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Over the course of four meals, Zayde slowly comes to understand why three men consider him their son and why all three participate in raising him. A virtuoso performance in storytelling, Shalev's novel is deeply satisfying-sensuous, hilarious, compassionate, and prfound. "Told in a euphonic voice and employing the magic conventions of a fairytale, this is a heart-warming narrative agleam with moments of plangent sadness, rueful humor, and compassionate insight."
Product Description
Four Meals is the extraordinary story of Zayde; his enigmatic mother, Judith; and her three lovers, Globerman, Jacob, and Moshe. Over the course of four meals, which take place intermittently over several decades, Zayde slowly comes to understand why these three men consider him their son and why all three participate in raising him. A virtuoso performance of spellbinding storytelling, Shalev's novel is a deeply satisfying read -- sensuous, hilarious, compassionate, and profound.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Thought provoking glimpse into the past, witty & sad,
By sussman@btinternet.com (England) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Four Meals (Paperback)
Four Meals is a fictional glimpse into the past of an illegimate Jewish boy growing up in 1930's Palestine with his mother and 4 "fathers", each telling their own version of events. The book is narrated in the first person by the boy. From the age of 12 and every 10 years thereafter he has a meal with one of his "fathers" and it is during the meal that his history is slowly revealed. The stories surrounding his "fathers" each contesting for the hand of his mother are told in such a sensitive manner that it is difficult to accept it is just a novel. I got completely involved with the boy's past which periodically evoked memories of my own childhood that I had long forgotton. The stories revealed through the decades, are tinged with a mixture of sadness, gaiety and a sensitivity that pierces the heart. It is this that makes the stories come to life. A very unusual book, beautifully written I would thoroughly recommend it.
5.0 out of 5 stars
A book for life!,
This review is from: Four Meals (Paperback)
A book that enveils itself slowly and elegant with lots of riddles and life tales. Trully amazing. Highly recommended.
It is a book like a friend of mine would say: "It is not chewed up for you" so you need to work on it and your work will be highly rewarded.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta) Amazon.com:
5.0 out of 5 stars (4 customer reviews) 9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Rich and whimsical,
By Gary Selikow - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Four Meals (Paperback)
A wonderfully written story , a masterpiece of contemporary Israeli literature , rich in imagery and deeply human.
It is the story of the boy Zayde and his enigmatic mother , Judith , as well as Judith's three lovers, all of which take the role of Zayde's fathers. We are kept guessing who Zayde's real father is , but we never find out. Ther story takes us from the 1930's to the 1980's in Israel Highly reccomended for a rich and whimsical read. 5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A good story, well told, with a melancholy tone and a touch of magic realism.,
By Linda Linguvic - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Four Meals (Paperback)
This 1994 Israeli novel has something in common with all the other Israeli novels I have read lately. It has a melancholy tone and a touch of magic realism.
Originally written in Hebrew and set in what is now Israel, the story starts at the end of the First World War and gives the reader a picture of a small Jewish village which was not unlike stories I've read about villages in Europe around that time in history except that the weather, the foliage and the crops were all indigenous to Palestine (which was what the area was called at the time). This is the story of a boy named Zayde and his three fathers. Yes, three fathers. Of course the story takes place years before DNA testing and each one of three men believes that he could have been Zayde's biological father. His mother, Judith, had come to the village after a tragedy of her own, and worked as a housekeeper for a widower named Moshe and his children. She refused to sleep in his house however, and lived in the cowshed with the cows. Moshe loved her and so did two other men - Globerman, the rough and unscrupulous cattle dealer and Jacob, the gentle dreamer who over the course of several decades, invited Zayde to his home for four memorable meals and, at the same time, gradually unveiled the secrets around Zayde's birth and Judith's death when Zayde was only ten years old. This is a sad, beautiful and wistful story and I could almost hear the violins playing a minor-keyed rhapsody in the background as it unfolded. Soon, I was caught up in the characters, the concept of the story and the well-planned pacing and very anxious to understand all the mysteries that the author introduced. This is a good book, and a story well told. 2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Devour this book,
By RUHU "Eclectic" - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Four Meals (Paperback)
The story of a young man and his experiences as he grows up in Israel is a cross between IB Singer and Amos Oz. Full of magic, pain, the wonder of a child, the redeeming of lost love, land and history. The descriptions are so fresh you can smell, taste and feel them. You will want to devour this book.
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