In a quiet corner of Israel is the village of Tel Ilan. Each villager has a story to tell. An old man keeps hearing digging noises at night. A 17 year old falls in love with a thirty year old divorcee. An aunt waits for her nephew to arrive from Tel Aviv. A boy shoots himself underneath the bed of his parents and they sleep through the night unaware of the fact.
Scenes from Village Life is A Collection of Stories
My first encounter with Amos Oz was in a short story that was published in The New Yorker My Curls Have Blown All the Way to China. To admit the truth, Scenes from Village Life attracted me because of its cover. The cover somehow gave an illusion of being a serene novel, the one that you would love to relax with. But as I finished the last pages, I could feel a churning of uneasiness in my heart.
The book is a collection of short stories that talk of the different inhabitants of the village of Tel Ilan. The stories function well as stand-alones. Save for the fact that characters occasionally get a mention in the other stories, there is no connection between them, so you can read in any order.
To those who are not familiar with Amos Oz’s style of writing, his stories echo silence and quietness. He has an eye for details which is another aspect I loved in this collection. He pays attention to the minute details which makes the scene he is describing come alive in your head. Tel Ilan is a village, more of a small-town, away from the hustle and bustle of the city. It is the kind you would want to go to to escape from the mundane requirements of a city life. However the theme of loneliness casts its shadow in different forms in all the stories. The stories have no revelations at the end and some do not have a definitive ending either. This is a good book to read for those who crave descriptive passages told in quiet prose with occasional disclosures.
There are some stories that I liked more than the others in the collection.
In Heirs, a man tries to convince another to get rid of his ageing mother so that he can sell the house. This is the first story in the collection and the hushed silences frightened me.
Relations is the story of the village doctor, Gili Steiner, waiting for her nephew who is supposed to come in a bus from Tel Aviv. The story takes us through how their relationship had grown stronger over the years and Gili’s fears when he doesn’t turn up that night. The portrayal of emotions and love between relatives is done so well in this story.
My favourite story in the collection is Lost where a man wants to buy a house and is extended an invitation by the grand daughter to see around. The house transforms from a lifeless building seen through the eyes of the buyer to a home where the family lived and thrived as she leads him on into the deeper narrow passages in the house. The ending took me by surprise which was just the kind of climax wanted to jolt the reader to reality.
Strangers is the story of seventeen year old Kobi who has feelings for the thirty year old divorcee, Ada Davash. She works as a postmistress as well as librarian and Kobi, being an avid reader, sparks off a conversation about books. The story is told through the internal thoughts of both the characters. Again, another beautifully well done story in the collection.
Waiting is the story of a husband waiting for his wife to come home. As he waits the story of their marriage is told through flash backs. By the end, the reader feels a silent agreement in his/her heart to wait alongside.
Final Verdict
I enjoyed the book. I would recommend the read to those who are not adamant about definitive beginnings and endings in stories. Those who love stories of the likes of Anita Desai will surely enjoy this book. Open the pages expecting to see snippets of life of the neighbourhood of Tel Ilan and you will end up being a very satisfied reader.
Title : Scenes from Village Life
Author : Amos Oz
Translator : Nicholas de Lange (from the Hebrew)
Publisher : Vintage
Published : 2012 (Originally 1998)
Language : English
Pages : 265
Rating : 4/5
Oh gosh, let me just say your photos are gorgeous! They love so homely and welcoming, ah they make me happy.
I’ve never heard of this, but the synopsis seems amazing albeit a bit dark. I’m not sure whether I love or hate the fact that a boy shot himself while his parents were literally right above him. The again, I suppose that’s what makes it interesting. I’m now intrigued and want to learn more, I’m probably going to go and look it up! Great review Resh x
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Aww. Thank you so much. That makes me feel so good.
Yes, the stories give you a jolt at the unexpected places. Imagine looking for your son everywhere and then sleeping the night when he is under your bed, dead! Oh my God. That really gave me the creeps.
Thank you for visiting. 🙂
I appreciate the variety of the books you read. Short story collections aren’t common in the blogging community, but I am a big fan of them and of anthologies. So I’m always happy to see a new review on your blog featuring short stories!
I’ll add this one to my TBR because I have not read any book written by an Israeli writer!! Thanks for making me notice that gap in my reading. 🙂
I am glad I was of help. Amos Oz is the only Israeli writer I have read as well. I would recommend starting with his book Judas, not this one. I have not read Judas, but so many people have recommended it to be as his best work.
I’m very intrigued by your description of the author’s writing style. I don’t think I’ve ever read anything by Amoz Oz so I’m going to have to look into him. I saw your recommendation above about Judas so I may start with that one. Great review!
I think Judas would be a good place to start. I am hoping to read Judas soon myself
Pity this is a short story collection (which I always struggle with) rather than a novel otherwise it would go onto my wishlist. But thanks for giving me a new name to consider.
I would call it more of a short story collection. The characters do appear now and then in different stories in cameo roles- but that is just it. If you are looking forward to starting Amos Oz, I would recommend Judas. I havent read the book. However I was heavily recommended the same saying its Oz’s best work