Comment

Aug 03, 2015wyenotgo rated this title 3 out of 5 stars
In the first several chapters, I found it hard to feel close to the characters or the story. And in the case of Leora, we never get much insight into her personality or her motivation in entering into her affair with Kotler; she remains a mannequin to the end. Nevertheless, the book is an easy read that moves along briskly and gains substance as it progresses. Kotler's confrontation with his former betrayer ends up being less traumatic than expected and the story winds down to a rather placid but probably realistic conclusion. The high point of the book for me was the letter Kotler receives from his wife -- a dignified, thoughtful and moving declaration that succeeds in drawing Kotler -- and indeed the entire plot -- back into a semblance of normalcy. Bezmozgis, in his terse style and passionate defense of the Zionist point of view, harkens back to the very earliest work of Leon Uris in Mila 18 -- when Uris was still fresh, optimistic and not as pathetically self-absorbed as he eventually became. It's remarkable to encounter a writer who today, despite all that has occurred over the past 60 years, remains as single-minded in his adherence to the Zionist point of view. Once again one is reminded of the sheer intransigence of the conflict of rights, aspirations and ancient wrongs that prevent anything resembling a resolution of the middle east situation. Bezmozgis condemns the forced removal of Jewish settlements seemingly not so much based on their right to exist (which he simply takes for granted as if it were indisputable) but rather on the basis that their removal fails to gain any meaningful concessions from the Palestinians. That viewpoint calls into question whether any such inalienable right exists or if it's simply a bargaining chip in a cold-blooded power game. Perhaps the book's greatest achievement is its merciless depiction of Kotler, a man who thrives on self-deception, so convinced of his own idealism that in order to deny his political opponent a tactical victory he is willing to subject his loving and loyal wife, son and daughter to public disgrace and flee with his mistress. He despises the aging and helpless Tankilevitch for having betrayed him years ago, even though that betrayal was done under extreme duress applied by an all-powerful Soviet political machine. Surely Kotler's betrayal of his loved ones, an act that was after all driven by his own carnal desires and his monumental stubbornness was a greater betrayal than that of his nemesis. His almost offhand forgiveness of Tankilevitch seems hardly adequate to redeem him for his callousness; and the deep hurt that he has done to his wife cannot be undone. He comes across as a believable character but certainly not a likeable one.