoned by her husband and son in a foreign country. And more overtly in "Compassion," which takes place in a violently patriarchal Israeli Arab village (though Liebrecht perhaps didn't want to speak for Arab women, per se, so she made her narrator a convert with a fascinating history of her own.)
The interpersonal oppression of Palestinians in Israel also plays a part, again in "The Road to Cedar City" (it's a long story!), and some other strong contenders; like "The Room on the Roof," where the protagonist isn't quite able to get over her prejudices about men she hires from the West Bank to do some work on her house.
But her most harrowing example is that of how Israelis often treat Holocaust survivors. As the daughter of survivors herself, Liebrecht seems to have a special window into this world. She probes it through stories like "Hayuta's Engagement Party" (her most successful imho), where a granddaughter's desperation to silence her grandfather's attempts to sift through his trauma ends in tragedy; "Morning in the Park Among the Nannies" (her least successful, imho) where a chance encounter sparks the memories of a Polish survivor forced to service German soldiers in a whore house; and "Excision," where an Auschwitz survivor hacks off her granddaughter's lice-infected hair, to the consternation of her entire family, due to her experiences in the camps.
The collection as a whole (or technically the translated selections from her three Hebrew short story books) seem to be a call for greater empathy and understanding. The POV character is most often a woman, whose story is told in third person, and my absolute least favorite of the bunch broke that mold. "The Homesick Scientist" is first person from a male perspective, about people using old haunts and relatives to foster a sense of self, and I found the writing to be a bit more overwrought. Considering that her more haunting and lyrical stories were most often translated by the same person (Marganit Weinberger-Rotman,) I assume the issue lies with the original writing.
Almost all short story collections are uneven, apparently even when cherry picking from various collections. Still, over all, I was taken with this book, which I was so fortunate to find at my public library's bookstore! I hope more of Liebrecht's works may get translated in the future. In the meantime, here's my in depth review of the last 8 stories of this anthology, which I read for the 8 nights of Chanukah. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bNhrJ...
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March 24, 2009Good cultural read, gives various points of view regarding the Palestine/Isreal conflict from a literary standpoint.
December 10, 2012
I really enjoy Savyon Liebrecht's writing ---and she makes me think! (this book is a collection of short stories).
Her novels are good too!
Her novels are good too!
October 16, 2024
In this collection of short stories, beautifully translated from the Hebrew, the author shows us people confronting their own troubled past (especially, as Holocaust survivors or their families--like the author--or victims of domestic abuse) or else facing their troubled relationships with people like them and yet terribly unlike them (Israeli Jews and Arabs, women and men, family members of different generations).
Each story is psychologically deep, and haunting. I could not read more than a few at a time; I needed to let them sink in and to leave some space between them. The most optimistic story in the book is also the earliest, the title story. In it, a traditional mother comes to see how her feminist daughter is making a new, fruitful life.
I am going to have to read more by this author, whom I had never heard of before. Thanks to Havah Goldfarb for bringing Savyon Liebrecht to my attention.
Each story is psychologically deep, and haunting. I could not read more than a few at a time; I needed to let them sink in and to leave some space between them. The most optimistic story in the book is also the earliest, the title story. In it, a traditional mother comes to see how her feminist daughter is making a new, fruitful life.
I am going to have to read more by this author, whom I had never heard of before. Thanks to Havah Goldfarb for bringing Savyon Liebrecht to my attention.
March 9, 2018
Wonderful collection of moving stories by a talented writer.
March 10, 2020
I liked the mix of sweet and shocking stories in this collection. (I need to go back and read the intro).
Definitely want to read more from this author.
Definitely want to read more from this author.
October 27, 2022
A superbly written collection of short stories, with the common theme of deep divisions that keep people from empathy and connection. Heavy meaningful stories, so a slow read.
December 16, 2025
"Mele dal deserto" è un libro da leggere. Una raccolta di racconti che possiede una rara bellezza letteraria che non trovavo da tempo. Liebrecht è abilissima nel costruire narrazioni semplici ed evocative anche quando i suoi personaggi affrontano temi estremamente complicati e dolorosi come la Shoah e il conflitto israelo-palestinese. Ripeto: l'aspetto più sorprendente del suo stile è la scorrevolezza e le suggestioni. I racconti di Liebrecht sono stati davvero una bella scoperta.
Per una recensione più strutturata vi riamando al mio post su https://sfoglialibri.wordpress.com/20...
Per una recensione più strutturata vi riamando al mio post su https://sfoglialibri.wordpress.com/20...
September 28, 2009
I had great anticipation for this book which came with a glowing foreword by eminent writer, Grace Paley, but finished one story after another with mounting disappointment. I am mystified by the acclaim and mystified at why these stories simply do not work, and I reject the possibility that the translation is even partially to blame. The most I can say for this collection is that it raises an interesting variety of scenarios, such as: the plight of the survivor whose memories are not welcomed or appreciated by later generations, the phenomenon of second generation survivors whose parents retreat into silence and denial, and the inner conflict that dehumanizes Israeli Jews who come into contact with Israeli Arabs. Bravo - these are compelling situations. Too bad that these stories should be so poorly told.
February 20, 2012
This was a book club selection, and I do think it will lend itself to some interesting discussion. The stories are unusually evocative of place (mostly Israel, but also WWII-era Europe and the U.S.) and emotion. Liebrecht conveys a great deal of sorrow, loneliness and disillusion through dialogue as well as small, telling details. That said, her writing style isn't my favorite. She builds tension into her stories by withholding information, then lets it all out in the final page or two so the reader comes to understand why two people weren't talking to each other or were acting so oddly. It's a technique that can work, no question, but I grew irritated after reading story after story that made use of it.
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September 3, 2024קובץ סיפורים שמחלקם סלדתי ולאחרים התחברתי. התקשיתי (ואפילו כעסתי על ליברכט) לקרוא את הסיפורים העוסקים ביחסים בין ישראלים ופלסטינים - יש רגעים שהצבתם של פלסטינים כמכשיר ספרותי מזכירה לי את הכתיבה של עמוס עוז. אולי אני מנותקת מדי מהשיח התרבותי בארץ בשנים שיצא הספר לאור, אבל אני לא מצליחה להתחבר לספרות שברור שהיא נכתבה אך ורק בשביל קוראים ישראלים יהודים. כי כן, יש עוד אנשים שיודעים איך לקרוא בעברית... ואיכשהו כל הפלסטינים בסיפורים שלה הם קריקטורות שמטרתם בחיים היא לספוג את רגשות האשם של הדמות הראשית (הישראלית, כמובן)...
ועם זאת - אני מודה שכמה מהסיפורים היו יפים בעיניי, במיוחד הסיפור האחרון והסיפור ממנו ניתן השם לקובץ, "תפוחים מן המדבר".
ועם זאת - אני מודה שכמה מהסיפורים היו יפים בעיניי, במיוחד הסיפור האחרון והסיפור ממנו ניתן השם לקובץ, "תפוחים מן המדבר".
May 26, 2012
I highly recommend this collection of short stories. If I say the stories in this book are about relationships, the present confronting the past, the impact of the Holocaust, and a focus on women's issues,I am not doing justice to Savyon Liebrecht's talent and creativity. She has the grasp of the dynamics of friendships and interpersonal relations that make for a great writer.
June 11, 2015
I was searching for a book, preferably by a woman writer, for my Israeli Literature Book Group and discovered this gem of a short story collection when I was looking at the selections for the Israeli Film Festival at the JCC and saw that the title story had been made into a film. (We saw the film and liked it a lot). Many haunting images and characters in this collection.
April 12, 2017
I don't usually care for short stories, but these were great. The stories were relatively long and gave a lot of background. Also, unlike most short stories, there was typically some sort of resolution, so each story felt complete.
December 28, 2007
Always interesting to look at another culture through their literature. This one had some good stories in it, and some of them made me uncomfortable, which was the point, so they're effective.
March 14, 2009
I just thought these were superb! Personal and political. so glad I read them.
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